It’s in the Bag: Spring 2015 Purse-wear

Hey Dolls!

Guess who’s back in the world of work for the next few weeks?

Oh, yeah, baby, you guessed it…ME…no, that’s improper grammar.

I.

I am.

I am filling in for an elementary school librarian, Morgan, who is out on maternity leave after the birth of her first baby on March 16.

Welcome to the world, Hudson!

This week I am talking about inferencing with Morgan’s third, fourth and fifth graders. She left great lesson plans but also invited me to add my own twist to her ideas. So last night, I spent some time with my good friend Pinterest, looking for a few things extra activities I might try with the kids.

In my research, I came across one pinner at The Inspired Apple who has her students form inferences about their teacher (said pinner) from the objects in her purse. She created a darling little worksheet where the kids could draw an object from the teacher’s purse and then write an inference statement they made based on the item they drew. You can check it out here.

Fun, huh?

So, I am going to create a lesson based on Morgan’s plans combined with the purse activity. Super excited to be writing lesson plans again. SAID ALMOST NO TEACHER/LIBRARIAN EVER.

But I said it and you can quote me. I love to write lesson plans. Hey, I used to spend my summers writing them.

In keeping with my library lessons, and because I have trouble managing more than about one idea in my head at a time, I thought I would talk a little about the spring 2015 trends in purses/pocketbook/handbags.

First of all, what do you call your purse/pocketbook/handbag? I don’t mean, Roger or Eloise, or even “Hey, you”. I mean do you say, “Let me grab my bag” or “Just let me get my purse”? Please answer in the comment section below.

Secondly, how much thought do you give your purse, pocketbook, handbag? Do you change your purse to go with every outfit? Do you match your handbag to your shoes? To your underwear? I mean, I match my underwear to the predominate color of my outfit. Can I get an AMEN? Anyone else with me on that?

Moving right along, though, I repeat…How important is your purse to you? You can answer that with your comment about what you call your purse.

While I like a cute bag as well as the next gal, I don’t like spending a lot of money on them. Honestly, I would rather have shoes. That being said, I have bought four purses just this year. (Shhh, don’t tell my Prince). But a friend of mine, Davette, is selling Miche bags and they are scrumptious. You can check them out here. I am warning you, though, they are cute and addictive.

All of this thinking about purses caused me to pose the burning question:

What are the spring 2015 trends in bag-age?

And here is what I found out.

According to Fashionista.com there is no definitive shape for spring pocketbooks. In an article entitled “The 40 Best Bags of Spring 2015”, Dhani Mau, the senior editor at Fashionista writes “The bucket bag, made ubiquitous by Mansur Gavriel over the past year, made its way into quite a few collections…as did small, ladylike handbags with top handles….clutches, carryalls, duffles, backpacks and other silhouettes that are difficult to categorize.” [source]

I will not lie. I had to look up ubiquitous and Mansur Gavriel. (The former means global, universal, everywhere - but you knew that, huh? The latter is a duo of Italian designers. Bet ya knew that, too!)

Among the purses Fashionista.com featured in their article are these more traditional bags below. I guess black and brown are neutrals and can work across all seasons but they don’t really scream spring to me.

Now these pocketbooks below read more like spring. Love the cut-out look on the Kenzo bag. It reminds me of the eyelet lace I have seen in spring fashion this year. If you look closely it reads KENZO in the contrast between black (or cut-out?) spaces and the white spaces. Subliminally clever.

Harper’s Bazaar online featured 25 best bags in their article entitled “Accessories Report: Spring 2015 Bag Trends”. In addition to bucket bags and floral designs, Harper’s identified the return of the ’70’s bag. [source] Visions of hipster macrame, hand-tooled leather, and fringe danced in my head. Not sure if that’s a decade I am eager to revisit. Even if it’s only for something to put my keys in. How ’bout you?

Like it or not, if we want to be in vogue, we may just have to take that trip down Memory Lane because Fashionisers is in agreement with Harper’s. In the article “Spring/ Summer 2015 Handbag Trends”, writer Armine K. enthusiastically announces that “2015 bag trends bring back the 1970s shapes, the iconic bucket bag reinvented and designs decorated with floral patterns, as well as utterly unique and extravagant forms you could hardly ever see even in your dreams!” [source]

Or nightmares.

We as a civilization have evolved from the rotary phone for a reason. This girl won’t be carrying a big, red, dial telephone on her arm.

These little cuties are some of the ’70’s throw backs Fashionisers featured that have found their way into this century. Call me jealous, but I hate when my handbag has more hair than I do.

Fashionisers identified twenty-four trends to consider for spring and summer 2015 which further agrees with what the folks at Fashionista reported…anything goes. I won’t share all of them with you but click here to see the whole nutroll. Here is a sampling:

• Its-bitsy, teensy-weensy bags: Glamorous for evening but impractical for day to day.
• Cross body: Bags that lay flat on the chest or back, the use of shorter straps, slightly and “slouchy” styles. I don’t need anything laying across my chest or behind, thank you.
• Geometric box: I hate math but these are cute with their long straps or short handles. Like baby suitcases. What’s that fancy word for suitcase…no, not Piggly-Wiggly bag. Valise. Petite valises.
• Multiple bags: Really? I never would find my keys.

• Woven and straw bags: Rumplestiltskin and Three Little Pigs approved, textiles to go with this season’s textile-d shoes.
• Printed bags: Think portable flower gardens (with handles), dots, stripes, gingham BUT NOT reptilian prints as they get a category of their own.
• Oversized bags: Not to be confused with doctor’s bags, messenger bags, saddle bags, duffel bags and backpacks that are also trending.
• Unconventional, extraordinary bags: Everything that doesn’t fall into one of the other 23 categories; bags that aren’t small, large, furry, bucket, geometric, fringed or carried in pairs.

One of the nice things about that last little number is that it comes complete with brass knuckles. No need to pack your mace or pepper spray with that bag.

If all of these choices are as overwhelming for you as they are for me, check out the Miche bags. You can purchase a simple black cloth base bag in one of several sizes.

And then you can buy interchangeable shells that cover the base bags and attach to the base through the use of magnets. Changing your purse to match your shoes, your outfit or your underwear has never been easier.

So that’s it for today, gals. Oh, but for the guys, I am afraid all I have to offer you is one option. The black leather European carry-all with straps. Better known as the man-purse as first introduced on the Jerry Seinfeld Show.

And that’s a wrap. Enjoy your weekend!

Hugs and kisses,