CAPTIONS: One of Mary Grace's homemade, hand-made purses. Julia, 2 ½, hold a tiny child-sized purse made by Mary Grace and Mary Grace at a sewing machine where she crafts these beautiful items.
By Kevin Williams, Amish365.com Editor
I sometimes envy women and the cultural blessing bestowed upon them to carry a purse. Not so with a guy. We have wallets. And I've never found a wallet that really works for me. And even when I do, the idea of carrying a wallet in a pocket on my rear-end all day is unappealing. Sit in the car for a long drive and I always have to take it out because it's uncomfortable, or if I'm at a movie theater watching a film I always have to shift in my seat after a long period because my wallet is poking me. Maybe I am strange, but the idea of being able to carry my bank cards, checkbook, maybe some pens, a notebook, an extra pair of glasses, etc around in a purse slung over my shoulder, like many women do, is very appealing to me. But not very socially acceptable. For business reasons, men can carry around a shoulder bag, brief case, or as my Dad used to call his an "attache case." But just for everyday use? No way. At least not where I live. I'd be run out of town on a rail. Perhaps in some of the larger, trendier cities it works, but not here. There has been the emergence of something called a "man purse" over the past decade or so. There have been a few times when I've gone someplace with my "shoulder bag" that I use for business and someone will derisively say to me "hmmmm, see you brought your man purse with you." The very fact that someone has to make a comment or that it has to have a separate name (man purse) at all tarnishes the luster of it.
I'll never forget a purse that a girl in high school had. She sort of had funky, avant-garde taste and her huge purse had a big, working clock on the outside. It was awesome.
Amish women don't typically carry large purses, but I have seen plenty carrying "clutches" I guess they are called? Or small billfolds that they keep their money and ID in. I feel like I have seem some Amish women carrying larger purses before, but they are usually black-colored, not very flashy.
Purses are on my mind because Gloria Yoder's 16-year-old sister, Mary Grace, makes some beautiful hand-bags. She has the sewing skills to pull it off and showed me a couple when I was visiting.
I am hardly a purse connoisseur, but these look like some pretty neat bags. If it were socially acceptable, I'd carry one!:)
farmhousebarb
Kevin,as long as Aster is with you you could use one. People would naturally assume it was baby stuff!! The bags are very nice. The Amish girls sew beautifully at a young age.
Missy
I think that's why so many guys carry backpacks. That is socially acceptable. When my daughter was little, we bought her a little purse big enough for a notepad and the front was sewn down in such a way as to carry crayons in the compartments. Got that from an Amish store. She used to love to draw in church. She still draws every chance she can get!
Gina
How cute is that little purse! I love it!
Beverly
Kevin! It's now February 2016- in Washington state.. Especially in Seattle, EVERYONE carries some sort of "bag"!! Backpacks are everywhere! Men carry them and canvas shoulder bags as well! Very rarely have I seen men carry leather "Merses"! That's not to say I haven't! Usually, they are European men here visiting or going on our Alaskan cruises that use those kind.
Women of course favor designer purses...Michael Korrs, Coach, Louis Vuitton
Fabric bags are usually used for traveling/crusing and are by Vera Bradley.
Kevin
Good to know, Beverly, you brought that post back from the dead!:)