I Just Love to Carry a Purse !!!

[kyril]

we (me and the 3 GG's I am hanging with today) were just talking about womens clothes and the lack of pockets
We came to the conclusion that it was because our society does not expect women to have posetions.

No, it's because our society expects you to carry so much crap around that if you stuffed it all in your pockets you'd look like some sort of weird lumpy alien. To be a reasonably attractive, functioning woman with feminine gender expression, you need (at a moment's notice):
- money, cards, ID
- keys
- cellphone or address book
- makeup
- hair ties/ornaments
- materials for fixing your hair if it gets windblown or wet
- feminine hygiene products for yourself and others in need
- facial cleansers/makeup remover
- moisturizer
- bandaids/covers for blisters from your evil torture shoes
- sunscreen
- safety pins or fabric glue for when your flimsy clothes rip
- a nail file for when your long nails get chipped or broken
- clear nail polish for stocking runs and nail chips
- extra pair of stockings if applicable
- eyedrops for when your makeup irritates your eyes
- jewelry/accessories for dressing your look up/down through the day (men just remove or loosen articles of clothing)
- blotting towels/stain remover wipes for when you or any male in your vicinity spills something on clothes
- and so on and so forth. You're also often expected, if you're older and married, to carry medication and other necessary items for the man in your life.

Contrast with what men are generally expected to carry:
- money, cards, etc
- keys
- phone
- pen
- maybe pocket knife or lighter
and yet men's clothes are looser and have more room for pockets.

[erocse]

You always get me to smile, Kyril.

  When living as a guy, as I got older my pants got bigger as well as my pockets. I always carried a screwdriver or two, a small adjustable wrench, a pocket knife, sometimes unspent ammo, then there was the hardware most of the time I had a couple of nuts, ¼ x 20 and a bolt or two, a couple of drywall screws and a couple of sheet metal screws. As well as the pen, phone,wallet,  keys (god my key ring was huge) I was ready for most anything. It was funny when I had to go through an airport check-in terminal or into a courtroom. Though that came in handy sometimes, my wife did not appreciate it if I left those things in my pockets on laundry day.

    Oh and BTW if you do end up at the courthouse security with a knife and unspent ammo you can't just give it to them, even if you are already late and are going to miss your appointment.

   Erocse

[K8]

OMG Kyril!   I need a bigger purse.

Here's what I carry:

No, it's because our society expects you to carry so much crap around that if you stuffed it all in your pockets you'd look like some sort of weird lumpy alien. To be a reasonably attractive, functioning woman with feminine gender expression, you need (at a moment's notice):
- money, cards, ID
- keys
- cellphone or address book
- makeup
- hair ties/ornaments
- materials for fixing your hair if it gets windblown or wet
- feminine hygiene products for yourself and others in need
- facial cleansers/makeup remover
- moisturizer
- bandaids/covers for blisters from your evil torture shoes
- sunscreen
- safety pins or fabric glue for when your flimsy clothes rip
- a nail file for when your long nails get chipped or broken
- clear nail polish for stocking runs and nail chips
- extra pair of stockings if applicable
- eyedrops for when your makeup irritates your eyes
- jewelry/accessories for dressing your look up/down through the day (men just remove or loosen articles of clothing)
- blotting towels/stain remover wipes for when you or any male in your vicinity spills something on clothes
- and so on and so forth. You're also often expected, if you're older and married, to carry medication and other necessary items for the man in your life.

Plus a hankie, comb, pens, a journal, and cough drops.  Sometimes a little camera (about cellphone size) and a tape measure.  Like most women where I live, I'm not a big makeup user.  It's more than I carried when presenting male, but not by much.

One reason I don't want to carry a large purse is because nature abhors a vacuum and the d*** thing would fill up.  Plus, then some guy would think it's OK for me to carry his stuff.

- Kate

[Almond]

No, it's because our society expects you to carry so much crap around that if you stuffed it all in your pockets you'd look like some sort of weird lumpy alien. To be a reasonably attractive, functioning woman with feminine gender expression, you need (at a moment's notice):
- money, cards, ID
- keys
- cellphone or address book
- makeup. . . .

I think it says more what kind of things you're expected to carry, than how much. women just aren't expected to have many functional things, and men aren't expected have many aesthetic or symbolic things.

[Dana Lane]

I don't know how I survived all those years without a purse!

[K8]

I think it says more what kind of things you're expected to carry, than how much. women just aren't expected to have many functional things, and men aren't expected have many aesthetic or symbolic things.

I dunno.  I see an extra panty-liner as completely functional, while carrying a screwdriver around seems symbolic to me.

- Kate

[K8]

Seven, maybe you should look for one with wheels on the bottom.

- Kate

[Cindy]

Always wonder what to put in a clutch bag/purse. I've a really cute black suede with gold (real of course ) trimming. I reckon I could get a sanitary pad, a condom (ex boy scout) and my lippy. And that's it. I suppose if you are going to a do where you need a clutch you expect your partner to carry the rest, car keys, money, phone.

Cindy

[28BROOK]

My wife doesn't carry a purse, ergo I conveniently get to pay because she neither has money or her credit cards with her, although her license is in the pocket of her coat or jeans.

Years ago I quit carrying a wallet in my back pocket which is a temptation to pick pockets.  The ever increasing numbers of cards I had to carry made it too bulky and caused back pain.

