Most men want nothing to do with purses, although a few have probably wondered, with today's required hoard of sophisticated gadgetry, whether a “man purse” might be practical. After all, it’s just a fancy, high-priced wallet – isn’t it?

Well, maybe not. Gucci's collection of carryalls range from $300 to over $3,000. Fendi, you say? Worse. They have a $6,600 bag in their collection. Prada may be sensible for keeping their bags under two grand. I can't think of many things you'd spend that much money on, and this alone strikes fear in the minds of the most-modern of men. Truth is, there’s more to this leather-on-a-string accessory than meets the eye. There's power in the purse strings, gentlemen.

At some point, a girlfriend, wife or mother has likely asked you a truly heart-stopping question: “Could you fetch my cell phone from my purse?” “Would you hold on to 'it' for me, while I adjust one of my shoes”…in public?! Your approach to this request was akin to a big, hairy spider that crept inside the house, and you, holding the live snake with two fingers like a week-old pair of socks, replied, “You do it,” garnering 'the look', the one all men get from time to time.

You failed the test, one similar to a dog's attempt to mark its territory. A woman's purse is a sacred vessel holding her most precious necessities – and a few items the men they love can’t carry themselves. If it doesn't fit in the bag, its not worth taking along, something only women understand.

But what makes a purse such an idol of status? The flashier the bag, it seems, the more wealthy and tasteful the owner. The idea is as old as Egypt, where ancient hieroglyphs show people carrying jewel-encrusted pouches. In medieval times, men carried “purses” containing currency strapped around their waist for the long journey between trading posts. Somewhere along the way, the purse and the wallet went separate ways, and by the 1920’s, a simple pouch used as a functional carrying case became the status symbol of the contemporary woman.

Today there’s so much stereotyping going on that – to me – a purse becomes just another target for pigeon-holed banter. Even the name “purse” is politically incorrect; brand name designers refer to them as “handbags” now. The simple truth? Women have purses, tea (oops, wait a minute; I like tea) and make-up; men have sports, beer and war paint. Each have rightful places in society, that's all we need to know.

Men and women are diverse and wonderful creatures. We have struggled to understand each other for eons, but the caveman I dream of saved just enough loin skin from the hunt so Jane could make herself a nice little brooch. The tribesmen likely stared at the fearsome object in wonder, not unlike today’s man whose eyes gloss over when his girl mentions the “p” word.


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