After years of downsizing, TueNighter Leigh Ann is finally ready to ditch her purse and find new ways to carry her essentials: cell phone, credit card, wallet, keys, and maybe some lipstick. Here’s the thing — she's not entirely sold on fanny packs.
Why not really downsizing? I just have a lipstick and a cell phone on me (even the one credit card in the phone case only as plan B). No house keys (ten-key pad on the door to our house), no wallet (paying with phone), rarely car keys. And since shopping carefully / mindful all my skirts have pockets for these few things.
Jul 29, 2023·edited Jul 29, 2023Liked by Margit Detweiler, Liz Thompson
Oh, the ideal bag for carrying my stuff, my eternal grail quest, my white whale. My current situation is an imperfect compromise:
My "big" carry is Alex Mill's "Perfect Weekend Tote" (which I get a lot of compliments on) with a carabiner on one strap that I use to hook my keys and a strap for my main wallet; inside, I have several wallets for different purposes (with straps of different colours, which can all be attached to the carabiner for quick finding), and various small bags that hold grouped items (health/first-aid; tools; beauty/self-care; external battery/charger cables; etc.). It's big enough to hold a water bottle, a book, my laptop, and most things I might need to toss in there while out and about. With the carabiner and my system of smaller bags, I can find everything easily enough. It's not as secure as I'd like since the whole top doesn't close, and because it's a tote it's not the most ergonomic for carrying for hours (especially when loaded with, e.g. full water bottle, laptop, etc.).
My "small" carry is an Everlane "Renew Transit Fanny Pack." I also resisted fanny packs for years and years, but succumbed to this one because it's pretty minimalist. It'll hold my phone, a small wallet, passport (when travelling), lip balm, small thing of hand lotion or hand sanitizer, pocket pack of tissues, reusable bag (Baggu standard) for any purchases, and a smaller pair of sunglasses. For when I only need a small number of items, it's about as close to ideal as I can imagine: reasonably ergonomic, secure, looks great, can be worn cross-body or around the waist or slung over a shoulder. But I can't carry, e.g., a book or water bottle, and if I suddenly need a bandaid or to charge my phone, I don't have my whole kit like with the big tote.
I have a whole bookmarks folder of bags I might get some day when I get sick of one or both of my current carries. When I finally find the ideal bag, I will have achieved some kind of nirvana, but today is not that day.
I cannot with fanny packs worn as a sling, mostly because I'm short and large chested, and I don't need more weight there. I sell handbags for a living, and the insistence of every woman that she needs to have a fanny pack (but not call it a fanny pack) is mind boggling to me. As one woman said to me: "when the pre teens are wearing the Lululemon fanny pack, I need to upgrade".
Just get a small crossbody! In nylon, look at MZ Wallace (metro crossbody, mini metro deluxe tote, Ruby quilted crossbody). Madewell has some great small leather bags that aren't too expensive (mini leather carabiner crossbody, Piazza crossbody, puff woven crossbody). Tory Burch has a lot but a higher price point (Mercer pebbled crossbody, mini Miller crossbody, mini nylon crossbody, McGraw camera bag, Kira chevron wallet on a chain).
I have SO MANY BAGS. I typically use any one of the following (depending on how much bag I need with me): (1) the Patagonia Black Hole pack (for commuting to work with my computer); (2) the Domke F-8, which is a camera bag but also functions as a cool Gen-X purse/bag; and (3) the WANDRD 3-liter sling (as an over-the back bag NOT a fanny pack) when I have less stuff to carry and don't want to deal with the Domke F-8.
The bag I carry depends on what I’m doing that day. A day of mindless store hopping (Target, Homegoods, TJ Maxx, etc...) I’m carrying a crossbody. A day of appointments usually calls for a tote. If I’m meeting up with friends for a walk, I break out my Lululemon belt bag to hit the track.
Check out the nifty Bandolier, an iPhone cross body case. I've used it for years. When I met with an editor for an online community of women 40+ she asked me to write about it on her site. I illustrated the story using myself as the model since the company only uses models under 30.
I bought a $10 canvas crossbody tote with a zipper top for walking my dog, and I find myself reaching for it more than anything else. It is weightless and lies flat. Not ideal for carrying water bottles, but otherwise great. Love the idea of the phone case/wallet crossbody/wristlets, but find them annoying in practice. If I live long enough to move into a retirement home, I might consider a fanny pack, but even then only ironically.
Hi, Leigh Ann. Finding the perfect (for you) bag is basically the search for the holy grail. I typically carry a "big bag of crazy". I love my Madewell tote, that's very well organized and in it is a little clutch I can put phone and credit cards in for afterwork activities. When it rains, I use a backpack. On weekends, I have a large (canvas) and small (leather) crossbody. For my urban hikes, I have a Vans fanny pack (why can't we pre-order Starbucks from our Apple Watches? I'd like to hike without my phone sometimes and still have an iced latte kindly ready for me when needed). Since most folks are trying to be fashionable by wearing a fanny pack as a crossbody, just get a crossbody. Quince has a few good options on crossbodies and fanny packs that they call "belt bags". Good luck on your quest. Let me know where you land! xo https://www.quince.com/women/bags-&-leather-goods
I'm interested to know as well! Following for some good tips. 😊
As am I! I’ve carried everything from a tote to a handbag to a cell wallet to a fanny pack and somehow I find a reason to hate them all.
