(no subject)

[graculus]

Sometimes, I manage to say something that really flummoxes my current colleagues - this time around, it was the statement that I have never owned a handbag (which I haven't at any time, despite the fact that my fourth decade is rapidly approaching). So this started me thinking about ways in which I am not necessarily a typical female... and that means a poll, with ticky-boxes! :P
[Poll #523683]
As usual, comments also welcome... :)

Comments

[innocent-lex.livejournal.com]

Question: what do you carry your stuff around in? If it's a laptop bag, then that makes perfect sense. I have mini-backpack style bags that are as close as I get to handbags. I need something with lots and lots of pockets - the more, the better.

Umbrella ownership isn't something I associate with women, rather with people who don't want to get wet. I own several umbrellas, some that fit in my bag. They're to stop me getting wet when it rains, which certainly doesn't feel like a girly function.

And... toiletries have ranges? So I can buy a toothbrush to go with my shower gel? I think I'm missing the point here.

[innocent-lex.livejournal.com]

And p.s. if you think life is too short for plucking eyebrows, you haven't seen mine when they're left alone - they could be released into the wild and would be mistaken for chinchillas.

[graculus.livejournal.com]

One of the great joys of being blonde is not having to worry about that sort of thing.. :)

[innocent-lex.livejournal.com]

*Checks mirror.*

I think that logic only counts if you're a blonde without excessively fluffy eyebrows. ;-)

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Stuff? Well, for work I have a briefcase (well, for the past 6 years it's actually been a record bag, previous to that I had a satchel with an elephant on it). For travelling around I have a couple of small backpacks, one of which is actually a laptop bag, but I also rely heavily on the concept of jacket pockets. ;)

The umbrella thing isn't specifically a female thing, it's just that I recently realised that the last time I remember owning an umbrella was when I was in high school. After that I was travelling by bike a lot and then by car...

[innocent-lex.livejournal.com]

Most of my suit jacket pockets are still sewn up to be sure I don't ruin the line of the jacket. I think that makes me a girl.

[captain-tiv.livejournal.com]

I only carry a handbag because they won't let us have backpacks at work.
I do have an umbrella.
I only buy shoes when my current ones either have holes or someone else can look at them and ask me what these things used to be because they're unrecognizable as foot wear.
I love action movies.
I haven't worn a skirt in ages.
Forget toiletries.
I've never been on a diet (I did have food poisoning and the doctor had me eat bread, rice, applesauce and toast for a couple of days to get my stomach back to normal).
Never died my hair.
You don't want me holding a pair of tweezers except to get out a splinter.

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

I keep trying "handbags" but I usually end up with my default backpack. Right now I have a handbag that has enough room to BE a backpack, except it has handles, not straps. And it's a bright pink, and goofy. And for the summer, I'm back to the backpack to carry all my stuff, my kids' stuff, and just plain *stuff* when we go out to do things.

Umbrella? I only get one of those when it rains - and it doesn't rain often enough in Southern California to need one on a constant basis. That's a woman's "thing"?

I'm contemplating dying my hair, I admit. Lots of gray is showing up now, and it's a different texture than my typical brown. But my mother's dyed her hair for ages, and man, I don't want to get into that trap of dye and redye.

[sg1scribe.livejournal.com]

Oh dear - I fear I am very girly. I have three handbags - one for everyday use, one for when I just want to carry essentials, one for parties when I just want to carry a lipstick. I have two umbrellas - one for home, one for the office. I have... can we just skip the shoe question? There are levels of embarrassment that I prefer to claim the fifth amendment on, even though I'm not American. I do have more action movies than any other genre and I rarely wear a skirt - go me. As for dying my hair - I'm very restrained - I only do it every six weeks and sometimes I use the same colour as the time before.

