Carry Less, Better

There is a particular kind of freedom that comes from realizing we do not need everything we have grown accustomed to carrying.

Recently, I found myself asking a simple question: How easy is it to change a habit?

I shop often. Sometimes for pleasure, sometimes to study the marketplace for my handbag business, and sometimes simply because I enjoy being out in the world of fashion. I notice what women are wearing, what they are carrying, how something feels in the hand, and which details make an object seem considered rather than merely useful.

For years, I carried medium-to-large handbags. They gave me room for all the things I believed qualified as everyday essentials. And, admittedly, taking Tati, my six-and-a-half-pound Yorkie, along with me was often the most convincing reason for choosing a generously sized bag.

Then, during one of my shopping days, I discovered a small wallet. It was made from buttery-soft cream leather, with exactly the right number of slender pockets for credit cards. It folded neatly and closed with a satisfying, gentle snap. It was beautiful, compact and perfectly proportioned.

Bringing it home was the easy part. The challenge was moving out of my oversized wallet.

As I emptied it, I began inspecting everything I had been carrying: extra credit cards, old notes, business cards, receipts and small reminders I had somehow decided needed to accompany me every day. Did I really need all of it?

Once the new wallet was arranged, I began looking at the rest of the contents of my handbag. What started as a simple exchange became a gradual editing process. It took several attempts.

I had to pay attention to which things I truly used, which were there for a reasonable emergency and which had simply remained because I had become accustomed to seeing them.

Then came the most obvious realization: I was already carrying my cellphone.

The contacts I had saved on business cards were in my phone. The notes I carried in a small notebook could be stored there as well. These were habits left over from the years before our phones became calendars, address books, cameras and personal assistants.

My cosmetic case received the same scrutiny. Did I need five shades of lipstick every time I left the house? Did I need a separate mirror when the camera on my phone worked perfectly well for a quick touch-up? Probably not. Little by little, the contents became lighter.

What surprised me was that the change felt like more than simply removing weight from my shoulder. It created a sense of clarity I had not realized I needed. There was something refreshing about deciding what deserved to remain and letting go of what no longer served a purpose.

A thoughtfully designed handbag can encourage this kind of editing. Its proportions ask us to consider what is genuinely useful and what we have simply become accustomed to carrying.

I still change my handbags often. That ritual remains one of the pleasures of fashion for me. Some days call for a larger bag, others for something medium-sized, and occasionally the smallest bag is exactly right.

The difference is that the contents are now fewer, lighter and more intentional.

Perhaps carrying less is not about denying ourselves anything. Perhaps it is about choosing better, keeping close only what is useful, beautiful or meaningful.

Try it. You may discover that a lighter handbag creates a lighter feeling, too.

Send me your thoughts or simply say HELLO!