The things we carry

If there is one thing I inherited from my mother, it’s a love of shopping. While I’m drooling over shoes or ogling clothing, Mom is yearning for purses — Dooney & Bourke, Betsey Johnson, Fendi — anything with a room-spinning, nausea-inducing price tag. Despite my tenuous budgeting skills, with money always spent before it’s earned, I cannot justify spending more money on a bag than I will ever carry in it. But who doesn’t love a new handbag, no matter the price?

This fall is all about big bags. If you’re like most of the women featured in “What’s in Your Bag?” you’ll need the extra space for your gadgets, gizmos, and unmentionables.
If you like playing with materials and textures, shopping for a new bag this season will be extra exciting. “Snakeskin is in!” exclaims Angie Dorchak, owner of Pursona, 154 North College Street in Auburn. Lucky for the snakes, faux snakeskin looks great. Metallics also continue to be popular, adding a bit of flair to any outfit.

Resist the temptation to over-glitz. Look for a bag that makes a statement without the clutter of too much hardware æ zippers, buckles, studs. Sleek and sophisticated is the look. The classy silhouette will go hand in hand with a feminine, structured fall ensemble.
Although you want a sleek and sophisticated bag to go with your sleek and sophisticated self, don’t neglect your inner wild child. Express your suppressed biker-hippie chick inside with a fringed suede or leather bag. Or, if you can’t part with metal hardware, scope out a chain-link strap, like the classic Chanel bag.

“Some bags this fall have rhinestones and studs. The chain-link straps from summer are still in too,” said Crystal Tompkins, owner of In the Bag, 151 North College Street in Auburn. “Look for something classic but unique. You can buy plain black in any department store, so when you’re out shopping look for something you can’t get anywhere else.”
On a family vacation that resembled a big, weeklong shopping trip, my mother helped me pick a bag that went beyond the any-department-store look. Although I lusted after a fabulous oversized red patent leather bag with a $450 price tag, we settled on a far less expensive blue rectangular bag with a little gold hardware, proving, once again, that Mother, with her extensive shopping chops, knows best. Thanks, Mom.

This season’s “it” color is one of my favorites: aubergine. The eggplant purple is great for transitioning from daywear to your night-on-the-town look. Other great colors include burnt orange, red — think Hollywood glamour and Marilyn Monroe’s lipstick — mustard yellow, forest green, and lilac blue.
Much to my dismay, pastels also make a comeback for fall. Count me out on this one. I’m a firm believer that pastels should only appear in ultra-girly Easter dresses worn by a three-year-old dressed by her aging grandmother with poor vision. Even then I hope the child puts up a fight.
With all the great options this season, think multiples.
“If you can, you should have more than one bag,” said Dorchak. “If not, get one that’s colored; it will go with brown and black so you don’t have to worry about clashing.”
It’s never been more OK to be called the bag lady. This fall carry the title with pride. My mother would approve.