Do women carry handbags anymore?

[lightnesspixie]

Just this. I’ve just bought a small padded sweaty betty crossover bag because in recent months I just take my phone everywhere not even a wallet and use my pockets for this. Wallet etc is all on my phone. But ive recently wanted to take my kindle out with me and it’s a tight fit in pockets. So I bought a small bag. I’ve got a few old ones I might put on vinted. But will they sell? Who actually uses a handbag nowadays? Not talking about a work tote. Just a handbag in the old fashioned sense. Would be interested to hear what ppl now do.

Depends on definition of a bag. Girls seem to favour totes carried on shoulder at school these days. Basically a big handbag often with less personal belonging security.

I'm firmly in the bag and backpack camp during the day. Once in my workplace building, I'm not going anywhere in the building without my phone, inhaler etc.so they are in a crossbody handbag.

Out in the evening the inhaler is the decider, it just doesn't work transportation wise in a pocket. Also, I like a charger or powerbank with me.

I don't do a bumbag type bag because my 20 yr old says that's not cool.

I use a small cross body bag, I like to carry various bits with me at all times because I want to be prepared and I'm mindful of not relying too heavily on my phone (I'm in a phone-snatching zone). I switch coats daily depending on rain/temperature so it would take more time to move things in pockets than just grabbing my bag. Most women I know use some kind of bag, they are all 30s-50s.

I couldn’t possibly managed without a handbag and don’t know any women who don’t use one. I usually use a large tote bag and really struggle to fit everything in if I use a smaller one. My bags are part of my outfit and it’s part of getting ready for me to choose which bag to use.

My girls are early twenties and still use handbags, but as others have said, they use large totes for everyday going to college and work. I use large leather handbags for work, occasionally just shove a phone in my pockets in winter and run out of the door, but bags are still useful to me.

Never cross-body, wouldn't suit my style.

I use a little backpack for days out but usually just have my phone and key in my pocket.

My husband and son-in-law have relatively recently adopted bags sometimes. The amount of stuff we all gave to carry has grown. Car keys donkeys’ year ago were a single key, now they are bulkier. Ditto house keys, lots of us have garage door controls and/or an alarm fob. In addition we all gave a mobile phone.

Women used to need handbags when men didn’t because of grooming products but now both sexes often want to carry at least a mobile phone, ear buds, two sets of bulky keys plus cards whereas in the past a man might might have a wallet; maximum two slender keys for car and house and, if a dandy 😂, a comb, all of which fit in pockets.

I always have a bag of some sort. So does my 19 year old.

Phone, card holder, keys, tissues, sometimes sunglasses, shopping bag.

can’t imagine fitting all that in my pocket!

I carry a bag unless just nipping to the corner shop. Would often have phone, purse, makeup, umbrella, sunglasses, keys, tissues etc. Not going to fit in my pockets! Also, if you go to restaurant or somewhere where they take your coat, presumably you lose everything 🤔.

I also don’t know any women who don’t use one

I have three:

— Lululemon belt bag for gym
— Stella McCartney camera bag for everyday
— Dior tote bag for days I need my laptop.

i can’t imagine not carrying a bag.

I use handbags, shoulder bags and cross body bags depending on the situation and what I'm wearing. For everyday I use Longchamp pliage but carried as a handbag.

Pockets do not cover every situation and stuffing keys, wallet etc into pockets . My husband and son use shoulder bags.

and stuffing keys, wallet etc into pockets ruins the line of the garment.

unless it can be proved beyond doubt otherwise, smart devices are (from what I’ve read) dangerous to keep on your body, like in a pocket.

So whether one is fifteen, thirty, sixty, or ninety, a place to put a smart device AWAY from your body, should always be your go to.

Also, like others have said, where the heck would you put items like keys, lippy, small pack of tissues, any emergency or regular medications you rely on, plus items that are necessary to each person as an individual.

Even if you didn’t need to carry any “extras”, I agree with other pp that shoving items in pockets is not a good look.

Theres so much choice out there re “handbags”, so it really doesn’t have to be an old fashioned granny bag.

Even guys are more open to carrying a “man bag”, which is great, coz how many times have I been out with a guy, and he’s requested to “pop this into your bag for me darling”, NO! get your own bloomin bag!!!

Of course I will get slammed for my first paragraph, but hey its your life, your choice, but please get yourself informed of up to date info about the dangers of close contact with any smart devices.
No, I’m not a conspiracy theorist 🤦‍♀️

I have a cross body bag that I tend to use. More in summer bit in winter i just. Put my phone and keys in my coat pocket. Bank card is in phone case in case battery runs out. For longer trips where I take a water bottle to le I take my leather backpack.

my teenagers have never used a handbag.

Crossbody if really necessary, but mostly just have phone on a lanyard with a tiny pouch holding foldable glasses attached. Door key in safe box in garden.
Never understand the thing about ‘lipstick and handcream’ very 1950s 😂

I take a bag everywhere (either a cross body one or a small leather rucksack style), I can't fit my phone in my pocket it's too big, it sticks out my pocket when I wear my big coats so I wouldn't want to get it stolen and in summer a lot of my clothes don't have pockets. It's also handy having somewhere to put other bits too like sunglasses, umbrella, makeup etc, my children will often hand me stuff to carry too. I'm early 40's, maybe the kids in their 20's don't use bags? I won't be giving mine up though, even if that makes me very unfashionable.

DH always has a bag as well for general use, he uses a small backpack, everything is just too bulky to fit in pockets and if I am with him I am not going to carry everything.

There is no less to carry nowadays than 30 years ago, a phone is no smaller than a wallet or purse and a phone doesn't replace tissues, gloves, lippy, painkillers, glasses, etc.

I don’t know any adult woman who doesn’t use a handbag.

In my 40s and use various light cotton tote bags. I wash when they get dirty. They fit under my arm whereas the traditional handbag sticks out or needs carrying. Harder to pickpocket too as only opening is right under my armpit.

I don’t have a car so I always have a bag. It’s not old fashioned? It’s a bit risky just relying on your phone imo, plus I need an umbrella and sunglasses on me at all times.

I carry a stylish laptop bag for work, plus cards etc are in there too. Are people carrying two bags to the office now?

Yes I mostly use handbags, depending on what I am doing for the day. Quick dash to the supermarket - no, only phone and keys. But anything more than that I would probably take a bag.

I've never used a handbag.

It does seem more of an oddity not to use one unless you are very young and think they are old fashioned, though I do remember in my youth only going out with my purse and key which is probably similar

I still use one but I definitely use it a lot less than I used to. Mainly take it if I’m commuting to work and so need laptop, chargers etc ( it’s a leather tote). If I’m doing something locally then I usually just take keys and phone.

Hmm... Now thinking I might be calling various styles of bag a handbag as some sort of umbrella term. Not sure what OP is defining them as.

My Radley bags are described as 'grab bags', which is what I use most of the time.

Baffled what people use for work situations. I need to carry purse, phone, keys, pocket tissues, pens, small notebook, hand cream, lip balm, hand sanitiser etc etc. You can't put all that in pockets. I wouldn't put all that in my laptop bag provided my work, and I want to keep personal items and work items/paperwork separate.

It would also look weird to have a backpack with dress/tights/heels, which is what I wear for work and going out for dinner