If periods weren't a thing, would women carry purses?

Mostly arbitrary fashion history, I expect.

The pocket thing is a current practical issue. Women’s fashion emphasizes shaming fat and trying for competitions of thin-ness, and so big useful pockets are generally not put on women’s clothes. Often they just have the appearance of pockets but no pocket, to make them appear slimmer.

So where to put a coin-purse, yet minimize apparent body bulk? Why, a bag. The makeup focus is probably also a reason. Other feminine products too, but even if that weren’t an issue, the others would I think suffice.

I bet the fact that women have historically raised the children played a big role in the evolution of fashion. I’m sure a big purse comes in handy if you’ve got a kid or 3 running around. Pure speculation on my part though I have no knowledge on the subject so I certainly could be very wrong.

I’m with you on a lot of your ideas.

I think having a period definitely has something to do with it. Also, carrying things for babies and young children. Let’s not forget make-up touch ups.

It’s also part of a fashion thing obviously. Not only that women’s fashions don’t allow for the use of pockets historically, but also the handbag itself is a fashion statement or accessory.

I think it would be good for men if some sort of handbag became more mainstream, because some of them probably have some medical problems where a bag would make perfect sense. If they are married to a woman, she can carry the items for him when they are together, but if not he has to figure out how to being his medical accessories along. Probably, a lot of men in this situation keep medicine and medical supplies in multiple places? I don’t know. Office, home, car, etc. Or, they use their brief case or computer bag, as you mentioned. Other accessories look more feminine I guess. Gay men seem to be more comfortable with that, but maybe it’s a practical thing more than being gay. Again, no woman with them regularly to carry stuff for them.

A few men I know has nice leather clutch like “purses.” It was more like a square at the edges make-up bag looking with a zipper. Female clutch bags usually have a flap closure. They didn’t have it if we went out to eat, but they brought it to work with them. The two men I know who did this had HIV, and I know they took quite a bit of meds. It didn’t look feminine to me.

Without getting into a dissertation on the history of the purse and pocket, I will say that yesterday, at Target, I was happy to see a fairly sizeable display of bags in the men’s section.

Dudes have computers, tablets, books, wallets, keys, and snacks, too. No reason for a cargo carrying system to be the sole domain of the feminine female.

As for me, personally, I have commitment issues with purses, and rarely use the same one for more than two weeks at a time. I waver between big totes or messenger bags, more traditional handbags, down to keys in the front pocket and ID and debit card in the back.

My menstrual cycle does not figure into the decision at all.

Yes.

I don’t carry a purse and I’m a girl who gets her period. What is wrong with me?

I’ve been carrying a daypack for over 40 years, since I was in high school, because I didn’t like carrying all my books loose. And so do a lot of the women I know, because it is easier to walk or ride a bike with a backpack.

And Scottish men have traditionally worn a sporran.

Dresses (and kilts) don’t do well with pockets, so women started carrying purses. Men had pockets in their pants, and also in their jackets.

The pockets are a big part of it. Hell, the jeans I’m wearing right now don’t have any pockets at all. They have the lines up top, but the first time I tried to slip my hands in them I found that they were sewed completely shut. I use my purse (actually a backpack more frequently than a purse) for a lot more than tampons or pads – wallet, cell phone, keys etc because none of these things will fit in my pockets.

I gave this question a GQ because I was thinking about this same topic yesterday, when I was sitting outside the store, digging in my handbag for my phone. I was wondering why the majority of women (I am specifying “majority” and not “all”) carry a handbag and can’t survive without one, whereas men don’t. Men may carry a bag while commuting, but if you’re outside a store, the ladies carry the handbag all over with them, whereas the men only take their wallet.

I was thinking how it would be hard for me to survive without the handbag, and what’s in it and why don’t men carry around the same crap. In mine, ID, credit cards, phone, wallet, receipts, business cards, lipstick, and other crap that seems to accumulate and needs to be cleaned out every so often.

Women of all ages carry a handbag (again, MOST women), whether or not they are of age where they menstruate.

I’m post menopausal and still carry a purse. I need to carry my wallet, make up bag, hairbrush, perfume, hand lotion, keys, and assorted other things. Feminine products barely took up any space during those days, and only for a few days a month. I don’t carry a big purse but I do need one for the other necessities. Sometimes, like yesterday, I just carry my wallet only for a quick errand or grocery shopping trip.

Sure they would. They can’t just carry all of that makeup around in their pockets. (What pockets??) They would look too bulky and not svelte.

My wife always complains about how her pants have uselessly small pocket and dresses/skirts have no pockets at all. And Scotmen may not bother with sporrans if kilts had pockets. I myself have a small bag that she refers to as my “murse” since I can’t carry a 7” tablet and a pouch of rolling tobacco in my jeans.

