from hipster, lower-east to uptight corporate lady
THIS IS IN EVERY REAL NEW YORK WOMAN'S BAG. ALWAYS.
Sometimes, very very very sometimes, I get a bit silly right after the sun has risen and take my boyfriend to work. In the summer by bike, in the winter by subway, but standard around a quarter past 7 I end up with a gigantic cappuccino in Bryant Park. And that's where it happens: working Manhattan.
Bryant Park is a bit of the new financial paradise (forget Wall Street) and at this early hour on weekdays, the hard-working New Yorkers swarm with take-away cups and oversized suits (unfortunately, it also applies here: forget Harvey Spector) all around. Because yes, the tourist is still in the hotel room and the trendy freelancer is certainly not yet drinking coffee with a Macbook in an even trendier work café. And then corporate New York reveals itself. With me on the sidelines.
I've sat there a few times now and although this New York woman is very far removed from all those trendy NY street style dolls in magazines, there is one big similarity: the bag. Seriously. Even here (and perhaps logically because this is where the big dollars are) the Céline’s and Birkins are flying around your ears. One as an upgraded laptop bag, the other with a pair of neat Manolo’s peeking out. Because, the rule among corporate women is: you walk in sneakers and work goes in fancy designer pumps.
Anyway, back to the bag. Because not only the ‘expensive designer’ feature is a similarity, but also what's inside. And after some fieldwork in different neighborhoods and secretly peeking into quite a few bags that are on my wish list, I've found 5 items that can be found in any NY lady's bag (without exception).
1. Debit or credit
Nothing goes here with cash anymore and for everything (well, almost everything) you have to pay. A tip with loose dollars happens sometimes, but that usually goes through the money card. It's either a debit card or a credit card. The difference between the two is that with a debit card you have no credit and can only spend the actual earned dollars. Otherwise, it works almost the same. So: slide, scribble, and go.
2. External battery
The NY woman can never be unreachable on her phone. Whether it's to scroll through the latest work emails, Tinder matches, or Insta photos: the phone must always be on. Now the most popular brand among smartphones has quite a hard time lasting about 12 hours a day. But, there is the device that resembles an old school mp3 player from a few tens of euros from MediaMarkt. This external battery provides just that little bit of juice to get through the day as a NY data junkie. And for everyone’s taste: from sturdy black to funky pink models with a bit of Swarovski sparkle.
3. 99.91% bacteria-free.
New York is absolutely beautiful, but also absolutely filthy. Everything goes on here 24/7, so the dust, soot, and other rubbish never stop. You really don't want to see what comes off your feet after a day of wandering around Manhattan in peep-toes. The NY woman knows this all too well and slathers herself with disinfectants. In gel, cream, or sprays, as long as it guarantees 99.91% bacteria-free hands: then it's in our bag.
4. Gym scanner
In NY, it goes: sweat like a pig, look like a fox. Really. Ev-e-ry-one has to work out here. And preferably before work. I sometimes step into the gym around half past 7 and it's impossible. All the lockers: full. All the machines: full. All the weights: in use. Everyone is fully exerting themselves, jumps under the shower afterwards, swaps sportswear for workwear, and at exactly 9 o'clock they clock in at the boss. Bizarre. And this is honestly every morning. I prefer to go at noon... My gym has a deal with a well-known modeling agency. And I happen to find it much more fun with all those male models in the background during a quiet cross-training session. Anyway, every real NY woman has, besides keys and sometimes a cute charm here and there, always a gym scanner on the bunch. Very handy, because you can't only get in with it. It's also: beep beep and your entire training schedule is on your device.
5. Black sunglasses
I must honestly admit that as surprised as I was at first by all the big black sunglasses in the supermarket behind shopping carts, I often catch myself in this slightly ridiculous phenomenon. The black sunglasses ‘kind of’ belong and there are few reasons to take them off indoors or in the rain. Why? No idea! What is clear is that this item is always found in the designer bags of NY women. Strange people sometimes those New Yorkers. But after a night of dancing or grabbing my daily organic orange without makeup, I gladly join in.
