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Just had to share this with you all. Made me snigger. The last paragraph sums it all up. Brightened my Monday.
Monday July 9, 2007
The Guardian
Why do women carry such bloody great handbags?
Michael Terry, by email
Mr Terry, what a delightfully Freudian can of worms you have opened. Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way first. Now that handbags, particularly big ones, have become such a fashion statement, there is, undeniably, an element of unashamed boastfulness going on here, with women competing over who can show off more swiftly that they can spend £800 on something for their broken tampons.
There is also an altogether far more fabulous school of thought, from which one suspects anyone who insists on referring to "history" as "herstory" graduated, that claims that handbags are an external representation of a woman's womb. Ergo, the trend for gigantic handbags suggests a mood of aggressive femaleness. Or maybe a general sense of unfulfilled maternal longings, in which a foolishly career-obsessed woman stuffs her waiting-in-vain womb full of pointless modern fripperies in an attempt to slake her true biological desires. Or maybe she is just letting the world know she's feeling a touch bloated today. Who knows?
You want to know why we need such big bags? I'll tell you why. Because we are the responsible gender. Oh sure, you guys think you are ever so nonchalant and spontaneous, stuffing your keys, wallet and phone into your back pocket and being good to go. Silly women, who can't even pop to the local shop without stuffing the flipping kitchen sink into their handbags, right? But who do you turn to when you need a tissue? Or a compact for an emergency post-lunch teeth check? Or a pen, or a diary to check one's availability for the next month? That's right, to your good lady friend, standing there with her bloody great handbag, like a faithful courtier anticipating her prince regent's every bloody great need.
Yes, that is funny.
I hate having to carry such a big bag around but I need to carry my reading glasses, sun glasses, mobile, purse and filofax and now a notebook for any inspirational ideas I may get for a story or a poem. That lot just won't fit in a smaller bag.
Sometimes my husband asks me to carry his mobile phone and keys and I say no!
loved it! My daughter says I carry a suitcase, I do buy very large Radley bags, please note designer name is not to show off but because cheaper bags have handles which break under the weight of spare glasses (essential, should I break the ones I am wearing I would be virtually blind!) medication of all kinds, large purse, two sets of keys, what my partner calls my 'medicine bag' of 'must have' items, including pendulum to search for lost things (necessary with him, a person who 'lost' his mobile phone and because he couldn't hear it when he dialled the number, refused to accept it was in the car. The 'car' was a 4x4 monster which is soundproof when the doors are shut ... my pendulum told me it was there!) notebook, umbrella, oh countless things! And yes, said partner does ask either me or his wife, if she is lunching with us, for tissues, paper, pen, ...
Although my bag isn't that big, it's quite floppy so it holds a lot. That means that whatever I'm looking for either sinks to the bottom or tucks itself out of sight at the side.
The hours I've spent looking for something that turned out to be in the bag after all - which was where I'd looked first!
What's the most inexplicable item in your bag? I think it's the piece of string I keep in a little pocket. Why? I have no idea but I'm reluctant to take it out because if I do I know I'll need it!
Handbags - as the saying goes 'everything but the kitchen sink' is in mine! My mother always wondered at how heavy my handbag was but as I had all her stuff as well as mine in it, plus the obligatory book I always carry around with me, it was hardly surprising...
well, my jeans have pockets ( don't wear skirts or dresses) but they are not big enough for all of the above that I mentioned.
My hand bag only cost a fiver in the local market.
Well obviously it's because woman have lovely bums, and stuffing wallets, keys, mobiles and other assorted knick knacks would spoil the shape of said lovely bottoms.
Whereas we men dont really care if we have lumpy bums. Though with back pockets for storage in mind, it doesnt half hurt when I sit on my house keys!
if men think womans hand bags are soooo big and bad lol then tell me now why they have man bags???????? they cant bet us woman so now they have joined the handbag rage he he
Don't men lose more things because they drop out of back pockets or get more things nicked from said back pockets? Also, women's clothes, even jeans, don't have big enough pockets or, as previously said, would make our bums and hips look funny.
Now everyone knows why we have big bags-they don't make clothes with big pockets, and our dresses aren't big enough to hide the tied round the waist pockets that they had in earlier centuries- BH, before handbags.
And how many pockets do you find that don't have a whole in the corner after a little useage?
The Chief calls my handbag my portable filing cabinet. It's all right for him! He has a happy knack of shoving all his extraneous bits and pieces in there when we're out so he shouldn't really tease me, should he. :)
Comments
Monday July 9, 2007
The Guardian
Why do women carry such bloody great handbags?
Michael Terry, by email
Mr Terry, what a delightfully Freudian can of worms you have opened. Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way first. Now that handbags, particularly big ones, have become such a fashion statement, there is, undeniably, an element of unashamed boastfulness going on here, with women competing over who can show off more swiftly that they can spend £800 on something for their broken tampons.
There is also an altogether far more fabulous school of thought, from which one suspects anyone who insists on referring to "history" as "herstory" graduated, that claims that handbags are an external representation of a woman's womb. Ergo, the trend for gigantic handbags suggests a mood of aggressive femaleness. Or maybe a general sense of unfulfilled maternal longings, in which a foolishly career-obsessed woman stuffs her waiting-in-vain womb full of pointless modern fripperies in an attempt to slake her true biological desires. Or maybe she is just letting the world know she's feeling a touch bloated today. Who knows?
You want to know why we need such big bags? I'll tell you why. Because we are the responsible gender. Oh sure, you guys think you are ever so nonchalant and spontaneous, stuffing your keys, wallet and phone into your back pocket and being good to go. Silly women, who can't even pop to the local shop without stuffing the flipping kitchen sink into their handbags, right? But who do you turn to when you need a tissue? Or a compact for an emergency post-lunch teeth check? Or a pen, or a diary to check one's availability for the next month? That's right, to your good lady friend, standing there with her bloody great handbag, like a faithful courtier anticipating her prince regent's every bloody great need.
I hate having to carry such a big bag around but I need to carry my reading glasses, sun glasses, mobile, purse and filofax and now a notebook for any inspirational ideas I may get for a story or a poem. That lot just won't fit in a smaller bag.
Sometimes my husband asks me to carry his mobile phone and keys and I say no!
The hours I've spent looking for something that turned out to be in the bag after all - which was where I'd looked first!
What's the most inexplicable item in your bag? I think it's the piece of string I keep in a little pocket. Why? I have no idea but I'm reluctant to take it out because if I do I know I'll need it!
My hand bag only cost a fiver in the local market.
Whereas we men dont really care if we have lumpy bums. Though with back pockets for storage in mind, it doesnt half hurt when I sit on my house keys!
I must update mine it looks so boring compared to yours.
And how many pockets do you find that don't have a whole in the corner after a little useage?