When/how does a bag count in an outfit - YouLookFab Forum

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When/how does a bag count in an outfit

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

I don't get using a bag as a "pop of color" or other refinement to an outfit. But maybe it's because my thinking or lifestyle is wrong. When I "dressed" for the office, I stowed my bag as soon as I got to work. Safe, locked, location, yadaya. I didn't carry it around the office all day. So it wasn't part of the outfit.

Now I sometimes carry a bag, but I still don't think of it as something that adds, only something that can subtract, like a clashing color. As a result, bags are pretty utilitarian for me, maybe excepting a dressy capsule when I am "clutching" a bag all evening. But for you ladies who dress for 9-5 every day, I don't get it. SAHMs it makes a little more sense, although the diaper bag might be more important than the handbag.

Not trying to stir the pot. I really don't get it. Please explain.

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35 replies

Latest reply was from Jaime

thimblelina

(website)

Veteran

I'm not very adept at the bag thing, but I think a quality bag works much the same as a quality coat: it is often a component of the 'first impression' factor of any outfit, and it is often being utilized when one might see (and be seen by) a broader assortment of people than in office or home. So it works as a slightly more public fashion statement...
Correct me if I'm wrong bag ladies!!

anne

Veteran

Well, as I just wrote on my thread, I am not really a bag person either. But my bag is seen on the bus, as I walk to my office, on the lifts, and then when I walk around the shops in my lunchbreak or go to church. (I do keep it stored away while at work, like you)
So I decided I wanted one that would add something in colour to my outfits - and also go with the main colours I wear (blue, red and pink - plus black and white) So I got teal, though would have possibly gone for apple green if I had found one. It especially had to go with my coats.

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

Ann->Anne is public transit? I drove, went straight from car to office, and no one was the wiser as far as what my stuff was in.

Of course, I worked where no one would have noticed so long as I wasn't buck naked, at least the last 5 years. (STEM academics, sigh...)

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

They might not have noticed if i WAS buck naked.

anne

Veteran

Yes - that's a fair distinction! I felt a bit that way in my last job where I drove in. In fact I just used my backpack - purely functional

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I mostly agree with you, Ann. Anyone who sees me often, like coworkers or family members, is not going to see me with a bag very often except where we're going somewhere together. I suppose strangers on the street do, and while I'm running errands or shopping.

Living in a city versus living in a suburb/the country, and taking public transit or walking versus driving a car, make a big difference in these things, I think. Coats too - most of us don't spend that much time outdoors just hanging out as opposed to going somewhere.

dashielle (Ann)

(website)

Veteran

I agree that it doesn't make sense for certain lifestyles, but like Anne (and I'm an Ann too BTW), I walk to/from the bus and around downtown at lunch, and walk to dinner/drinks and shopping, all of which are opportunities to put together full outfits including topper and scarf. When I drove to the 'burbs to work, it didn't matter because the indoor outfit was all that was seen.

anne

Veteran

Hooray for the Ann/e contingent! (Just saying)

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

Ya know, if I lived in NYC/Boston/Chicgo, it might make a difference, coat/bag/etc. The car culture thing--sometimes I leave my coat and bag in the car, sometimes I stuff my wallet and keys into the my pockets and skip a bag altogether. And also the western thing--I have never been so cold as I was in Chicago, all that damp blowing off the lake, even at 0 degrees. In the west, 0F and sunny can feel hot because there's no damp seeping into your bones. That's when you really want moisturizer!

As it is, my earrings are more central to my outfit than a bag. But if I didn't have my car/truck as my nearby-supersized carryall and had to rely on what was in a bag, I might find them far more interesting.

Sal

Veteran

I am not particularly a bag person either....except for with occasion wear. But I do sometimes feel I don't have the right bag for the outfit, or that my bag will detract. I think ideally a bag should be practical and either blend with the oufit, or if you are more ambitious, lift the outfit.

I am much more of a shoe person than a bag person!

