Brokebagged

How does one separate a woman from her handbag? Impossible, I say. It would be easier to find salt in a sea of sand. The handbag, broken down into its most basic function, serves as a carrier for the necessities while keeping your hands and pockets relatively weight and burden-free. But as more created needs are well, created, I find my bag starting to bloat in excess weight to the point that at the end of the day, putting it down is literally like lifting a burden off my shoulders. 

A peek inside my bag reveals my wallet (downsized to credit card holder status), house and car keys, my mobile phone, my makeup kit (a compact and 2 lippies), pen and notebook, an iPad and my Lumix GF2. These are my barest primal survival tools, but together, they accumulate into a critical load that gets heavier as the day gets longer.

When did I start carrying my almost-whole life in my tote? Don’t get me started; I can still remember when text messaging used to be the height of cool. Now I feel disconnected without my iPad and my camera (too many good photo opportunities!). But all these so-called important add-ons are wreaking havoc on my neck and my back.  

I have a keen leaning towards big bags; my kryptonite are those that come with dual handles (short top-loops plus a long shoulder strap). I theorized that maybe the size is relative to the amount of space that I think needs to be filled. So I started an experiment: the solution could be downsizing my bags, in effect, forcing me to strip down to the barest essentials. What a nightmare! I tried stuffing everything in a small satchel, but ended up slinging the camera outside, bringing the tablet by hand and having my pens and keys poke out, which defeated the purpose of unburdening me. Fail. 

According to chiropractor Isis M. Medina in Oprah magazine, we are supposed to be bringing just 10 percent of our body weight, lest we incur the wrath of our stressed heads, necks, and backs. I’m in big trouble then because I might have bags that weigh close to that already while empty. Who weighs their bags anyway? Isn’t it all about the sudden rush and intake of breath when you see the arm candy of your dreams? Who factors in the added mass of all those studs, chains, and hardware? I know I don’t — until the aches started to murmur. 

Well, I’m no health expert, but when pain is present, then it must mean that the balance is imbalanced. Why do we women always get the short end? High heels, corsets, big bags? We’re always in between control and comfort. Then again, if you’re in fashion, you would know that comfort is the least of your priorities. So we compromise.  

Now that I’m wary of the way of the handbag, before any purchase, I factor in the heft (by lifting it without anything inside) on top of how it looks in my hands. I’ve learned that no matter how pretty and covetable that piece is, it loses its return of investment if it just gathers dust in my closet. Unlike new clothes, my bags get to work the moment they’re purchased, surviving the varying objects that I chuck in, as well as my no-nonsense attitude of just throwing them around. 

Here are a few other things I’ve observed: I find it easier to lug around my tote if it comes with two carrying options, hence my dual handle leanings. At least when the shoulders ache from the burden, I can always carry it by hand or in the crook of my arm. Switching sides also helps with refracting the pounds. I find bags with shorter handles that rest just below the armpit and close to the body the easiest to manage when it’s a full day of walking/shopping. Same goes for traveling, which involves reaching into your bag to grab passports and other documents. Stay away from long-strapped satchels where you have to bend down and support the bag with your knee when rummaging. Structured bags are on trend and they have an even more functional purpose. It apparently helps with the body’s balance when things inside the bag stay still as opposed to those that shift around.   

But the best way to keep whole day strolling/shopping exhaustion at bay, especially when it’s a day of pulling out and working, is to pare down and de-clutter. Bags, I’ve learned, can teach us a thing or two; just like life, it’s easier carried (back pain-free as well) when there’s zero excess baggage.

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I blog at stylesamurai.blogspot.com.