| Once again we turn to our friend Ellee for some | | | | start a fad! Peer pressure mandated that Ellee put |
| guidance on how women identify and select a good | | | | one like that on her Christmas list.o She downsized |
| handbag for themselves and/or as gifts for other | | | | for her senior prom, however, and carried the |
| women, knowing that purses are an important part | | | | traditional little bag with pearl beads.o When she got |
| of her accessory wardrobe and she has admittedly | | | | married, she picked out a pink patent leather purse |
| spent years of consumptive research in her quest for | | | | with matching shoes for her honeymoon to the |
| the perfect purse. | | | | Bahamas.o As an adult, her first and only radio talk |
| Ellee's handbag history runs something like the | | | | show appearance was the excuse she needed to |
| following, which we presume represents good | | | | spend $180 on a purse that proved to be way too |
| market research on the subject or purses:o First | | | | heavy but made her appreciate the smell of leather. |
| purse she remembers was a little multi-colored | | | | It made quite an impression on the host, who |
| drawstring that matched her mom's when she was in | | | | complimented it.o The dye rubbed off her next best |
| first grade.o She traded the little drawstring to her | | | | find, but she converted it to a travel kit because of |
| best friend in second grade for a hot pink clutch with | | | | its three compartments and handles.o Her in-laws |
| white beaded flowers.o However, it wasn't long | | | | brought a fur purse with a doll in a papoose pouch on |
| before another charming purse caught her eye. Only | | | | it from Alaska, but it sort of defied that |
| problem was she never could convince her other | | | | killing-little-animals-thing-to-make-a-purse that her dad |
| best friend that the hot pink beaded clutch was | | | | taught her.o They also brought her a beaded beauty |
| worth the friend's shoulder strap with the alligator | | | | from Africa that is much more suited to displaying |
| head on it. Nor could she convince my parents to buy | | | | than carrying.o She has a macrame' artifact from the |
| her one of those. "My mom said it was too | | | | '70s, inherited a hand-crocheted bag from her |
| expensive. My dad said it wasn't nice to kill little | | | | husband's grandmother (functions as a fine |
| animals and paste their heads on purses," Elle says.o | | | | decoration on my bathroom wall), and has one a |
| The little pink beaded clutch had to suffice until a | | | | friend's mother knitted for her-complete with |
| new aunt tried to win her approval by passing along | | | | matching hat.o The crown jewel of her collection |
| a little black satiny bag Ellee had admired with a | | | | may just be a replica of the Pony Express mail bag. |
| detachable shoulder strap. Its blended smells of her | | | | She cut its picture from a catalog and kept it in her |
| aunt's cosmetics made her realize for the first time | | | | wish file for a couple of years before she gave in |
| that a purse could smell like something besides | | | | and spent the most she's ever spent on a purse |
| chewing gum. Her mother's purse always smelled like | | | | (more than $300 including shipping and handling). Only |
| spearmint gum. Her grandma's pocketbook | | | | problem is the mail bag is heavy so she doesn't use |
| (Grandma's term for her only handbag-a black patent | | | | it.o She has used canvas toolbags she guys at |
| leather beauty) smelled like juicy fruit gum. She didn't | | | | hardware stores for purses. |
| carry the perfumed one to school for very long. | | | | With this market research in the (hand)bag, we'll be |
| Someone told her it looked too grown up for a little | | | | shopping the world in our quest to find another |
| girl.o One day in high school a girl two grades up from | | | | appealing product line of purses. |
| her appeared with a huge black bag. Did she ever | | | | |