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New York Fashion Week is as much a time to see the latest collections as an opportunity to push your personal style to the extreme. Why not? There are street style photographers all around, not to mention impeccably dressed celebrities, so why shouldn’t showgoers experiment? I certainly took this sentiment to heart this past week, and decided to test-drive four purses while going to the shows. And don’t call them “murses,” either. Yes, they’re technically for women, but they really shouldn’t be gendered at this point at all.
I’ve always been attracted to purses, whether it be tiny shoulder bags, or big, honking totes. You can wear the simplest outfit, and a great bag instantly completes the look. However, growing up in a small, tiny town, men wearing purses wasn’t deemed “acceptable,” and I never felt comfortable enough to wear them. This lasted until my late 20s—I’d come across the most gorgeous women’s bags being worn by friends or colleagues, but the possibility of wearing them myself never crossed my mind. Until recently, when I stopped shopping by gender at all. Male, female, and non-binary street style stars are incorporating skirts, heels, and dresses into their looks, so this New York Fashion Week, I decided: I’m going to rock a purse, too.
Now, men wearing purses is certainly not a novel concept. Rappers like Lil Uzi Vert have worn them on the red carpet, and it’s been a thing on the runway for decades. But I’ve always been wary of rocking a purse, scared of being made fun of or looked at sideways. This week, however, I remembered this is New York Fashion Week—a time where anything goes, and even the most extreme of ensembles hardly get a second glance. If there’s one place where it’s safe and encouraged to rebuke gender norms, it’s here. So below, I put four new purses to the test, and gave them my first-impressions review. Spoiler alert: I’m a major purse devotee now.
Day 1
For my first day of purse-wearing, I chose a pretty classic silhouette: Gucci’s black Jackie 1961 bag. With the cross-body strap, it has a bit of a satchel feel, but is super discreet thanks to the streamlined shape. It’s also pretty dressy, so I chose to dress it down with a vintage tee, vintage Levi’s, and my Gucci horsebit loafers to make it feel more “me.” As someone who usually just stuffs their wallet, keys, and phone in their pocket, I appreciated that I could bring sunglasses and gum, and still be hands-free! I could text with total ease! This could very much be mistaken for a “men’s bag,” though, so I decided that for day two, I’ll take more of a risk.
Day 2
On day two, I opted for Loewe’s brown leather Gate bag. I love its shrunken size—it’s super-compact and not heavy to carry around at all. It barely fits a phone and wallet, but that’s not the point! I love how it makes my whimsical Dhruv Kapoor shirt feel a little dressier and put-together. A good bag, I quickly learned, is a compliment magnet.
Day 3
On day three, I took an even bigger risk and opted for a dainty purse: By Far’s patent Rachel bag. This is definitely the most feminine silhouette of the bunch, and I paired it with a more masculine sheer Helmut Lang top and chunky Prada sandals to offset it. To my surprise, the bag blended right into my outfit—the ’90s-style shape just tucks under the arm and is very undetectable. My big fear of people staring at me for wearing a purse went out the window: Nobody even looked twice. I loved the shape, though, and I will be wearing this again and again.
Day 4
To end with a bang, I wore Bottega Veneta’s padded black Cassette bag with a hefty chain strap. I got a good workout carrying around; The chain has serious weight to it. This bag definitely got me some head-turns—but in a good way. As I was on my way to grab a drink with a friend, I was stopped twice by strangers ogling it. It did all the work for my outfit—but even so, I went for a full-on statement with my boxy Prada blazer and square-toe shoes. The bag, somehow, made the whole fit seem just that much more elevated. Men, if you’re considering trying out one, consider this my official declaration: Do it. Because now I truly understand the power of the purse—and you soon will, too.
