After seven years of carrying around the same dark brown leather Sigrid Olsen handbag as my main bag, I decided to purchase a new one. Though I don’t usually make larger purchases for myself that often, my birthday was approaching, and since it is a yearly ritual for me to buy a birthday gift for myself, I began searching for the perfect bag. At one point I had seen a bag that was a fun, bright yellow, and it was well outside my usual understated color range, so I bought it, only to be disappointed. When the yellow bag arrived, I discovered that it was cheaply made, the leather was very coarse and of questionable origin, the pockets were too shallow, the bag didn’t close completely, and the main strap was so uncomfortable that I developed an abrasion from where it chafed the skin on my shoulder. I returned it and resumed my search for the perfect bag.

I cannot stand shopping in stores, so I had to use my imagination when looking at options online. Then one day I clicked on a design I really liked, a red Cole Haan handbag. I watched the video posted on 6pm.com (which, by the way, is a GREAT company with a large selection of shoes, clothing and bags, with discount prices) and loved the design of the bag even more. Then when I clicked on color options, I noticed that the red option was sold out, leaving “purple reign” as the only color option. I couldn’t believe my luck in finding the perfect bag, and in my favorite color to boot!

The conservative part of my brain hesitated somewhat, because I had always gotten a dark neutral color (usually black) for my main handbag, but I fought against that tendency and placed the order. When the bag arrived, I could tell I had made the right decision. I have now had the bag for over two months and love everything about it: the pockets, the closure, the styling, the size, the designer. I have to admit that I also love the unexpected pop of purple leather, which goes surprisingly well with most of my wardrobe.

You ladies out there can understand what I am talking about when I say this is the perfect bag for me, but I may have lost some of you men. Since most women carry handbags daily, they begin to identify with a bag that is used often. Similar to the awareness of one’s car which develops over time, the same familiarity forms with handbags. Like remembering what you have in the glove box, or how the steering wheel feels, I know what I keep in my inside zippered pocket, how my sunglass case fits best next to my wallet, etc. My new purple handbag is now as comfortable as a broken-in pair of shoes.