Every Bag Tells a Story

I'm particularly interested in just how attached people are to the bags they carry -- men as well as women. From frumpsters to fashionistas, just about everyone has something to say about their bag -- how it looks, how it works, where they got it, and where they've been with it. It's also amazing how people personalize and embellish their bags with patches, pins, pens and bobbles. The bag is a remarkable blend of function, style and personal expression. I think this is why bags are such great conversation starters.

More than any other fashion accessory, the bag is our constant companion. From the moment you leave home, until you return, you live out of your bag. The all-purpose everyday carry-all is an essential possession for the urban nomad -- from the metro, to the gym, to work and after work -- everything you need is in the bag. "I'm carrying my life in here", is a common refrain. "This bag saved my life," is another. As a result, a well-worn bag chronicles the life of its owner -- like a journal that writes itself. I call it "the patina of everyday use" -- the accummulated blemishes, stains and scars of daily routines, occassional mishaps and epic adventures. The shabbiest bags are some of the greatest storytellers. You can tell a lot about a person by the stories their bag reveals.

The thing is, every bag tells a story. What is the story behind the bag you carry?

Responses

Krys Freeman

San Francisco, CA

5 months ago

One person likes this

I am definitely a bag weilding type. I keep some bags merely based on where I've traveled with it, and as a piece of nostalgia. I currently am shifting between two bags because I am transitioning from carrying a netbook to a Pro :) And sometimes carrying both. It's not the best combination, given all of the OTHER thing that go in there. It also could be better with a more tailored bag.

My staple right now is a hand-me-down timbuk2. It has some pretty cool slot (I found a couple of DUH easter eggs like 2 nights ago, and I've been carrying this bag around for over a year!) but I really love the features of the Rickshaw commuter bag! I feel in love with it last year and had hoped I'd get one, either before or after SB '09 but I think I wanted to build it in as a budget line item first! :)

It's funny you should say that people carry their "lives" in their bags. I totally agree. I've even taken to calling the huge, messenger size almost, oversized purses my friends carry as "life-bags" -- they return the moniker in-kind. It's a pretty accurate description. The lives that most metro-dwellers live, you have to be ready for everything and anything! :)

I hope to drop by the bagworks shop soon! Our office is in the neighborhood!

cynthia joseph

I carried the same big bag every day for 2 or 3 years. Leather, suede, fake snake, fringe and zippers, it was one of those oversized and slightly uncomfortable to carry, yet good looking bags. The usual purse stuff, my lunch and any extras fit easily. It was a perfect carry-on bag on planes; the Ziploc bag of toiletries, a sweater, book, ear phones, camera, batteries, magazine, water bottle, food-all perfectly contained. It weighed a ton, but I loved it. I had to be sure to alternate shoulders. I passed this bag on about 7 months ago, after we went through a life changing experience together, a story for another time. I hope this bag is having a wonderful 2nd life. I have a collection of purses now, they’re attractive and functional, but lack that special something. They’re just ok. I haven’t yet bonded to another bag. I think it’s because the changes in me were so great and I’m still processing them, I’m not sure yet what my next beloved bag should be. That said, I love your skinny commuter style and mini zero messenger bags, they’re on my list.

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Posted by

Mark Dwight

Company

Rickshaw Bagworks