Recently I have had a hankering, and the hankering is for a new purse.
For the last year my main “purse” has been my diaper bag, and before that I was rocking a handsome little Matt & Nat number that I picked up about nine years ago. (Seriously, nine years). When I went back to work I hauled it back into duty out of neccessity but really, I think its days are done.
So the search is on, and initially, given its spectacular longevity and the fact that it’s vegan, I was planning on purchasing another Matt & Nat bag. Then I got to thinking – isn’t “vegan leather” just…plastic? I mean what makes “vegan leather” better than all of the fuax-leather junk you see at the mall? This is not a hypothetical question, I actually don’t know. Is there a difference? Help!
This conundrum, coupled with the fact that their bags aren’t made in Canada anymore, spurred me to look elsewhere.
Because nothing is more fascinating on a Friday night than my thought process when choosing a new purse, here were my criteria:
- Not leather. (Why? I am vegetarian and although I do own some leather items [shoes and belts mainly] I try to limit leather to items that undergo heavy use. In these cases, non-leather alternatives wouldn’t last as long or wear as well, need to be replaced more often and contribute more waste in the long run, if that makes sense. So, since leather boots/shoes will last decades where other materials wouldn’t, I buy them. Purses on the other hand, aren’t kicking around on my feet all day so they can probably deal with being made from something else.)
- Not not leather. No fake leather, I mean. Fake leather is usually PVC which is just environmentally ick.
- Made locally, and/or by someone in ethical, fair, and safe work conditions.
- Crossbody style, for optimum hands-free-while-running-after-toddler functionality
- Gorgeous, obviously.
I couldn’t find anything that matched these criteria locally, so to Etsy I went! Here are some of the finalists (Edited to add: Clicking each picture will take to the the Etsy listing for the bag. I am in cahoots with exactly none of these Etsy sellers, I’ll always disclose relationships/advertising)
I am eternally indecisive, votes/suggestions are welcome.
Hello! Slightly nautical, but brisk and efficient looking. I feel more productive already. I think it’s the clip. That clip means BUSINESS.
I feel very grown up looking at you. This looks like the kind of bag a well-put-together thirty-year old would have, and I’m not too sure how I feel about that. Bonus: Lots of inner pockets.
Oh my gosh, you’re beautiful! I don’t deserve you – why are you so beautiful? And…large. You’re actually kind of large. Too large? I don’t know, I can’t decide. You are also not cross-body so…clearly I’m befuddled by your extreme beauty and can’t think straight anymore.
This is terribly cute, and I am such a sucker for dark gray (perhaps with a tan strap instead though?). It has about a million pockets inside but it’s also advertised as a diaper bag and that makes me bristle. I am trying to get AWAY from the diaper bag style. But then again any bag I have will inevitably hold diapers and other child-related flotsam and jetsam (see; cheerios; naked ken) so should I just stop fighting it?
I just love pink, OK? Also, this lady’s shop is named “Design By Sew and Sew” which, I mean I do love me some good wordplay. But this bag is also perhaps a little too big? Why do I keep choosing giant pink bags that could fit the world inside?
Not a purse, obviously, but I thought I would just leave this here in case anyone else secretly coveted that little archery-half-sweater that Katniss wore in the last hunger games movie. It could be yours for the low low price of $165. Just sayin’.
Well, this is very sunny and happy looking! It also makes use of a repurposed camera strap, which is all kinds of cute. Would one tire of the colour? Is this more of a summer bag? These are important questions to ask oneself when one is purse-shopping and referring to oneself as “oneself”.
Subtle, cute, innocuous. I would never get tired of the ticking, it reminds me of the mattresses at my cottage (is this a quality one generally looks for in a potential purse?). Don’t worry, the flower comes off. This bag is called a “Market Sack” which please me enormously for some reason.
Jesus christ! I mean…wow. Ok. So… I’ll put this as a maybe? Shit would get DONE if I had this purse, I will tell you that.
This is a wristlet – possibly the most annoying fashion term ever, second only to “jeggings” – but it’s amazing. I am keeping this here for the day far far in the future when I need a small purse and the use of only one hand.
Also not cross-body but I am seriously in love with this bag – um…and with this lady. This is what I think I look like in my mom uniform, when really I just look like this:
nailed it.
So! That was….productive.
Thoughts?