Bag It!

I developed a fondness for upscale bags from my former boss who would gift her all-female staff with bags for Christmas, birthdays and homecomings from trips abroad. She believes that a bag can always find a place in a woman’s wardrobe – and being the classic lady that she is, her bags are never monogrammed but unmistakable in their quality.

So there I was, an uhugin girl working beside accomplished and stylish women in my Divisoria clothes upgraded by their affiliation with Nine West, Fino and Mango handbags.

If you’re still in school (up to graduate level only) then you can probably get away with the craziest, most colorful bags. But if you have a career going on then quality bags are a must.

1. Invest on Quality. It may cost a quarter of your monthly salary but if it lasts 5 years then it saves you from years of mediocrity. Quality is deceptive when it comes to clothes – I had a P90 black blouse that served me well for many years. But such is not the case with bags that can make or break a professional ensemble.
2. Go for basic colors- start with black and brown supported by a set each of belts and shoes. These will be the anchors to which you can build your career wardrobe on.
3. Choose timeless designs, go easy on the metalworks and trimmings, the 80’s is over!
4. Remember utility – it’s a working vessel that should contain your essentials with space for a notebook, pen, your business cards or anything that might come up.

Casual occasions are when you unleash all the quirks from within and be your schizophrenic self. Scour bazaars and ukay-ukays for unique pieces that reflect your personality. Avoid generic bags that can be seen on arms within every kilometer of you – for the life of me I have yet to find the appeal behind them Le Sportsac bags!

When buying bags keep in mind the clothes they will go with. I’m a plainclothes person so I take it out on my bags – they come in varied colors so they’ll match most of what’s in my closet. This category should be the cheapest in your bunch so avoid buying extremely offbeat ones to which you’ll have to build a wardrobe around.