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For much of my life, I’ve believed that the selection of purses available to the public was more than adequate. It seemed that every store sold purses of every shape, size and color, and it was relatively easy to find one that met my desires and needs.

When I was growing up, my mother had a huge array of purses, coordinated with shoes and outfits, and separated by seasons. She believed that a woman should change her purse every day. It’s not a bad idea, and I did find it rather fun-except when I would leave important things (like my wallet) in another purse.

We ended up with quite a collection because purses normally last a long time. Rarely do they ever fall apart. I would get rid of them when they’d be beyond simple maintenance to look good, or a strap or zipper would break. My tastes ranged from silky shoulder bags found in Chinatown to classic leather work purses, to glamorous clutches. I even had one designer bag-stolen by a mugger, but replaced. My only requirements were that my purses had to be large enough to carry things comfortably, look attractive, and not have too many compartments that would cause me to forget where I put what.

In the last few years, I’ve become more conscious of the fashion statement purses make. I think it began with the huge handbags carried by young celebrities around two years ago. Seeing a large bag on the arm of a skinny little thing somehow looked sexy, especially if it was an outrageously expensive metallic number by a famous designer. (I always wondered what they carried in those large things; I’m sure it wasn’t a brown bag lunch…)

Anyway, you could say that I love my bags. I even tried to design my own by using heavier fabric to sew my own tote, and lighter weight material to cover an old clutch. I’ve been known to change straps, add ornamentation, and even apply sequins on my purses. Once, to match an evening gown, I made a little bag out of matching material, and people thought it came with the dress.

But lately I’ve realized that my purse needs are apparently are difficult to meet.

Last month, on a trip to New York, my purses caused me stress and frustration. You see, on the assumption that I was going to carry maps, snacks, and sunglasses throughout the day, in additions to the regular stuff, I chose to bring large totes bags. Well, I consistently felt disorganized and frazzled…as you can guess, all I ever did was scrounge around for stuff lost in the nether regions of my bag. I could never find anything within the first few seconds. When I got home, I told myself, I’m getting a purse that offers the ultimate in organization. I don’t care if it will be my only purse; I can’t go on like this.

Well, I remembered that my daughter had a bag that she had bought when she was about 10, but had never used. I dug it out. It was a sparkly denim, rectangular bag with an adjustable strap. What I love about it is that under the front panel, there are slots for credit cards and a section for money. This makes paying for anything a snap, but still offers protection from a wallet being lost or stolen. The bag’s main section accommodates keys and makeup, and a zippered section protects my phone. An outside zippered area is where I stash tissues, gum, and sunglasses, and even fully loaded, the purse is almost weightless. It’s my kind of bag. But, I don’t really want to carry a teen’s sparkly denim bag, so I decided to look for the same features in a higher quality bag.

Do you think I can find it? Of course I can’t. I see many “work bags” with great organizational features, but I don’t want something that large and bulky for everyday use. There are hundreds of gorgeous purses with pockets and sections and zippered compartments, but at this point I need one that offers a place for everything (preferably readily at hand) while keeping it safe. So I will continue to search. There’s got to be one out there somewhere. Wish me luck.