Is a Purse More Than Just a Bag?
A purse symbolizes your identity, financial status and even your hidden desires.
Think about it:
You are walking home from the bar. You and your friends had an amazing night. You got to tell them about your new job, your new apartment, and your experience of finally living the life you dreamt of. All those years in school, learning about everything and anything (including yourself) have finally paid off. For a moment, you are at peace, you are happy, and you have nothing to worry about.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
With that new job, you bought a new purse – a Gucci, authenticated Ophidia hand bag, leather black- and it matches your outfit more than your lipstick. You feel like a real adult. Your headphones are playing your favorite song and your Doc Martens are stomping on the concrete as if you are the only one on the sidewalk at 12am, only you are not.
You feel your purse slide off your shoulder and in your peripheral vision, you see a black glove on the strap, tearing it from your body. Then, you step back, naturally, as the thief runs forward, with your most valuable accessory. It is not just your purse that he has, it is your credit card, driver’s license, loose cash, a note you were planning on giving your crush, sunglasses that you have had since you were in highschool, a Tiffany ring you got tired of wearing, and lastly, your house key Everything you need, must have as an adult, is running down the street.
You try to yell, you scream, but no sound is loud enough to lure a thief back to the victim. Well, good thing your phone was in your back pocket. So, you dial 911 and report a lost purse and they say, we’ll see what we can do.
You sit and wait for a call the following weeks, hoping and praying that your identity, your financial status, is returned to you.
Losing your purse is known to be a nightmare. It is like losing yourself, only you are not lost, you are just astray. Some people wear purses simply for style and aesthetics; on the other hand, some wear them for the sole purpose of their job– to hold your personal belongings.
Wearing a bag can provoke a variety of emotions in a person, such as self-confidence, self-esteem, and well-being. For instance, Gunas Bags states,
“People purchase luxury items for several reasons, almost all of which are connected to the powerful feelings we associate with acquiring expensive tangible objects. Whether a customer can afford an item or not, they may choose to obtain that thing only for a specific sensation — a sense of happiness.”
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Even if the bag stands out of your price range, the end result is you staying happy and content with your decision. So, it makes sense that rappers are being seen with expensive, boujee designer bags. For example, Uzi wrote an anthem for purse-loving people: “In ‘Glock In My Purse,’ Uzi provides plenty of introductory advice to purse-hesitant dudes, but this wouldn’t be a bag anthem without some deeper cuts.” With rappers constantly being seen wearing designer bags, this influences the rest of our generation and pop culture. Purses are becoming more prominent in our fashion world, with the help of rappers and celebrities in general.
Purses are more than a bag hanging off a shoulder, they’re part of our identity. They hold our personalities as we hold them.
Image Courtesy: Instagram
Strike Out,
Emmy Brutnell
Saint Augustine
Editors: Maya Kayya, Jessica Giraldo
Emmy Brutnell is a writer for Strike Magazine, Saint Augustine. She grew up writing song lyrics and then horribly sang them. She enjoys reading poetry as well as filming for her youtube channel. Feel free to reach her @emmybrut on instagram, or by email- ebrutnell@gmail.com.