Grey Rainbow

I don't get bags either. I want them to function, and blend in. No pops of color there for me! That's what scarves are for. A few years ago I sold all of my leather bags (were starting too feel too heavy, fussy, cumbersome) and switched to Longchamp Le Pilage. Black, grey, navy, dark taupe. The colors blend with everything in my closet, they weigh nothing and hold everything, Two sizes of each is my goal. A metallic clutch for evening/dressy, and that's it!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I'm a bag lady. But I walk around a lot, and I'm self-employed, so I'm not doing the office routine. I was much more of a one-simple-bag person back when I worked a typical 9-5 gig. So I get that some people just don't need them to be more than a utilitarian piece, but I enjoy picking out a bag to be the finishing touch on an outfit -- it's just one more piece that can convey personality, especially since in the winter my coats are not very trendy, and in the summer I'm always looking for a way to add a little something extra to hot-weather dressing.

lyn67

Veteran

I sometimes want my bag to blend in, other times to pop out from my outfit, but it always has to be coordinated somehow (style, weight/texture/structure, dressines and practicality wise). I heart my bags as I do cary half of my life in them.- so think that's why I don't have straight shoulders anymore:-)) but I have only a few at a time as cannot bear changing them daily, neither with a bag organiser. I have 2-3 bags for each of my 4 seasons and that's OK-but they are choosen carefully: not always a hit but as I grew older more and more often:-).

Anne, love your new teal bag-hope you'll enjoy wearing it!

Gennifyr

I usually go for neutral bags but this year I bought a light blue one specifically for a bit of colour. I work from home but when I go out, I'm walking around a lot outside so a bag is an opportunity for flare. I don't wear scarves or statement jewellry and my wardrobe is fairly neutral so I tend to add interest with shoes and this year, a bag.

Anonymous

I think you either love them or you don't. I love them. I love looking at them. I love the feel of them. I love opening and closing them. They are absolutely the very first thing I notice in any single outfit. More often than not, I will focus in on the bag and neglect to consider other aspects of an outfit. If I had an unlimited budget, I would have a different purse/bag for every single day of the year.

I discovered that no single bag is universal for me. I need a full wardrobe of bags .... everything from computer bags to totes to clutches to satchels. I use them all, depending on what is scheduled in my day.

I never learned to feel this way about shoes. I think it is because every bag I see is an exciting possibility whereas shoes are, well, just shoes. I tend to have to buy very utilitarian shoes and I dread shopping for them.

catgirl

Veteran

I'm a failed bag lady - I love bags but fail to deploy them effectively due to laziness. Googling bright orange bags right now, in fact.

Summer

Veteran

I used to think like you, Ann, using one neutral bag for everything until it fell apart. Now, I see them as an accessory, and like to have a change of style or colour depending on activity.
When I wear a bag, it's usually for shopping, or a social activity where I will be carrying it on me all the time, so it becomes a part of my outfit. I'm not obsessed by them, but I find but I find them useful for adding interest and colour, particularly in winter when I'm wearing a coat for much of the time.

AviaMariah

Veteran

I like alaskagirl's comment about being a failed bag lady. I keep holding myself back from spending on bags because I fear that would be me too. Plus, with baby #2 I'm still trying to figure out how to incorporate a diaper bag, purse and tote for work without spending a bunch of time repacking every morning. I think to make it worth it you just really have to enjoy the bags for yourself. Maybe I'll get there someday.

AJ

Veteran

I think a bag is a fun way to try out a trend or change the vibe of an outfit.

If prints seem too loud for you to wear, a printed bag/clutch would add a dose without being overwhelming. A floral print bag could add a feminine touch to a masculine outfit. A leopard print clutch and a change of jewelry could transform a tonal outfit from day to night.

A bag with some fringe when worn with jeans and a pullover sweater or drapey tee would hint at the 70's trend without having to wear a suede vest or bohemian skirt.

Kirstjen

Veteran

I think a good bag is the icing on the cake. The cherry on the sundae. It's one of the ways I show my personality and/or mood. For me, the accessories (shoes, scarves, bags, jewelry, eyeglasses) are the fun part of getting dressed.
Work is part of your life, but not your whole life. Just because you stow your bag at work doesn't mean that the bag should be ignored. There's drinks with friends, dinners with the partner, museums, concerts, ballgames, kids' events, errands, festivals, vacations, business trips, conferences, volunteer work, milestone events. You can wear the same dress to a baptism & a wedding, but you change up the accessories to freshen it up & change the tone.
I have 15 bags (at least) that are only used for going out to dinner - which one I carry depends on my outfit, my mood, and the restaurant.

My husband would probably love it if I felt like you - it would free up some time to focus on him...

Anonymous

As a WAH/SAH person, I rarely use a bag except for the weekly grocery shop and then it has to be a cross body one so I have free arms for reaching up to cartons of milk. I'm not much of a bag lady and only own about 5 that languish in and ottoman. I feel like I need my outfit to work without a bag so I have to try to find other ways to make it pop.

rabbit

Veteran

I wasn't a bag lady until a little over a year ago, but that was because I was mostly wearing jeans and stuffing my wallet and my keys in my pocket (basically doing it like a dude). I had a tiny cell-phone carrier for plane trips but that was it. Anything else was in a laptop carrier or backpack. When I worked in an office my very utilitarian laptop carrier filled the role.

