In pursuit of the perfect purse

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

Self-described "purse addicts," "bag freaks" and "purse fetishists" responded with unbounded enthusiasm. They described must-have features in great detail. They sketched. They diagrammed. They e-mailed photos.

Among the 40 passionate responses were those of "the purse expert of all time," Katie Brindley of Kapolei, and of Christine Morgan of Wai'alae Kahala who said, "I'm completely anal about my purse."

Some respondents are optimists, who just know that the handbag is out there somewhere. Others are convinced they'll never find the perfect bag.

Responses ranged from the sad refrain typified by Arlene Hilyard of Waikiki: "I don't really expect to ever find my ideal purse, but ..." to Karen Okano, who said, flatly, "It doesn't exist" to the description penned by Holly Bergosa, who called her beloved purse "my wonderbag" and "my home away from home."

"My whole world is in there," wrote Ginger Billedeaux of Sunset Beach. "Home is where the handbag is," e-mailed Mary Cahill of Menlo Park, Calif.

Roberta Jones of Kapolei waxed poetic: "The bag is a microcosm of our world that we carry with us when we venture out into the world, whether it be to the local mini mart or shopping in Bangkok, Budapest or Bucharest."

In order to make sense of all the responses, Island Style set up a spreadsheet listing how many pockets were requested, favorite fabric, color, fastenings, straps and size. Here's what readers told us they seek in the perfect handbag.

Pockets, please

Readers asked for at least three pockets or compartments, on average, though a few women wanted as many as a dozen. The pockets should not be too deep, just adequate to keep everything in its place.

Wrote Colleen Malvaney: "The compartments need to be shallow enough so your stored items remain visible and accessible. Nothing removes a candidate from the perfect purse pedestal faster than digging around for something, not finding it, going without Ü then finding the item the next day lost in the black hole of the bottom of your bag."

Many readers would like outside pockets for keys, a cell phone, glasses, checkbook Ü things they need to retrieve quickly.

At least one inside pocket should be zippered as added security for wallet, credit cards and other things that would be wreak havoc if stolen.

Several readers would like compartments that enabled them to separate credit cards and all those other cards in our lives (supermarket cards, insurance cards, gym or other membership cards).

Loretta Koizumi of Ewa Beach likes to travel but is concerned about security. Her secret? "I'm able to stuff so much in the bag that a purse lifter has difficulty picking my wallet out."

Leather, nylon or microfiber

In spite of the danger of moist weather and mildew in Hawai'i, leather is the favored material by far. Readers appreciate its longevity. But most women wish for the lightest possible leather, so it won't add weight. Victoria Kiikuni of 'Aiea likes the leather of her Perlina bag because it is so light.

Microfibers, nylon and neoprene are favored by a few. Denim also made the list. However, fabrics must be stain-resistant and easy to clean.

Black wins, by far

More than two-thirds of the respondents prefer black for their everyday handbag. Others cited neutrals including navy, tan, gray and black.

Women want the strap to match the body of the bag, and to be at least an inch wide so it won't slip off the shoulder. And yes, the shoulder strap is still the most popular. The majority prefer one strap to two.

Many would like the strap to be just long enough so the bag fits under the arm between the shoulder and elbow. Too long a strap gets caught on things and is easy for thieves to grab and run. Several readers voted for detachable shoulder straps, but most said they disliked bags with both handles and straps.

Bigger not always better

Size-wise, readers want a bag that averages around 12 inches wide, 10 inches tall and 5 inches across the bottom.

Several suggested little metal feet on the bottom so when you put the bag down it doesn't get scuffed or dirty, and a firm bottom so the bag will stand upright.

No single brand name was a particular standout, though Perlina is a favorite among several women. Liz Claiborne and Esprit also scored a few mentions, as did Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

Like many of the readers who wrote in, Christine Morgan of Wai'alae-Kahala uses just one bag and doesn't change with every outfit. "Changing purses can have disastrous consequences," she said. She carries everything from a cell phone and cotton handkerchiefs to a flashlight and calculator in her bag. "I would function in a foreign country with my purse alone for at least a week," she wrote.

On the other hand, Carolyn Chou of Makiki has more than 50 bags of all sizes and materials.

Lisa Ontai, via e-mail, describes her handbag life as "before and after kids." Before kids, she had a bag to match nearly every outfit and occasion. After kids: "I now have one trusty standard that I use every day and night Ü until it wears out."

Design central

Frances Feeter of Kaunakakai couldn't find a bag she liked so she made her own out of tapestry fabric. It has an outside pocket big enough for a paperback book, another pocket for a checkbook and appointment calendar, with a zippered pocket inside (half as deep) for lipstick and whatnot. There are three outside pockets on the other side, one for sunglasses, one for reading glasses and one with a snap closure for keys. At each end of the outside pocket are two tall vertical pockets for a pen and pencil. No fishing around for anything in Feeter's bag.

Finally, here's an idea for purse manufacturers to consider. It comes from Arlene Hilyard, 83, of Waikiki, who suffers from sore shoulders and limited strength. She wonders "why someone doesn't invent a helium-filled balloon attachment to lighten the load!"