Downsizing
A few weeks ago, while riding to work on perhaps the most crowded subway car ever, I had an epiphany: my bag is too big. Though I love the security of carrying nearly everything I own in one misshapen, wider-than-my-body satchel, the truth is I bang into people, trip up waiters in restaurants, and suffer a permanent shoulder knot from toting 20 lbs around daily. It's time to streamline.
There are so many good, expensive-looking (but actually super-cheap) purses on eBay it boggles the mind. I found this clean, minimal, and slightly rustic vintage Coach messenger bag by typing in "saddle bag" and "brown" in the vintage accessories section. It's a thoughtful design—clean lines, basic colors, the bold button detail—so the bag feels substantial, even though it's much more reasonably sized than my current favorite.
I never thought of getting a bag on ebay...