05 Feb

I have been coined the Bag Lady. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, I do make and appreciate bags, but the meaning goes deeper than that.

This last weekend I was at the bar conversing with a new friend, when the conversation veered to the topic of bags. I realized that after a while I was ignoring everything around me and analyzing a potential bag situation for him. I started imagining the size and shape, material, number of pockets, how it would close, and the type of strap it would have. He asked jokingly if I offered bag consultations. I don’t know how much time passed, as I yammered on about different types, styles, features, and other things bag-related. But hopefully it was no more than, let’s say, twenty minutes. I could have gone on way longer, but then I would have been one of those people (you know the kind). Remembering this the next day got me thinking about how much time I spend thinking about bags. It’s a lot. In fact it might be verging on obsessive. 

I am constantly looking at people’s bags. Not just glancing at passersby, but pretty much staring…and sometimes taking notes, taking pictures, or even inspecting their inner workings. In fact it might be verging on creepy. But I am just so curious as to why people choose a particular bag. What made them buy it? How it could be improved? What features were they drawn to? Is it their main bag, or do they have many?  You know, all the normal questions. 

What makes a good bag? I think it’s a combination of many different things, and of course it’s a matter of taste and functionality. I carry one bag. I have more, and use them here and there, but for the most part I always go back to the first Flagey Shoulder Bag I made (well not the first one…that would be embarrassing, but the first good one). I love it. It’s big, but not too big, has the right pockets in the right places, and it goes with anything I wear. I take pride in the fact that it’s handmade, and tailored to my aesthetic and level of practicality. 

So, I guess the nickname Bag Lady will stick, but perhaps the One-Bag Bag Lady might be more appropriate.