Why not really downsizing? I just have a lipstick and a cell phone on me (even the one credit card in the phone case only as plan B). No house keys (ten-key pad on the door to our house), no wallet (paying with phone), rarely car keys. And since shopping carefully / mindful all my skirts have pockets for these few things.
I really love this small Uniqlo bag I use as a crossbody. It’s cheap, washable and comes in good colors. https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/products/E461053-000/00?colorDisplayCode=09
I only really carry a wallet, phone, and keys.
Oh, the ideal bag for carrying my stuff, my eternal grail quest, my white whale. My current situation is an imperfect compromise:
My "big" carry is Alex Mill's "Perfect Weekend Tote" (which I get a lot of compliments on) with a carabiner on one strap that I use to hook my keys and a strap for my main wallet; inside, I have several wallets for different purposes (with straps of different colours, which can all be attached to the carabiner for quick finding), and various small bags that hold grouped items (health/first-aid; tools; beauty/self-care; external battery/charger cables; etc.). It's big enough to hold a water bottle, a book, my laptop, and most things I might need to toss in there while out and about. With the carabiner and my system of smaller bags, I can find everything easily enough. It's not as secure as I'd like since the whole top doesn't close, and because it's a tote it's not the most ergonomic for carrying for hours (especially when loaded with, e.g. full water bottle, laptop, etc.).
My "small" carry is an Everlane "Renew Transit Fanny Pack." I also resisted fanny packs for years and years, but succumbed to this one because it's pretty minimalist. It'll hold my phone, a small wallet, passport (when travelling), lip balm, small thing of hand lotion or hand sanitizer, pocket pack of tissues, reusable bag (Baggu standard) for any purchases, and a smaller pair of sunglasses. For when I only need a small number of items, it's about as close to ideal as I can imagine: reasonably ergonomic, secure, looks great, can be worn cross-body or around the waist or slung over a shoulder. But I can't carry, e.g., a book or water bottle, and if I suddenly need a bandaid or to charge my phone, I don't have my whole kit like with the big tote.
I have a whole bookmarks folder of bags I might get some day when I get sick of one or both of my current carries. When I finally find the ideal bag, I will have achieved some kind of nirvana, but today is not that day.
I cannot with fanny packs worn as a sling, mostly because I'm short and large chested, and I don't need more weight there. I sell handbags for a living, and the insistence of every woman that she needs to have a fanny pack (but not call it a fanny pack) is mind boggling to me. As one woman said to me: "when the pre teens are wearing the Lululemon fanny pack, I need to upgrade".
Just get a small crossbody! In nylon, look at MZ Wallace (metro crossbody, mini metro deluxe tote, Ruby quilted crossbody). Madewell has some great small leather bags that aren't too expensive (mini leather carabiner crossbody, Piazza crossbody, puff woven crossbody). Tory Burch has a lot but a higher price point (Mercer pebbled crossbody, mini Miller crossbody, mini nylon crossbody, McGraw camera bag, Kira chevron wallet on a chain).
I have SO MANY BAGS. I typically use any one of the following (depending on how much bag I need with me): (1) the Patagonia Black Hole pack (for commuting to work with my computer); (2) the Domke F-8, which is a camera bag but also functions as a cool Gen-X purse/bag; and (3) the WANDRD 3-liter sling (as an over-the back bag NOT a fanny pack) when I have less stuff to carry and don't want to deal with the Domke F-8.
Love this thread, lots of good ideas!
The bag I carry depends on what I’m doing that day. A day of mindless store hopping (Target, Homegoods, TJ Maxx, etc...) I’m carrying a crossbody. A day of appointments usually calls for a tote. If I’m meeting up with friends for a walk, I break out my Lululemon belt bag to hit the track.
Check out the nifty Bandolier, an iPhone cross body case. I've used it for years. When I met with an editor for an online community of women 40+ she asked me to write about it on her site. I illustrated the story using myself as the model since the company only uses models under 30.
US Army combat shorts with big pockets.
I bought a $10 canvas crossbody tote with a zipper top for walking my dog, and I find myself reaching for it more than anything else. It is weightless and lies flat. Not ideal for carrying water bottles, but otherwise great. Love the idea of the phone case/wallet crossbody/wristlets, but find them annoying in practice. If I live long enough to move into a retirement home, I might consider a fanny pack, but even then only ironically.
Crossbody Baggalini. Large variety of colors, sizes and some with built in wallets. Amazon
I have a few bags from Lindquist, a Providence-based leather company. Great colors, minimal space for stuff, easy to tuck in a tote if needed.
Hi, Leigh Ann. Finding the perfect (for you) bag is basically the search for the holy grail. I typically carry a "big bag of crazy". I love my Madewell tote, that's very well organized and in it is a little clutch I can put phone and credit cards in for afterwork activities. When it rains, I use a backpack. On weekends, I have a large (canvas) and small (leather) crossbody. For my urban hikes, I have a Vans fanny pack (why can't we pre-order Starbucks from our Apple Watches? I'd like to hike without my phone sometimes and still have an iced latte kindly ready for me when needed). Since most folks are trying to be fashionable by wearing a fanny pack as a crossbody, just get a crossbody. Quince has a few good options on crossbodies and fanny packs that they call "belt bags". Good luck on your quest. Let me know where you land! xo https://www.quince.com/women/bags-&-leather-goods