Most women would consider her handbag not only a functional necessity but also a sacred object that contains all the vital things required. More than simply toting around our cash and credit cards, our purse contains the truly essential items: lipstick, dental floss (for that errant piece of black pepper that we DO NOT want to walk around with in our teeth), business cards (network, network, network!), scrap paper and pen, a nail file, tampons, and of course the all-important cell phone. We may even carry our new iPad in our purse. Soon, we'll just empty out the contents of our brains into our bags and be done with it.

Then there's the fashion element; everyday handbags say more about the woman who carries it than her clothing — it may be a casual day or a gym day or a just-throw-something-on day, so clothing isn't always representative of style. But a nice bag . . . well that's something that looks good even without makeup or freshly washed hair. Also, we tend to carry the same handbag with every outfit, because let's face it: it's too much trouble to transfer the "kitchen sink" into another bag.

A handbag should match a woman's lifestyle. If you are on the go a lot, you need a purse that will go with you, one with plenty of room. If you have young children, you may need a handbag that doubles as a diaper bag. Women spend an amazing amount on their handbags, way more than they would consider spending on one item of clothing. A classic full size Chanel purse will easily run you over two thousand dollars. But it will last practically forever.

So it appears that a woman's handbag can be almost an extension of who she is — and is way more than merely a bag.