A Handbag...

This really is my handbag... I love it!

I was stood in the queue at the post office yesterday afternoon, juggling the post for work, some packages for eBay and a couple of bills that needed paying (if I don’t keep them in my hand, I’ll forget about them…); there were a mixture of men and women in the queue.

One thing that was noticeable was that all the women were carrying handbags of varying sizes.  Purses were dragged out at opportune moments, tissues were found to wipe accompanying toddler's noses, keys were thrown in to free up a hand… but the men – not a bag in sight.   One grappled with loose change to pay for the price of a parcel, another pulled a bulging wallet out of his back pocket.

Where do they keep all their ‘stuff’?  Or do they simply not have the need to carry all sorts of crap around with them?  And if not, why not?  

I've done a “What’s In My Handbag” type post twice now (Part 1 and Part 2) and have tried to streamline the contents of my bag on a number of occasions but there are always those “what if…?” moments at the back of my mind.  Emergency make-up moments (ok, so the majority of men won’t have this issue), the fact that women’s trouser pockets don’t seem deep enough to keep keys in and the need to have my Filofax close to hand at all times (I know not everyone has this fixation – but maybe an address book or diary?).  Are men looking at our handbags wishing they had something similar? Having said that though, I have recently  noticed a number of men carrying messenger style bags slung across their body in a very masculine way (adopts Lady Bracknall-type voice: “A Man Bag?”)

My husband wants to know why I have a fixation with handbags and shoes.  Do you want to know the secret?  It’s because they are the only thing guaranteed to fit.  But I want him to tell me what happened to men carrying a proper cotton handkerchief too?