I started to coupon and suddenly needed something to carry around more store cards and paperwork so I bought my first bag. I started expanding my collection as they became a part of my outfit (like Janet I work from home and when I'm out and about am shopping or running errands or going to events or meals -- so I always have one). About half my bags are thrifted and I prefer clutches and small cross-bodies for the size and lightness and ease to carry, but I love them now. I find them much less distracting to wear than jewelry, although I like scarves.

When I see someone on the street, I always notice bags --- not the make as that's not my thing, but the size and shape and color and how it adds to, works with, or detracts from an outfit. I think AJ gives some great examples.

trekkiegirl

Veteran

Theoretically, I get the bag as an outfit component thing. It just isn't practical for my lifestyle. Even before I had kids, when I actually wanted to empty out the contents of a purse and transfer it all to another purse, I rarely did so because it was just a time-suck (although when I did, I found numerous item that I either 1-didn't need or 2-had thought were lost because I couldn't find them)

Now, I'm more inclined to wish for a nice backpack than another purse, since this is what I take to work every day. In addition to my purse lol. Currently wishing for a black faux-leather one.

The only time I really pay close attention to my purse is if I'm dressed very formally, like a wedding. Even then, unless I'm actually IN the wedding, I'm not likely to change.

Marina

I'm not a bag person either, but I think this is a matter of circumstance and balancing expenses/practicality with personal taste. Since in normal days people will see me with my "entire outfit" only when I arrive and when I leave, I choose my base outfit thinking in those things I will be using all day long and make sure they work on their own, with no need for any other accessories, but in a way it will still work with some extras that I may need during day - like a bag, scarf or sunglasses.
I don't mind having a lot of scarves since they are cheap, but when it comes to bags I usually prefer to keep a small set of basic black bags that can attend different needs/purposes that I may have and will blend easier with my base outfits. That doesn't mean it isn't worthy to have one or two bags with more "personality", either for a situation where you will be keeping your handbag for more time or because sometimes we may feel like using something different.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

I'm kind of a bag lady, meaning that my bag is a part of my outfit for everything other than work. At work it lives in a filing cabinet. Whenever I dress for any place else, I take what purse I'll carry into consideration.

Lyn D.

Veteran

Only on this forum have heard the expression 'wearing a bag'.
This changed my previous view about bags mainly just being useful for carrying around my stuff.
I mainly use a black bag that goes with most of my shoes and my watch band, but own some lovely and unique thrifted ones that I find whilst I am volunteering.
I like Angie's term 'wardrobe pets' for these, as they rarely come out to play, but I love owning and admiring them!

Anonymous

I'm not a bag lady, at least not any more, but I do love, appreciate and use daily the best bag I can afford and in updated colours and styles. I hear you though about not caring when no-ones is going to see it - honestly, when I'm not going anywhere interesting, I often just stuff my wallet and phone in my jacket pocket. Hey, maybe we can use those stupid plastic grocery bags we're not supposed to have for carrying our stuff now!

In all seriousness, I do consider it part of the outfit on a work day and out of the 3 or 4 I rotate through in a season, I'm picking the one that holds what I need on a particular day, and also finishes off the vibe of the outfit. So that means yes, I have a bag with a skull head padlock thing on it, and I have one with fringes, and on and on. Yay for bags If you are going to carry one anyways, it might as well say something.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

Rabbit, I still go sans-bag to some events, sticking my small wallet and my phone in my jeans pockets. Without a bag you get to go through the express security line at our local hockey team's games, and it's handy as well at other public events where a bag gets tedious to look after, even a small crossbody. It was easier back in the day when all I needed was my wallet and keys, no cellphone, but when I upgrade my phone soon I'm going to buy a case that doubles as a small cc/id wallet.

One of my sticking points for not being a bag lady is that they're so stinkin' expensive, the nice real leather brand-name ones, even pricier than shoes or coats. I'd rather get four new garments or two pairs of shoes on sale for the same price as one purse.

Brooklyn

Veteran

I get the whole thing about not caring about a bag that is not seen. I also drive to work and stash my bag away when there. And often don't go out at lunch time. But for all that I still really like bags and like to ensure my bag coordinates with or adds to my outfit. I think for me it is about confidence and feeling good. I think a lot of women dress for themselves and not for how they appear to others in any case. To me my bag is part of my outfit - whether or not others see it - and I walk out of the house more confident if I feel my outfit looks pulled together. I guess it's similar to why some women love expensive underwear even though it is not seen by most people.

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