Handbags have just got bigger and bigger, and as they have got bigger and bigger we are stuffing more and more in them. Eager-eyed family members spot that we are carrying a good-sized holdall and say, “Can you put this in your bag?” “could you carry this for me?” and before you know it we are the desert camels of the family, dutifully traipsing round with 3kgs weight on one shoulder. I’m not perfect in this regard, I did once set off the security alarm at Heathrow with a fork that had somehow travelled between the studio and home, via the family table, missed the dishwasher and ended up on a business trip to Scotland. The fork was confiscated, and I was a little distraught as it was one of a set of 8 that I was rather fond of. So I do understand the juggling issue, especially if you have family responsibilities (aka wet wipes nappies, jumpers, skipping ropes) and work responsibilities (laptop, i-pad, lists, security card, keys). However, I’m declaring that enough is enough and for a week I am exchanging the large purple bag that holds-all, for this:
This was my mother’s handbag of choice when we lived in Japan in the 1970s. I have asked her to provide a photo for this post, but she is being coy in this regard. However I can vouch that she managed with this bag, so if she can, so can I. As I sit here looking at the bag, I can tell you immediately that my (healthy salad) packed lunch is not going to fit in there, so I’m going to need a second bag…..and as I begin to count the cost I can also say that my purse is too big to go in there. The idea is to streamline and become more efficient, and I wonder if allowing myself to have a large bag is allowing me to be sloppy in my organisation. I will be reporting back and reporting bag. How about you? How small can you go?
