I was talking to a friend/co-worker about bags and shoes the other day and ended up doing a fairly thorough analysis of what seems to work for me and what doesn't. I had never given it much thought before which is likely why I have quite a few bags languishing in the closet and have donated even more.

I pulled them out when I got home today and took pictures. I thought I would share my thought process and see if anyone else wanted to share what bags work and why. Here goes. The thumbnails on my chromebook were too small to clearly identify some bags so the groupings won't be in order.

Bags 1, 3, 4, and 6 work the best in terms of size and shape. All have outside pockets that I can put my work ID in for easy access. They also have either dividers inside or pockets and pouches for my phone, keys, gum and other things I like to access frequently. They are also soft and pliable. They straps are long enough to hit above the hip and fit over my shoulder.

Bag 2 is a really nice color and I bought it partially because I was being a lemming and wanted cognac. It meets all of the above requirements but has no pockets inside or out. Not bad but not quite as good as the first grouping.

Bag 5 (7 is 5 from the side) is a gorgeous light navy and is buttery soft leather. It also has a strap that can be worn as a small backpack for shopping. Tony bought it for me as a surprise when we were in Quebec City on our first vacation as a couple. Sadly, the base is narrow and it is just a bit small as a result and hard to fit my needed items.

Bags 8, 9, 10, and 11 are all nice bags (two Matt & Nat and a vintage coach) but the long strap is too long and the handles are too short. I find if a bag hits at the hip it bounces when I walk and annoys me. I could use the handles and remove the strap but I like the convenience of throwing a bag over my shoulder and having both hands free. I also find the clasp on 10 and 11 takes more time to close than I want to put into it when I am running errands. Bag 9 has a frame at the top that gives it great structure but limits the size of the opening a bit too much. It is too bad because 9 and 10 are nice colors. I love the deep taupe with a purple undertone in 10 and the dark olive of 9.

Bag 12 is Liz Claiborne. It is a tiny bit big but I love the color and structure of it. I tried it on when I was pulling them all out and was surprised that it was long enough to fit over my shoulder. I may work it back into the mix.

Bag 13 is another Matt & Nat. It has the removable strap as well as a longer removable chain strap and both work. It is a bit too small for everyday but I have used it for evening even though it is a bit big for that.

The conclusions I have come to are that I love the look of ladylike structured bags in firmer leather as evidenced by the number of them in the closet and that have already moved out. I now realize that they aren't practical for my lifestyle so will try to stop buying them.

I also love bright colored bags but most often use black (number 6 Matt & Nat was my go-to for many months).

So now, I am going to try to buy hobo or shoulder bags that are less structured but have a 3-4 inch base for room and have an 8-12" drop so I can wear them on my shoulder.

Your turn. What do you look for in a bag? Are there any styles you keep buying over and over even though they don't work?