Traci Ashbe Dark Fantasy Author

A long, long time ago, my husband went purse shopping with me, which is why he went a long, long time not purse shopping with me.

There are no perfect handbags. There are only perfect handbags for each outfit and occasion.

There are some things I need to tell you up front:

1) I have owned maybe 30 bags since I got my first one on my tenth birthday. I am not a collector of bags. I am not a handbagaholic. I do not have a purse problem. I may have some shoe and scarf issues, but the purses are under control.

2) I have a few bags I’ve held onto and reused many times over the years — a black silk clutch my mother gave me in college, the itty bitty cross-body patchwork thing that goes on hands-free outings, an enormous denim weekender circa 2005, a chic patent leather…