I carry the same purse for about 2 years. I have about 6 sitting on a shelf, ready to re-use. ALL are very good quality leather. Lately, a name brand. My wallet has to be 20 years old. I just LOVE it! Inside it looks like this. Only difference, on the outside...it zips ALL the way around. Fits in the palm of my hand.

Nicole, who makes your wallet? I really like it. At the moment I am carrying my dads wallet (dad died in 2003, and sis gave it to me in 2012). My coin department no longer closes.

Moni

My requirements for a purse are that it has structure (can't stand a floppy bag that won't stand up on its own), that it has lots of compartments and pockets (some of which must have zippers) including one for my phone (old flip top so it doesn't take much room) and one for my camera and that it not be too big. I'm not into oversized purses or bags; in fact I've been moving towards smaller.

I do like a built-in wallet, but if the purse meets all of my other criteria, the lack of one isn't a deal breaker. For purses without the built-in wallet, my choice of wallet is a slim billfold that will hold my cash, drivers license and a credit card. I carry a credit card holder for other cards such as Costco membership, insurance cards, medical insurance card, etc. I'm not particularly picky about color, although most of my purses tend towards neutral shades such as black, tan or gray.

If the purse doesn't have these things, I won't buy it. I've had enough purses over the years that I know that no matter how cute or stylish it is, I won't use it if it doesn't have the features I listed above.

Those of us who carry the same bag so long need to choose carefully, so it does take quite a while to choose a bag. I've often left the stores without making a purchase. I usually carry Very Bradley, Kipling or Baggalini because they are lightweight and work well for me. I only change when going to special event and don't want to carry the day-to-day, practical handbag. No Rita, you aren't the only one!

Moni....HOBO International. Here's the exact one I paid $34.99 for it 20 years ago.. The Sundance Catalog, by Robert Redford offered it back then...

I don't carry a ton of stuff. No wallet. I have a card case that can hold my license and some CCs, and I use that in some purses. What I prefer is a small cross-body Cole Haan that has slots right in front, under the fold-over with magnetic closer. There's an exterior opening on the back to tuck in a shopping list, whatever. There's an interior section for cell phone and a small zipped section for the 'loose stuff' (lipstick, small comb, sani-wipes, pen, pill case. a few dollars). I only have Kleenex and my emergency inhaler in the main body of the purse. It's 9 X 6 X 3.

I am picky about the size, and that has made finding a new purse difficult. They are either too small overall or too narrow in width, or too large.

My dream purse: soft leather, structure (I currently have a D&B Wayfarer, which is just about the perfect shape, but it is nylon and I also want longer strap); zip or other fully covered closure; phone pocket, and at least one interior pocket; about 9" long, 5" tall, and 2.5-3" wide - for plenty of room for my bulky wallet & eyeglasses; shoulder or crossbody. And teal blue, or soft turquoise blue is my current desire! Plus I don't want to spend over $100! Impossible!

I recently bought a Coach purse off Ebay because it seemed to be just the right size - the color I wanted, too. Unfortunately when it arrived, it was much smaller than the posted dimensions. I can't figure out how she came up with the length measurement! But, it was only $15 so I kept it.

Just the opposite with a The Sak that I ordered from Macy's. Beautiful bag, but much larger than the posted dimensions! Big enough that it would have annoyed me constantly. So, it went back.

Another who is picky about size and configuration. My purses are generally smaller crossbody bags and my wallet is a small slim one. The wallet is called a travel wallet, and I bought it a long time ago thru Brahmin. I used to use it pretty much only for travel and then my old wallet fell apart and I use it all the time now. Very slim. My bags must have at least one outside pocket for keys or phone. However I find it easy though to keep my car key inside now since my car has keyless entry and start, so it really doesn’t matter. Sometimes I put the key in my pocket, depending on where I am.

I ‘thought’ at one time I would like the bags that have built in credit card holders, but I didn’t like it, plus I always felt vulnerable if my whole bag was snatched or lost. I have a couple of larger bags and I will use those on occasion but don’t usually change bags much.

