Not owning / using a handbag

[notabaglady]

I'm mid 40's and haven't carried / owned or used a handbag for about 15 years now. I just wondered if there are any other bagless ladies around on this board? I saw a few threads about bag trends / whether to match bags with shoes etc, and I thought I'm so glad I don't use a handbag!

The way I see it is, if men can do it why can't we? Without a bag my hands are always free, my posture is better, I have one less thing to worry about. It means that any dress I buy must have pockets, so I make sure of that, but I'm generally a trousers person anyway.

When I used to carry a handbag I found it gradually got more and more full with bits I "just might need" but never really did, and I would periodically need to clean it out. I was forever losing things like my office pass for work, my keys. phone, tickets etc but they were always just at the bottom of my bag. I also invariably ended up using the same bag every day because having to switch all my things over to a different style / colour bag in the morning would have been a faff. Also my boyfriends were always asking me to carry stuff of theirs, since I was carrying a bag already. I actually got a bad posture as a result of always carrying my handbag on one side.

One other positive is that bags can be really expensive items if you care about fashion so I've probably saved a fortune!

I would never go back to using a handbag. Anyone else? Or any bag ladies interested in joining the dark side?

Wallet, house keys, car keys, phone, lipsil, glasses, sun glasses, meds, water, tissues are all things I carry every day. They won’t fit in my pockets.

I'd rather have a little neat crossbody or backpack than have to constantly wear a jacket, or clothing with big pockets. It's been hot today and my summer clothes don't have pockets.

Lol..I either put it on across my front, or wrap the shoulder straps round my legs so I'd fall over..otherwise I would forget it! I have retrieved it once or twice if I try to act like a functioning adult! 😂

😂attaching it to your front is a good idea!

To quote myself, the keys and phone thing should say either held OR put in my pocket. I basically don’t buy clothes that don’t have pockets but I also drive and rarely take public transport so always have somewhere to offload to.

I was thinking about this the other day. I used ti take a bag every time I left the house. Now I wfh so am normally in jeans or trousers with pockets and rarely use a bag. I use them on holiday but more of a beach bag.

I tend not to carry a bag if I have pockets and am just going shopping, but if I am going out somewhere nice and wearing clothes with no pockets or am out all day then I will use a bag.

I tend to view them as receptacles to carry stuff rather than fashion accessories though, although I will make sure that whatever I am using at a dressy event will go with my outfit.

I never notice other people's bags and don't expect them to notice mine either.

Most of my clothes have no pockets.Phones don't feel safe in pockets unless you've got some cargo trousers with buttoned or zipped pockets. Also I see a lot of people putting phones in back pockets, ripe pickings for a thief.

I use a cross body one.
Phone
Keys
Coins
Purse (still use cash 😁)
Lipsalve
Reading glasses
Sunglasses
Tissues

I’m bagless!! Went out tonight for drinks and curry - phone and keys in pockets.

If I’m out for the day I’ll have a backpack with water etc in it or I’ll take a canvas tote with me but 9/10 trips I’m freeeeeeeeee

You're not free, you've got stuff in your pockets.

But I can’t forget my pockets / have to keep tweaking them over my shoulder / have them bashing about my leg eg. I buy clothes deliberately for this strategy so I don’t really notice the phone / keys in my pockets?! Phone was in jeans back pocket, keys (car key and house key not a huge bunch) in jacket top pocket

I always use a bag, but repack it every time I use it; I never see the point of carrying unnecessary stuff around with me.

Day to day no. I only take my purse, phone and keys. If I'm shopping my purse and keys go in my shopping bag. I'll occasionally decant my bank card and some cash into a small coin purse which fits into the pouch on my bike if I'm going out on my bike.

For work I use a leather tote as I'll put my lunch box in it.

If I'm going out for the day, I put everything in a small cross body bag just for ease (I don't need a massive bag and everything fits in it including a powerbank and sunglasses case).

Back in the day I loved a statement handbag. Since covid it's become less of a thing though.

I love a bag, but also like the idea of being bag free - it sounds liberating.

Unless I was wearing a coat with v big pockets though, like my raincoat, I couldn’t manage without because of the EpiPen which I have to carry at all times. And really I should carry 2. And they are big, weighty things!

So this liberated life will never be mine 😂

I have a small cross body handbag for my phone and wallet and keys. I use the same in the summer on holiday so that all the other buggers you say they don’t use bags can’t fill my bag up with their shit. As soon as my bag is not available to them, they all start using bags.

I am, as stated earlier in the thread, one of the bag-free. Pockets all the way. But I do use a backpack if I'm going to be making small purchases or I need to carry something too bulky for my pockets.

My main problem with backpacks is that if you are larger in the nork area (as I am) with not much padding over the collarbone, you end up juggling the straps about all day because they either accentuate the boobage to an unseemly degree, or they rub on the shoulders/collarbones.

Which is why I now only buy clothes with REALLY BIG pockets.

Wear one of those aprons with a massive front pocket.

Oh god that's an absolute pain isn't it? They won't carry a bag but put stuff in yours. So as annoying.

I'd look like Mrs Tiggywinkle...

Yeah, but practical!

This is one of the reasons I like wearing dungarees, so many pockets!😃

But I still prefer bags for carrying all my crap (except backpacks, they always give me a backpack shaped sweat mark coz I am a sweaty individual).

Not had one since I was a teenager. I'm 67.