So basically it’s because we all need storage but only men’s pants have any real cargo capacity.

I’ve become a pack animal. I have to use a back pack. All goods bought are and carried home on foot. No car. I might treat myself next payday and get a more ergonomic backpack.

Not sure. If they didn’t, where would they put their concealed carry?

@Zaku—the fashion idea makes sense! Especially when women’s jeans tend to hug closer to the hips and butt regardless the cut of the leg (not always, although the looser-fitting styles like cargo then have larger pockets too!).

@gorillapaws—ah, children. How did I overlook that factor? Especially since when I’m out with my mom she’ll still offer to carry things of mine…!

@JLeslie—oh that’s true, the bag itself is fashion! Yeah, I wish it was more mainstream for guys to carry bags (although sometimes I have a love-hate relationship with purses, mostly I enjoy being able to have everything I need with me: phone, wallet, keys, sunglasses, a book, tissues, pens, etc… way more than could ever fit into pockets!) I agree, it doesn’t look feminine.

@Seek—yay for more bags in the men’s section! So maybe the tide is turning. Yeah, everyone’s got stuff to carry! Aha… when I’m only carrying a few things—like maybe phone+keys, say, if I can slip the stuff into pockets I do. I find that whenever I upgrade to a purse, I wind up putting much more into it than I had originally intended. I guess my menstrual cycle doesn’t factor in literally—I carry purses around regardless the time of the month—still, for me I hated purses until periods, and then I discovered all the other stuff I could fit into them and take with me throughout the day.

@Lightlyseared—to the point!

@cazzie—haha! Probably nothing ;)

@zenvelo—I always like the idea of daypacks/backpacks, but I’ve never found one that fits my back well, it always messes up my posture because it hits me higher or lower than the small of my back… but they are so convenient! And much more androgynous…. Sporran! I never knew it was a thing! Oh yeah, the total lack of pockets on dresses/skirts/kilts! It does make my jeans look pretty nice with their pintsized pockets

@Mariah—oh that’s annoying! I have a pair of faux-pocket pants too, and I always try to slide my fingers in them or hook my thumbs on them, only to find nothing there… Yeah, I put way more than tampons in too. I guess I just wondered if I would’ve gotten into the habit of carrying a purse because I needed that other stuff, or if without periods prompting my adoption of a purse, if I would just carry less stuff around with me….

@jca—:) … also, yes, the majority. I didn’t mean to lump all women together, or all men together, though I may have done that by the nature of the question… That’s true, (most!) men carry bags depending on the context. It’s interesting though that (most!) women carry them regardless! I agree, women carry them whether or not they menstruate. I guess with the periods-to-purses theory I was imagining a world where the majority of women needed to carry things around discretely for at least several days every month (when menstruation was hush-hush), and a purse just became something associated with women? Idk. There are a lot of other factors, as everyone is pointing out

@Coloma—yes, purses carry so much! I agree it doesn’t have to have anything to do with menstruation, except as possibly starting a general trend…? I have a comb in mine too, I forgot to mention that when I listed the basic contents above… And I agree the feminine products don’t take up much space, although, they’re the products I hide in the zipper-pockets out of sight… so if the other stuff wasn’t there, I’d still use the purse to hide them.

@kritiper—yeah, women’s clothes are definitely designed to look as small as possible. Extra layers for storage of things?? Oh my!!

@jerv—I’m all agog about dresses that do have pockets—the rare few! Probably because it’s just so uncommon. I can see your last phrase as an advertisement for pockets: “real cargo capacity”

@cazzie—hi again!—yeah, I wish I could get used to backpacks. I liked them in elementary and secondary school when they sat on the ground most of the day, but they are never comfortable anymore… hope you enjoy the ergonomic backpack!!

@rojo—well I guess if they didn’t want this, they could go with this or this?

I want to say I wish I didn’t need a purse. I have been known to tuck a credit card and money in my bra.

When Monty Hall tells you that he will give you $100 for a clothespin or a wooden nickel in your handbag, you carry one! How the hell else will you get to meet Carol Merrol and her curtains 1, 2, and 3? One never knows on Let’s Make A Deal!!!

I’m late to this question, but my answer is yes. I probably have the biggest purse of anyone I know. I house sit a lot, so I’m going back and forth all the time. I gotta make sure I have whatever I might need at any given moment.

Also, at work, I’m the one who doles out aspirin, Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, gum, mints, nail clippers and breakfast bars, so I gotta have a big ole purse to carry all that stuff. I also keep a change of clothes in there.

P.S. I don’t need tampons anymore : )