STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Aurora · Marc Jacobs

Is it a purse or a hand bag??

Hermes

I've always said "purse," but now I say "bag" in the proper circles

kahluamilk · Dooney & Bourke

I say handbag..

When I say purse.. I think of something that carries money...

kahluamilk · Dooney & Bourke

Just googled this ..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purse

In American English, a purse is a small bag, also called a handbag.

In British English, a purse is a small money container similar to a wallet, but typically used by women and including a compartment for coins, with a handbag being considerably larger.

luckylily · Gucci

"Handbag, a purse is what you win at the races."

That's not really correct, but that's the way I think about it.

I did grow up on the term Purse tho.

NCshopper · Hermes

I say purse. I've heard it called a pocketbook a lot here too.

kittenheels · Coach

I've grown up with pocketbook (good old MA), but I tend to use handbag or bag now.

jacks435 · Kenneth Cole

I grew up with the word "purse," but probably because I grew up with that term, I associate it with the purses I carried in high school! Now I call them bags. It sounds more dignified or something :)

lynnie · Chanel

i think of them as purses, but i always say bag (not handbag). i like her bag, can you grab my bag, etc.

atlgirl · Gucci

It does vary by region. I am originally from New York (lawng island) and my father still calls it a "pocketbook". I grew up in Arizona saying purse, and now I switch purse and bag depending. I've never used "handbag".

asf · Kate Spade

kittenheels wrote:

I've grown up with pocketbook (good old MA),

same here! is pocketbook really just a massachusetts thing?

now i usually just say bag.

ILoveChoo · Hermes

bag. a purse or pocketbook is what my Mom has. lol! The words just give me serious old-lady images.

member · Hermes

lynnie wrote:

i think of them as purses, but i always say bag (not handbag). i like her bag, can you grab my bag, etc.

Same here. I grew up w/my mom calling them purses, and that's what I think of, but I always say bag now.

FashionPrincess · Hermes

I think I use purse, bag and handbag all equally and interchangeably (sp?). Hmmm, I'll have pay more attention to what I use most.

sweater girl · BCBG

I too grew up in MA with the term pocketbook...actually with the accent it was more like "pockabook". Thank goodness I've overcome both the accent and the term...now I just refer to them as bags

To me a purse was something that went in your pocketbook but was seperate from your wallet...ie: change purse.

Kelly · Hermes

I think of them as purses, and I call mine purses.

When I hear "bag" I think of the pretty ones I see a lot on here - big, current, and kind of expensive. Considering all the ones I have were like $15 from Target, I don't feel like they warrant the term "bag"... I know that's weird

halleybird · Hermes

atlgirl wrote:

It does vary by region. I am originally from New York (lawng island) and my father still calls it a "pocketbook". I grew up in Arizona saying purse, and now I switch purse and bag depending. I've never used "handbag".

ditto the Arizona comment. Everyone here says "purse." I think I use purse/bag interchangeably. I never knew what "pocketbook" meant until I was like 16 or 17. I thought it was some sort of travel journal.

zeitgeist4 · Gucci

I use bag or handbag. And for a really tacky or pleather bag I use the word purse, just to differentiate.

shopgirl82 · Chanel

growing up in the midwest it was purse, since living on the east coast i usually say bag or handbag.

jettie · Kate Spade

My mom is from philadelphia and she has always said pocketbook or purse. I usually say purse on handbag.