[captain-tiv.livejournal.com]

I have one shoulder bag. The one I had previously was probably about 15 years old before my mom felt sorry for it and asked me to retire it by giving me one of her shoulder bags (since her stroke, she can't keep a shoulder bag on her shoulder anymore). One outer pocket holds my wallet. The inner pocket holds my PDA, eyeglass case, contact lens stuff. Other outer pocket is (here comes my geekdom) the sacred holder of my Zip disks, floppy disks, jump drive, notepad, pencils, tape measure and flashlight. Basically, all the stuff I'd carry in a backpack if they were allowed.

I'm very un-girly.

[innocent-lex.livejournal.com]

Oh heck, the question was about a handbag, not what I'd carry in it... Er, wallet, PDA, earphones, mobile phone, handsfree, swiss army knife, mints, pens, more pens, passport (often, not always), book (sometimes), map of London, drugs, more drugs.

[captain-tiv.livejournal.com]

I have a cellphone hooked onto my belt and a Swiss army knife in my pocket because it'd make the purse too heavy otherwise. I also carry my keys in my pocket. I do have the hands-free headset in the purse though. I think it's illegal to carry a knife if the blade is over 6" long these days. I'm not sure what the rules are anymore since they change all the time.

[graculus.livejournal.com]

The last six years of my work life I've been living out of a record bag, with the handle reinforced with black duct tape - this essentially holds my diary, wallet and ID, various pens, as well as being a good place to stash the front off my car cd player and my mp3 player.

I treated myself to a new briefcase for my new job, but it's the soft-sided kind that could probably also double as a laptop bag if necessary (now I just need the laptop!).

[graculus.livejournal.com]

You and I are opposite ends of the shoe spectrum, I believe! :P

[xochiquetzl]

I counted henna as hair dye. *shrug*

I don't shave my legs, either. And I've never purchased ground beef, which freaks people out.

[khek.livejournal.com]

I have a handbag/purse because I have too much stuff to carry around without one. My pockets would be full!

Umbrellas...well, I haven't actually bought one, although I have several available to me that people have left at the library. I use them when I have to walk kids over from the bus. I don't have any at home.

Is it unusual to have more action movies than anything else?

There is no good reason, as far as I know, for plucking eyebrows. I'm not sure what you mean by etc. If it's plucking other things, then I do have one really irritating hair on my chin that won't go away which I do pluck. Other than that...nope. :) (and probably tmi!)

The other stuff...yeah. I have worn a skirt, I do dye my hair, I'll buy shoes because they go with something else I own, I have make-up from a particular range (but only because it works with my skin type) and yes, I do diet. Not that it seems to do much good. :)

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Is it unusual to have more action movies than anything else?

From the way the people at work were looking at me when I was talking about Kung Fu Hustle and my love of martial arts movies, I think it probably is...

[st-crispins.livejournal.com]

I gave up skirts, heels and handbags (mostly) over a decade ago when I moved from office to classroom. I don't own a skirt any more. All my shoes are flat. I use make-up functionally and only when it's expected in more formal situations. My wardrobe these days is like a female version of Tom Wolfe.

As for handbags, generally I carry what little I need to (ie--- cell phone and wallet) in my pockets, either in trousers or jackets. These days, many women's jackets have an inside pocket to carry the cell. Also, I often have a briefcase so stuff goes in there.

I do own two very well made sack-like leather bags to use when I travel. They're not exactly traditional handbags. When my son was younger, it was necessary to carry water, snacks and tissues and such so they served the purpose.

I also never carried a traditional diaper bag when he was a baby.

[graculus.livejournal.com]

I gave up skirts, heels and handbags (mostly) over a decade ago when I moved from office to classroom.

I'd reluctantly worn skirts at school but had never really liked doing so - fortunately when I started working skirts weren't really practical for what I was doing and I was more than pleased to get out of the habit...

