I have owned handbags for decades. This is the first one I wanted to write about.
Six things I now look for in a handbag, after years of putting up with the little things that make everyday bags frustrating.
Kathleen O'DonnellDublin · October 2026 · 5 min read
Let me be plain about who is talking. I am Kathleen, I live in Dublin, and I have carried handbags for most of my adult life without ever thinking I would write an article about one. I have simply bought them, used them, worn them out and eventually replaced them.
Some were beautiful but impractical. Some were practical but looked like they had been designed purely to carry things from one place to another. Some had straps that became uncomfortable after an afternoon, while others had one enormous compartment where everything I owned seemed to disappear.
So when I find something that gets the small things right, I notice.
That is what happened with the handbag I have been carrying recently. It is not about having another bag just for the sake of having one. It is about finally finding one that feels easy to live with.
Here is what years of handbags have taught me. There are usually two choices. Something structured and precious that you are constantly worried about damaging, or something soft and practical that ends up looking like a bag full of everything you own.
I realised I had spent years accepting little annoyances from my handbags simply because I thought that was how handbags were supposed to be.
The right bag should not make you think about the bag. It should simply make the day easier. For me, it comes down to six things.
The sort of handbag that feels useful from the moment it arrives.
It should look more expensive than an everyday bag
I do not believe practical has to mean boring. The handbags I have loved most over the years have always been the ones that had a little character to them.
I like a softer finish and a relaxed shape. Something that looks considered without looking overly formal. It should work with jeans and knitwear just as easily as it works with a nicer outfit for lunch.
At this point in my life, I would rather own fewer things that I genuinely enjoy using. A handbag that looks lovely every time I pick it up is much more useful than something that spends most of its life in the wardrobe.
It has the lovely quality of looking as though it has always belonged there.
It is the sort of bag that makes an ordinary outfit feel a little more considered.
Barbara W., CorkThe strap should actually be comfortable
This is one of those things you do not think about until you have carried a bag for an entire afternoon.
A narrow strap can dig into your shoulder. A completely plain strap can make a beautiful bag feel rather ordinary. I like one that feels comfortable but still gives the bag some personality.
The little details are what make an everyday handbag feel special.
The strap is one of the first things people notice, and it is genuinely comfortable to carry.
Sylvia M., HowthIt should close properly
I have never understood the fascination with handbags that leave everything inside completely exposed.
Bags get placed on car seats, chairs, tables and beside you on the bus. They get tipped over. They get moved around. I want to know that the things inside are secure.
A proper closure is one of those details you barely notice until you have lived without it.
Such a small detail, but knowing everything is safely inside makes a difference every day.
Margaret H., DalkeyThe inside should be on your side
This may be the one I notice most.
I do not want a dark cave where my phone, glasses and keys all disappear into the same corner. I want to open my bag and know where everything is.
When the inside is organised properly, you stop searching. Your glasses have a place. Your phone has a place. Your keys have a place. It sounds simple because it is.
The things you carry every day should not disappear into the bottom of the bag.
I used to search through my bag every time my phone rang. I do not miss that.
Doreen T., DoolinIt should hold a proper day out without becoming a sack
I do not want a tiny handbag that only holds a phone and lipstick. But I also do not want to carry something that looks like luggage.
I want room for my glasses, purse, phone, keys, tissues, a few personal things and perhaps a book or cardigan.
Enough to get through a proper day, without losing the shape and elegance of the bag itself.
Enough room for a proper day out, without feeling like I am carrying a suitcase.
Jean A., EyeriesIt should work with everything I already own
I have bought bags before that looked wonderful with one outfit and somehow wrong with everything else.
These days I want the opposite. Something I can pick up without thinking about it too much.
A classic handbag should work with jeans, knitwear, coats, dresses and the clothes already hanging in my wardrobe.
When that happens, the bag actually gets used. And that is what I want from a handbag.
I wanted something I could simply pick up and take with me. This is exactly that kind of bag.
Aoife Murphy, DublinThe handbags I used to settle for, compared with what I want now
You can find handbags at every price point. But after years of buying them, I think the difference is in the details.
Stiff and precious, or floppy and shapeless
Straps that become uncomfortable
Open tops that spill
One dark space where everything disappears
Too small for a proper day
Something I liked in the shop but rarely used
Soft structure with a timeless look
A comfortable strap with character
A secure closure
Useful space where everything has its place
Enough room without looking oversized
Something I genuinely want to carry every day
About finding the right handbag
I am not someone who thinks you need a different handbag for every occasion. Quite the opposite.
I would rather have one or two beautiful bags that become part of my everyday routine. Something I can take into Dublin, to lunch, to meet a friend, away for the weekend or simply when I am heading out for the afternoon.
If your current handbag is making you compromise on comfort, space or style, I think it is worth looking at what else is available.
The best handbag is often the one you reach for without even thinking about it.
So if you have been carrying the same tired handbag for years simply because you have not found anything better, have a look through the collection.
You may find, as I did, that the right bag is not about having something new. It is about finally finding something that works.
- Kathleen
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Find the bag you will want to reach for every day.