Bags of Berkeley
For all of my life, going to school meant wearing a dreaded backpack. Mine was that classic, boring, Black JanSport, which I’m sure everyone has seen enough of. I didn’t care to put any thought into my bag of choice back then. The silhouette of my backpack was simply an obstacle to the rest of my outfit, forcing me to draw as little attention to it as possible. In that way, I put up with my backpack strictly for its functionality.
Going to college brought something new. I was excited by the idea of finally being able to ditch the dreaded JanSport. Making the transition from a backpack to a sophisticated handbag seemed like the most natural evolution. Now, I simply have fewer things to carry with me. No more bulky textbooks, one for each of my six classes. No more overflowing binders desperately held together by layers of tape. Everything in college was consolidated: fewer classes each day, and I now had my iPad to store all my notes. With growing up came more autonomy, not simply over what my schedule looked like, but with how I was able to accessorize myself.
Choosing my school bag for my freshman year was a decision I did not take lightly. I remember sitting on the bedroom floor of my soon-to-be roommate, scavenging through Depop, Poshmark, ThredUp, and every other online second-hand clothing site in search of the bag of my dreams.
My criteria were pretty straightforward. My dream bag would be functional: it needed to be the perfect size to fit my laptop and iPad, while not being too bulky. It needed to be durable: made of some sort of dark leather or suede to weather the everyday school conditions and fight off any stains. Finally, my bag needed to reflect my style: preferably decorated with some sort of hardware or pockets, while being versatile enough to go with any outfit. One bag would have to fulfill these criteria—there was no need for overconsumption. Anyways, who has the money for multiple bags like that? I definitely did not (I desperately need a job so I can fulfill all of my bag dreams…among other reasons).
After a long and difficult search, I found a Poshmark seller who answered my prayers. A dark brown, distressed, flexible, full-grain leather handbag made by Tano. With leather drawstrings for adjustability and a magnetic snap closure, this bag was checking all of my boxes. It was perfection. Not too expensive and extremely durable in its quality, the bag has 3 outer pockets embellished with silver rings and buckles.
The Poshmark listing for my current everyday bag.
Images by Urvi Kulkarni
This one bag has unexpectedly brought so much into my life. During the first few weeks of my freshman year, I was not the best at reaching out to new people. Somehow, my once-talkative and outgoing self had disappeared without warning. I had lost all ability to strike up conversations with people I had never met before.
However, never underestimate the power of a perfectly picked-out, beautiful handbag. My bag did all the work without me having to utter a single word. Not to come off as self-absorbed in any way, I found that in each new lecture or discussion, some girl next to me would compliment my bag, without fail. I even met one of my future roommates through this exact interaction.
On a hot late-summer afternoon, I had arrived at my ESPM 15 lecture, sweat dripping down my face because I had been speedwalking in the horrible Berkeley heat. I sat in the first open seat I found. As I began blacking out from sheer overheating, I heard the usual, “I love your bag!” As always, we started talking, exchanging different honest compliments as I’m sure we all do when meeting someone new, and the rest is history. So, I guess my advice to those who are struggling to meet new people would be to start carrying an everyday bag that truly speaks to your soul. Like clockwork, the rest of the pieces should fall into place.
Because the purpose of an everyday handbag is far more expansive than just serving as a means to carry one’s belongings. An everyday bag is a reflection of one’s inner self. An honest everyday bag houses the belongings that each person cannot live without. Standing at the crossroads of functionality and personal style, your handbag choice says a lot about who you are and what you care about. Do you care for comfort? Aesthetics? Do you care about name-brand designers? The latest trend cycles? Are you incredibly disorganized, or Type-A? What exactly are you hiding inside that bag? I’d desperately love to understand. To prove this, I went around campus asking people to look inside their bags…
(i) The Collector
Brand: liz&co, purchased from the So-So Market
Price: $13
By liz&co, this bag takes inspiration from the wearer’s roommate who has the exact bag in an inverted color scheme. The purse is reflective of someone who loves to present their individuality to the outside world—it’s maximalist and perfectly personalized.
The charms attached to The Collector’s bag are always in rotation—either falling off and getting lost, or constantly being upgraded. Lately, a charm resembling a pair of pink underwear has taken the place of The Collector’s favorite add-on: ”I went into Urban Outfitters without any money. I saw this mystery bag filled with these choni charms, each for $10. I didn’t have $10…so I just took it.”
As for her dream bag criteria, The Collector has one rule: nothing cross-body, adding that, “A long bag distracts from my butt.”
(ii) The Pouch Lover
Brand: Coach, purchased from ThredUp
Price: $55
The Pouch Lover looks for a few things when choosing the perfect everyday bag: durability, style, and its dimensions. “If I had the money, I’d have a million bags,” The Pouch Lover said.
This Coach bag, in particular, caught The Pouch Lover’s attention because of its buckles and contrast stitching. However, what really sold her on the bag was how many pockets it had inside.
The Pouch Lover, naturally, has a bit of a thing for pouches. All pouches of any size, she can’t say no to them. “I hate going out and realizing that I’m missing something. I love keeping different pouches for different items so that I don’t forget them,” she said. “I take it upon myself to make sure that I have whatever any of my friends could ever ask for. I hate to be caught lacking like that.”
(iii) The Geeker
Brand: Unknown, purchased on ThredUp
Price: $25
The Geeker found her purse while searching for a leather bag with eccentric detailing, such as silver hardware and buckles.
In the future, The Geeker hopes to accessorize her bag with the jewelry she makes herself. The sole charm on her bag, though, has stayed with her for quite some time. “In high school, our robotics team made a robot that shot out these tiny stuffed animals,” said The Geeker. “That’s where my little bear charm is from.”
(iv) The Sentimental
Brand: Unknown, purchased on Depop
Price: $20
Each charm on The Sentimental’s bag has its own special story. “I love bunnies,” said The Sentimental. “My roommate gave me that bunny for Christmas, and my mom loves those dolls, so I find them really cute.”
What motivated the purchase of this bag in particular was its plaid pattern. The Sentimental enjoys how the bag’s black color allows it to work with any outfit, while its plaid pattern prevents it from being too boring. The buttons at the mouth of the bag also serve as an added bonus of subtle detailing.
This bag is not only loved by its owner, but by The Sentimental’s boyfriend. “My boyfriend loves to carry my bag,” The Sentimental added. “Even when I want it back, he doesn’t give it to me because he loves the way it looks.”
So, if you’ve never spoken to someone, ask them to empty out their bag for you. Don’t do this in a creepy, ‘I’m robbing you” kind of way, but instead, in a ‘Show me who you truly are” kind of way. Now, you can talk to them, because someone’s bag and everything that it holds goes further than any over-practiced small talk ever could.