[obelix]

I could try and lie but you would probably fall off your chair laughing ;-)

I own many a handbags small ones, pretty ones, backpack ones, summer ones, winter ones, dressy ones etc

I own tons of shoes and I just purchased 3 pairs of irresistible sandals just today and one pair matches the skirt and top I bought in the same store. So that pretty much answers the skirt thing. I own several umbrellas some are even in pretty colours. I own lines of toiletries like the green tea line that has the shower gel, bubble bath, deodorant and body cream all in the same scent. I also carry lipstick everywhere I go (it's an essential).

I don't pluck my eyebrows since I go to the salon every 2 months to get a facial, pedicure, algae or mud wrap and eyebrow shaping done. Every 2.5 months I go to the hairdresser to get my hair dyed since I hate grey hair. I'm presently on a diet and exercise regimen to lose those stubborn 15 pounds that refuse to go away...

However I do own more action movies then anything else and I can handle a sword and staff and as a black belt I can kick ass if I want to. Does that make me less girly?

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Not only do I know you own all this stuff, I also know you keep it arranged by colour! :P

I can't help it if you're infinitely more girly than I am...

[obelix]

Hon, I'm more girly then most people I know! I blame it on being a french canadian female born and raised in Montreal where demeanor, beauty (make-up, fashion and those sort of subjects)and other such classes where part of the curriculum of grade school when I was growing up ;-)

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

[ruric.livejournal.com]

I used ot have a handbag somewhere back in the early 80's then I discovered the joys of backpacks, rucksacks and huge briefcases. Never looked back.

Gave up on umbrella's when at University in Bangor, North Wales. They're not much good in horizontal rain and gale force winds.

Hate shoe shopping. They're the things that go on the end of my legs to stop my feets gettign cold, wet or dirty *g*. Except trainers - I happily spend a lot of time, money, once a year finiding the right pair of trainers to take me through various gym and exercise classes!

I have more action movies than any other genre in my dvd/video collection Not true for me since by DVd collection is made up of the entire canons of particular actors *g* (hello Johnny Depp and Billy Crudup to mention two)!

I like wearign skirts - just not all the time.

I also have girly moments with toiletries.

I do not diet. I try to eat sensibly and when feeling ick do eliminate starchy carbs, sugars and dairy etc for a while. But this is not dieting.

I do not know what my natural hair colour is as I haven't seen it since I was 14 and decided that mousy brown was not me whereas vibrant red or black may be *g*

Life is too short for plucking eyebrows but not too short for fighting off their tendency to edge towards forming a mono-brow!

[graculus.livejournal.com]

Hate shoe shopping. They're the things that go on the end of my legs to stop my feets gettign cold, wet or dirty *g*. Except trainers - I happily spend a lot of time, money, once a year finiding the right pair of trainers to take me through various gym and exercise classes!

I think my lack of interest in buying shoes stems partly from the fact I have wide feet (EE) and therefore shoe shopping has always been an unmitigated pain in the arse. Likewise, I find it much easier to buy men's trainers in my size than women's because they're a) less likely to be white or pink, and b) they're much more likely to fit properly.

Life is too short for plucking eyebrows but not too short for fighting off their tendency to edge towards forming a mono-brow!

There have to be some advantages for us natural blondes... ;)

[rhade-rad.livejournal.com]

I did have some handbags - think I have an evening bag somewhere - but I've used satchels or back packs for decades. Backpacks now because they're better for my back. It holds - chequebook, pens, camera, organiser, phone, notebook, penknife and small screwdriver [cool with ratchet handle and lots of different heads]- money,cards and keys travel in my trouser pockets - which is why no skirts.

I do have an umbrella but as I wear a baseball cap to keep sun and rain off my glasses and hate having anything in my hands which prevents me hitting attackers or side-stepping my way through crowds. wish I could hand off Americans in Oxford Street.

Shoes are practical. Do have quite a lot for different styles but if not comfortable don't buy.

More action movies - like Ruric I collect by actor and I have quite large collections of drama series and eps.

Diet: yes and I swear by low-carb as I lost about 20lbs on it and have kept it off

Hair dye - oh yes. So not going grey gracefully.

Life's too short for a lot of things and that's included.