Nowadays when I go out I carry a kit for diabetic purposes in case I need to eat.  Other than my wallet I only carry my keys.  I once had a spare 9 volt battery in my pocket which got hot and could have exploded.  A gold plated key from Chrysler had connected the two posts giving a new meaning to hot pockets!

Brook

[Kendall]

I carried a "man=purse" for years before I started to identify as trans-fem. Wallets cause sciatic nerve pain. I carried wallet, check-book, keys, cell-phone, meds, phone book/lists, kleenex, eye-drops, change, hand-lotion and so on. Very practical. No one hassled me. Well, I did get called "mam" once, but they apologized. I would like to say men can carry a purse, but maybe I am not a good example, since I have realized I am not really a man inside, my body notwithstanding.

I do not love my purse, and have had several near-disasters leaving it places, but I cannot live without it - even when I am dressed and acting male.

Kendall

[Alex509]

I don't go anywhere without my man-bag.  It's an extra small timbuk2 messenger bag.  It holds an ultrasonic nebulizer (for asthma), calendar, clip-on sunglasses, book, tissues, checkbook, and wallet.  Nobody questions why I carry it.

[Alexmakenoise]

I don't like carrying a bag.  I find bags to be awkward, cumbersome, and inconvenient.  I prefer pockets.

[Cindy]

I just love that choice of phrasing - "ex boy scout". Could mean a couple of things on this board.

Well I was just meaning, 'always be prepared', which has the same meaning

Cindy

[rejennyrated]

Hmmm all this talk of be prepared and boy scouts is making me think of a comic song from Tom Lehrer.

Oh and yes I too carry a condom - bizarrely in self defense because if I am ever raped I don't want any risk of nasty diseases.

But back to Tom Lehrer - with apologies for the slight derail - after Cindy I couldn't resist 

[Cindy]

Hmmm all this talk of be prepared and boy scouts is making me think of a comic song from Tom Lehrer.

Oh and yes I too carry a condom - bizarrely in self defense because if I am ever rapes I don't want any risk of nasty diseases.

But back to Tom Lehrer - with apologies for the slight derail - after Cindy I couldn't resist 

Thanks Jenny,
I was thinking of that song and had no idea of how to find it.   
I'm not too sure how you convince a rapist to put a condom on but it sounds like an interesting defense technique.

OK bad joke, Fill in the friends name to insult,  I hear XXX cuts the top of his condoms so he can use them more than once.

What was the Girl Guides Motto?

People, I know I can Google but it's more personal this way, and Hey that is what life is about. Friendship.

Cindy

[rejennyrated]

What was the Girl Guides Motto?

I was never in the guides as by that age everyone was sadly too gender conscious to let me go on bending the rules to THAT extent, despite the fact that I still did it in every other way possible.

But I do know the Brownies motto which was "Lend a hand" No s->-bleeped-<-ing at the back please.

All the sixes had mottos too. The only one of those I can still recite is the one for the sprites.

"Here we come the sprightly sprites
brave and bold just like the knights..."

etc - and please don't ask how I got to be a sprout sprite...  It's a long story.

[rite_of_inversion]

My Indian ammo bag has:
approximately 3-5  antihistamines at any given time...real pseudoephedrine, 3 antidepressants (as in TYPE) two different kinds of asthma inhalers, one asthma pill type, two mast cell stabilizers(one script, one an OTC supplement), a decongestant , vitamins, three notepads-each with a different purpose, an adjustable wrench, I.D.'s,  a bunch of discount shopping cards under made up names and fake addresses, cash, change, pens, a headlamp(GREATportable light!!!) one pair of unused latex gloves (for auto wrecks-I drive home late from work...and well, there's been at least once since I started my new job when a full first-aid kit would have come in handy...) my cellphone and charger thereof, a little mirror, tube of lipgloss and brown eyeliner pencil.  Those last three may come out as I hardly ever use them.
I have all that stuff inside zip-bags/card wallet that go inside the purse, so that it's all organized and can be easily checked for on-boardness before going to work.
And I want a leatherman-style tool to go in.

Scrunchies need to be cleaned out-I got the short haircut, which works for me nicely, and looks...androgyne enough to not make me feel emasculated, but still not fully male, and can be made to look girlier if I want/need.

My wife was a boy scout.  We camp when time-money-health allow...but gods forbid we actually have to pack all the stuff she brings camping to a hike-in site!  NOOO!  There will be no five-mile lug of an ice-filled Igloo cooler by yours truly!
I could live for a day on raw fruit, granola bars, tortillas, and rehydrated TVP, heated in a tiny pan over a tiny cookfire, or even crunched up uncooked...but somebody just has to burn herself scorched pancakes for breakfast, from scratch...on a coleman stove...
(I do love her, you know...really )

[Emaan]

Hello  kyril, I'm new member in this website. I liked some of your comments... Would you like to introduce me to the website's activities and the common subjects? =)

[erocse]

Hello  kyril, I'm new member in this website. I liked some of your comments... Would you like to introduce me to the website's activities and the common subjects? =)

Welcome to the site, Emaan. I think what you want to do is go to the section titled "introductions" that is where your post will be seen and we will have the opportunity to say hello. Meanwhile welcome and I hope to see more of your posts.

hugs , Roxy

[Lee]

Coming from the other direction, I am now the proud new owner of mens pants that actually fit my freakishly large hips, and oh my god the pockets!  Not only can I fit my hand into the pocket, I can do so with my keys, wallet, phone, and whatever else I want in there as well.  I feel like I have Batman's utility belt.  Also, there's a much smaller chance of forgetting my pants somewhere.