zoë siskos

Who would have thought it would have taken 72 hours, 4 malls, 3 cities and 500+ bags before I found the perfect one. And I am not exaggerating. Just ask the people that tried to help me find one.

It was urgent too, because I’m leaving for SXSW this Thursday and I needed something that was comfortable and usable. My current bag has fulfilled more than its purpose but is on its last legs.

But why did it take so much effort to find the perfect one? Well, because it’s exactly that – perfect. And anything perfect is worth the effort.

Seriously though, I did not expect it to be this difficult. But apparently I am the only person on the planet that needs all of these features in one bag.

1. A full shoulder strap
I’m not sure if I’m the only one but I can only carry stuff on one shoulder – my left. I don’t know what it is, but when I sling something on my right shoulder it always slides off, I’m constantly adjusting…it’s just uncomfortable.

This is not a problem when the bag weighs 1.3 pounds.

But when I have my computer, charge cord, wallet, newspaper, latest book I’m reading, and a few girly essentials – it becomes painful over time if I can’t adjust it.

This is why having the full strap is so important – I can carry this bag in multiple ways.

2. It’s not leather – but it’s not trying to be.
Don’t get me wrong, I loooove leather. I would have bought a leather one had it come with all the extra features. But I preferred one that’s made from a more durable material , something that won’t show wear over time. The less I have to care about what I smash, scrape, drop or throw my bag on, the better.

3. It’s pretty.
During my bag hunting adventures I found a ton of gorgeous bag that wouldn’t be good for my computer. I found a n even greater number of very useful bags for my computer that were equally hideous. I was starting to develop a complex, I mean, I couldn’t be the only working woman on the planet that needed a durable bag that didn’t look like some ugly, fat briefcase?!

4. I’m not carrying a rug.
You know those bags. They are flippin’ huge. My friend calls them “rug purses” because that’s exactly what it looks like – as though you are carrying a rug. This is big, but it’s thin. I can have it on my lap during my commute and it doubles as a perfect tabletop for when I’m doing my crossword (or typing on my computer).

5. There’s more than one pocket.
Again, a pet peeve of mine with the latest style of purses is the sack look. Huge bags that have no compartments, zippers or separations of any sort. How the flip am I supposed to find a damn thing? I need to minimize wasted time. When I stick my hand in I know exactly wear my BlackBerry/lip chap/pen/charger is going to be.

6. Zippers vs. flaps
Efficiency people. Flaps get in the way. They’re also not as secure as zippers.

7. Quality
I neglected to tell you the time I found the ‘i-thought-it-was-a-perfect-bag’  bag. I was so excited because it was on my first excursion. It had all of the necessary features (except it was leather, but I was flexible on that one). I was so excited I sat outside of the store and spent a good 15 minutes transferring things from my old bag to my new one. I slung it over my shoulder and SNAP went the “metal” clasp. I returned it immediately, thoroughly annoyed but in the end thankful it happened then and not when I was on an airplane. But it was NOT a cheaply priced bag and that really annoys me. Why charge so much when the thing is actually crap?

In the end, I recognize that my bag troubles are attributed to the fact that I am so picky but I know what I want and I know what I like (and don’t like). And realistically, I’m so happy with my purchase that I actually want to go and buy a few more bags just to have on hand. Not many people can say that about stuff they purchase.

So where did I end up finding the bag? In the most unlikely place – Indigo books. And it was all thanks to a suggestion made by James. Well, that, and a complete sense of desperation.