The purse-uit of happiness: Bag wardrobe carries the day
By Jill Radsken
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Hi, my name is Jill and I have 21 handbags.
Whew. It's such a relief to finally be able to go public without being judged like one of those people who hoards cats or has an apartment filled with piles of old newspapers.
Handbag accumulation, I've come to learn, is nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact, these days, they're considered on a par with shoes. Just as you have a wardrobe of heels and mules and flats, most women now keep multiple bags - including tote, clutch and wristlet - in regular rotation.
``Women change their handbags pretty much every day,'' said Sheila Block, president of New York-based The Accessories Council. ``It really depends on the mood you're in.''
Handbag devotee Sarah Johnson considered herself so much of a bag lady - she has about 30 in her closet - she decided to open a boutique devoted to them. Luna, at 286 Newbury St., sells 15 different lines, from patent leather clutches from a New York designer to preppy cotton totes made by Tiffany Christian, a young talent who lives on Beacon Hill.
``I use six bags a week,'' said Johnson, 26. ``When I go on vacation, I take four to five bags with me.''
Luna is one of three new handbag shops in the area. Just up Newbury is 1154 Lill Studio, a custom shop based out of Chicago. Store manager Laurie Strong said she sells ready-made styles for those women who want instant gratification, but most women enjoy designing their own.
``It's like a part of getting ready,'' said Strong. ``Everybody wants to have a great bag.''
Anna William, a new handbag boutique just north of Porter Square in Cambridge. Open since March, the store invites women to choose from one of 18 styles (i.e., the Lexington clutch, the Harvard tote) and then fabrics, closure and ribbon trims.
``You can make something that's so unique to you,'' said Kristen Lee, who owns the store with her mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law.
Already, Lee said, many customers are repeats, having purchased five or six bags. Anna William also hosts handbag parties at the store during the day or in the evening for groups of five or more.
Customer Julie Barton of Belmont stopped by the store early this week, but decided to return this weekend when all of the summer styles will be on sale. While trying to see whether the contents of her current handbag would fit into a red Hampton with a bamboo handle, Barton said bags are an appealing fashion purchase because, like shoes, they don't require you to be a certain size or height.
``You don't have to feel bad,'' she said. ``It's a constant.''
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