FashBlog.com

By Christina VanGinkel

Shopping for a new handbag can bring out all sorts of emotions in a woman. Excitement at the fact that they are going to go shopping for a new handbag, to terror at the thought that they are going to have to make a decision on a new one, not to mention that it means there is a possibility of giving up the one they have grown so comfortable with.

Finding a handbag that is everything a woman wants it to be is not always the easy task some might imagine it to be. Elements of the problem can arise when a woman thinks she can use the same handbag or purse for every task that is part of her life. Sure, there are women out there who have one purse and use it for everything, from going to the grocery store, to an evening out, to heading off to a PTA meeting. However, the average woman would find these tasks easier if she would shop for at least two different handbags to fit the many different aspects of her routine that make up her life, maybe even more than two, depending on how varied her life and the routines that make it up are.

If you are having a difficult time figuring out exactly why you are having issues with your handbag, or why you are so reluctant to part with one that is obviously in need of being replaced, consider why you are so attached to the bag in the first place.

Be brave, and dump the contents of your purse out on the floor. Weed out the trash and look at the items that you commonly carry. Do you have a wallet, checkbook, pictures of the kids or your pets, and how about makeup, a Pocket PC, or Palm Pilot, and do not forget your cell phone. What else are you toting around in your bag? Do you have kid stuff, such as a spare diaper, or even a juice box, or maybe stuff from work, like the file you were suppose to have on your boss' desk yesterday morning. A handbag can sometimes become a mirror of our desk or our kid's diaper bag without us even realizing it. Remind yourself that your purse is just that. It is a place for you to carry your own personal items.

By taking stock of what we are really toting around, we will be better able to determine if this is really, what we want from our handbag. After all, sometimes what we really need is not only a new handbag, but also a new briefcase or diaper bag!

Once you have a clearer picture of what belongs in your purse, go shopping. If you always go to the same store, but can never seem to find what you need or want, then take that as a sign that maybe you should shop somewhere new. When I typed in handbag at Amazon.com, under their Apparel listings, I was provided with over 12,000 choices. If this seems like a lot to wade through, do not panic. These were then broken down in several ways. I could shop via category, by brand, or even by price. I could also narrow my choices by choosing to shop only a specific seller, such as eBags, Forzieri, Fossil, or Bluefly, among many others.

One feature I found appealing as I browsed the lists of handbags, was the feature that allowed me to see other handbags that other customers had viewed, if they had also viewed the one I was currently looking at. It was somewhat like having a friend with pointing out other choices to consider.

If you need a new handbag, the best advice I can give you is to go shopping. It might seem convenient to keep the one you have, but if it is showing its age, or is just not working, as it should, then it needs replacing. Unless you take the time to shop, to see what options are available, then you will most likely stay stuck in the handbag rut you are in. Do not let that happen, and remember that if you have more than one persona, say PTA mom, working woman, seductress out for the evening with the man of her dreams, then chances are you will be even better off if you shop independently for a handbag for each of the women that you are. Sharing a purse is never fun, even if deep down, they are all the same person.