The relationship between a woman’s purse and a man is complicated. Either the man views the purse as a sacred relic – a mysterious sanctuary – that must remain untouched OR he is unconditionally afraid of coming near it, deliberatively remaining ignorant of what lies inside.
There is a reoccurring theme in these theories: men seem to have formulated an extensive idea of what we carry in our purses. In our perspective, purses (and what they contain) are prime necessities. Every item has its purpose. Every item is placed with care and intention. Every item is a fraction of what makes up the whole. We seem to have mastered (or maybe were born knowing) what to place in our gorgeous, multi-shaped, multi-colored bags. There is nothing intimidating about our purses, so why do men stray away from them? Is it out of respect… or fear? Do they even know what it is they contain?
After asking around, here are the 5 things men believe we place in our bags and their reasoning’s:
1.“A Huge Non-essential Keychain”:
They Say: Girls carry more keychains than actual keys. Instead of taking their car and house key, they add “sea-shells”, “beads”, “teddy bears” and Shaws/CVS/other convenience cards.
We Say: It’s cute! And its practical. It makes it easier to find our keys inside our purses, plus it adds a little personality.
2.“A Gigantic Wallet”:
They Say: Girls already have a purse, which means they are already carrying excessively; to top it off, they add a huge wallet. All you need in your wallet is a student ID, your credit and debit cards, medical insurance card, driver’s license and a couple of dollar bills. At the most, the wallet should be 2 x 4 inches – tip: it should fit in your pocket.
We Say: Nothing complements a purse better than a big wallet. Big wallets are classy and convenient, especially for that exceptional occasion when, instead of taking a purse, we just carry our wallets.
3.“Coupons… definitively”:
They Say: Girls have coupons and discount cards for everything – CVS points, Shaws discounts, Sephora sale cards, froyo points. And this is besides the member cards they carry in their oversized keychains.
We Say: I must admit I did not see this one coming. I wouldn’t say this is a vital part of our purses, but I understand what they’re referring to. Free Sephora samples are just ways of saving money. Plus, who would say no to some free low-calories vanilla froyo anyways?
4.“Lots of Glitter” (translation: make-up):
They Say: Those purses contain so much facial glitter, lipstick, and eyelash curlers. Girls are always shining.
We Say: A small, everyday make-up purse kit is essential. It’s not necessarily about being preppy; a “touch-up” is especially handy for a job interview. And if you were to list 3 specifics, I’d say cover-up, lip-gloss or chap-stick, and mascara, as opposed to facial glitter, lipstick, and eyelash curlers.
5.“Birth Control, Tampons, and Period Medicine”:
They Say: Girls have a period kit.
We Say: You have no idea what a period feels like. And it’s called Midol!