I’m picky, too. A purse must securely zip closed. I prefer it to have internal zipper pockets, too. I don’t carry a wallet, so one internal pocket acts as a bill holder while my cards are in a small card case slipped into the same pocket. My last two bags have been from Brighton because they have well-organized interiors and tend to last forever. I wish they didn’t have as much outside decoration. I remove any dangly charms immediately.

Absolutely. Like my car, I develope a real attachment to my purse. It has to satisfy alot of criteria since it must last a very, very long time. For my birthday a couple years ago my best friend bought me a Baggallini purse and literally pried my old dilapidated leather purse from my fingers HaHa! I just love it. I don't have many shoes but have been known to drop alot of money on my running shoes.

Fun2BHere reminded me. I, too, want only nice leather, with as little (and high quality) brass as possible. No kitschy dangles. A slightly pebbled texture is a guard against ruinous scratches. I still have a few purses with beautifully fitted leather interiors -- once a 'norm'; now costing thousands.

My current purse is an impulse buy from Mobstub on Facebook. It's a leather crossbody bag. I originally bought it in purple, which I love. But my sister decided she loved the purse too and ordered a red one and then said she really loved the purple one, so I gave her mine and took the red one. It's small but has multiple compartments. I don't carry a lot of stuff but it needs to be able to hold more stuff sometimes. For my credit cards, my checkbook cover has a section that holds multiple cards. Yes, I still use checks. Plus it's flat and fits easily. I keep my paper money in a small little zippered bag that was made in Guatemala. I love it. And I have another one for coins. I keep them separate since I don't use the coins very often. I don't change purses very often. I use it until another shows up that speaks to me. I keep the ones I love the most and do reuse them from time to time.

This thread is very timely as I was out at the outlet shops looking for a new purse. I’m retiring in February, so looking for something other than the totebag I carry back and forth to work. Won’t be hauling around a laptop in retirement! Stopped by Coach and Kate Spade but nothing caught my eye. The search goes on.

I have maybe five purses. My only requirement is that a purse easily accommodates my purse organizer and that it can easily be slipped into and out of my purses. Before discovering purse organizers, I'd carry the same purse for years to avoid changing the contents from one purse to another. They are genius!

Try looking at Coach and Coach Outlet online. Coach offers free shipping to the Continental United States (free shipping to Canada for orders over $100, otherwise shipping to Canada is $15). Coach Outlet is offering free shipping for a limited time to the Continental United States and Canada. Coach Outlet normally charges (for the Continental US) $5 for orders under $30; $10 for orders $30-$200; and free for orders over $200; and normally it's $15 to Canada.

They give accurate measurements for the items, and for handbags they also show them either on a mannequin or on a model, so you can accurately gauge their size. They show photos of the interior of handbags and wallets, too.

I've been using The Sak hobos for years. Crocheted in the warm months and leather in the fall/winter. I like exterior and interior pockets.

https://www.thesak.com/

Moni....I looked @ the Coach link Lindsey posted. They have a double zip around wallet. Very nice! Coach wallet

Yes, I have to have just the right ones.

You have to create an account (free - just your e-mail address and a password) in order to see prices. The wallet to which Nicolle posted the link comes in four colors. It was originally $178 but is on sale for $44.50 (free shipping).

My favorite purses are Brighton organizers. Love anything Brighton.

I like the one Nicole posted... it's leather. I find leather outlasts all fabric styles. Will have to think on it however.

Moni

@OklaMoni - They have leather zip-around wallets. Here are two examples:

I love purses, so much so that my family has dubbed me the bag lady. :c) I’m still picky though. I prefer a medium sized bag with a single pocket on the outside for my phone. I could care less about brand but don’t want something that’s cheaply made and/or splattered with designer logos. I prefer leather, medium in size with some interior pockets and no divider in the middle. I got a new bag and wallet from my dd and sil as well. Beautifully made by my favorite shop on Etsy. The wallet is the two zipper style and I like that the length is only an inch or so smaller than a regular check book sized wallet.