I agree with the others. It’s a very personal preference but I’m going to share my thoughts on what makes a bag really great for me.
- Like others have mentioned, I find deeper bags more difficult to use. It’s not a deal breaker for me, but something to keep in mind. It’s a trade off if you want a larger bag — most of them will just have to be deep in order to be roomy.
- Openings. This one is important to me. I’m not super crazy about flap openings, especially if they are stiff and don’t stay open easily. I don’t love having to do and undo a clasp. I prefer a simple magnetic snap, or a zipper closure.
Also, I don’t care for bags that narrow at the opening — I find them difficult to see into and to use. So I avoid those styles.
- Stiff vs floppy. I have bags across the spectrum. But the really stiff ones can be a little tough to use and the zipper tops can scrape your hands. Conversely, the floppy ones will fall over and collapse if you sit them down.
- Lined vs unlined. It’s always nice to save a little weight, but I don’t do many unlined bags. I have a summer tote that is finely perforated and unlined, and the inside is smooth so it’s easy to use. I have another unlined bag that has a suede-like inside and I don’t like that aspect of it so much — it gets sort of linty and dirty. I think a lining helps it last longer. I wish more bags were made with light-color linings to help make the contents more visible.
- Size/shape/width/bulk and how it plays with your frame. Again all of this is totally subjective and a matter of personal taste and preference, but I shy away from bags that are bulky and stick out many inches from my hip when worn on my shoulder. I have ruled out many a cute bag because they visually add too much volume at the hip, where I am already voluminous enough, LOL. I’d rather have a slightly “flatter” bag, if you know what I mean. YMMV.
- Handles. Purely a personal preference based on how you like to use a bag, but I tend to not bother with bags that i can’t somehow carry on my shoulder, even just if it’s while I am carrying grocery bags or the like. So I gravitate to totes, convertible clutch styles, or bags like satchels with a handle plus shoulder strap.
- Interior compartments or pockets. I don’t particularly need a bunch of dividers and in fact prefer the open space rather than extra compartments. But I use a pouch for necessities so my bag contains: wallet, keys, eyeglass case, pouch, and phone. It’s easy to find stuff because there are not so many individual items. Plus fewer dividers means I can fit a book or notebook or ipad or bottle of water more easily if needed.
- External pockets and extra pouches. I don’t care about extra pouches/wallets. They usually go into the donate bag. I like one simple external pocket I can slip my phone into but it’s not a deal breaker.
- Color and hardware. I love a bag with no nameplates and no gold hardware, but that can be a tall order so if I otherwise love it, I’ll get the bag even with a touch of gold tone in a zipper pull or a little logo. Silver hardware is good for me, gunmetal also great. I like hardware that blends into the bag unless it’s really super well done (like my McQueen bag). Just a note to pay attention to your personal preference and what you like to wear. For an everyday bag I don’t care for a lot of embellishment and prefer to keep it simple. I have other more colorful statement bags for days when I want to use a bag to punch up a more neutral outfit, but I don’t think that’s what you want. Consider the color carefully with your wardrobe. I have a lovely grey bag that I never use because it’s a weird grey that never looks as neutral as it should when I try to wear it. I recommend a try on session with your clothes.
I’m using all of these as examples so you can see my thought process. I hope this helps a little!
