Monday, February 13, 2012
Cross-body diaper bag from Doodlebugs
Purse-like diaper bag from Blue Dandelion
DadGear.com
Daddy messenger bag diaper bag from DadGear.com
Shoulder diaper bag from Blue Dandelion
I don’t know anything about babies. I mean, I could probably keep a kid alive for a couple hours if I needed to, but beyond knowing that food, water and air are essential to life, babies are a foreign species to me.
Here’s what I do know, though: diaper bags are important. They house kid-cessities like diapers, bottles, baby wipes and snacks (among other things), and they double as mom’s purse. While the standard “diaper bag” is functional, very few are stylish enough to be considered an accessory to a woman’s outfit.
Some of my mommy friends don’t even use diaper bags and instead opt for actual purses. Tiffany Classen told me, “I purposely just bought a big bag and not a diaper bag. I like to appear the least like a ‘mom’ as possible.”
I asked another friend, Misti Kohart, what she recommends for a diaper bag, and she suggested “something stylish but practical. It doesn’t have to be a ‘diaper’ bag; find a large purse to carry everything.”
Whether you choose to use an actual diaper bag or you’d rather carry a large purse, the fact of the matter is, a bag is essential to completing a woman’s ensemble. Instead of toting around a beat up backpack or a teddy-bear-covered duffel, consider a couple of these stylish and functional options.
CROSS-BODY
Get this simple Trend Lab vinyl cross-body bag at Doodlebugs, 816 Mass. This no-frills bag has a bottle pocket on the side but includes just one compartment, so you can throw everything in and be on your way!
LOOKS LIKE A PURSE
My friend Tiffany would dig this diaper bag because it’s disguised as a purse. Don’t let the exterior fool you, though. The bag includes eight — that’s right, eight — organizer pockets and comes with stroller attachments, a changing pad, a wallet and a pacifier pad. Get it at Blue Dandelion, 841 Mass.
DADDY BAGS
Don’t make dad carry a girly bag. Instead, get him this diaper bag that he’ll continue to carry even after baby is potty trained.
SHOULDER BAGS
One of my favorite designers, Jonathan Adler, lent his skill to design the pattern on this bag, making it my favorite diaper bag ever invented. You can find this design at Blue Dandelion.
Comments
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Jane (anonymous) says…
Doesn't the baby give away that you are a parent? If you didn't want to be seen as a mom, why did you have a baby? This article is a sad statement.
AlligatorMama (anonymous) replies…
I have 2 young kids with another on the way. I LOVE my kids dearly and am proud to show them off at any time, but I also have no desire to carry a tacky looking diaper bag around on the rare occasion that I'm out and about without my kids. But switching back and forth between a purse and a diaper bag often meant important things (such as my wallet) got left out at times. There is nothing worse than getting to grocery shop alone only to get to the front of the line with a cart full of groceries and realize that your wallet is in the diaper bag at home. So I spent a little more money than normal and purchased a gorgeous diaper bag from "Timi and Leslie" that serves every purpose. It's big enough to hold all of the kids stuff (and designed as a diaper bag) but it is so cute that I have child-less friends wanting to go buy one to use as a purse. I don't think there is anything wrong with that! I love not swapping back and forth between bags and it keeps me much more organized because I always have what I need when I have my kids with me, which is about 99% of the time.
Jane (anonymous) replies…
I didn't mean to offend, I just don't understand why a mother would not want to be seen as a mom...like it is something to be embarrassed about. Really, who is even looking? And why does it matter? Maybe you are familiar with Dr Suess who wrote 'those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter'?
It isn't that one wants a cute expensive bag, it matters not, it is the negative attitude about being seen as a mom that was presented in the article...that's all.
I wish you well with your new baby and your other kids. It is a very rewarding experience, one that I wouldn't trade for all the gold in the world. :)
number3of5 (anonymous) says…
I carried both a diaper bag and a purse. Of course back then we used diapers, not "disposable trash". I was never ashamed to be seen as a mom, in fact I was very proud of the fact that I was a mom. My personal items stayed in my purse and the baby's things went into the diaper bag. i did not buy them, I made the diaper bags.
The last one I made could carry enough clothes for a week for my little girl. We lived in a house only accessible by 4 wheel drive vehicles in bad weather, so we took the diaper bag out in the vehicle on Monday, and then if it was real bad, we parked at the neighbors and walked home and only took the dirty clothes home with us. Later the diaper bag became storage for sewing projects.