It’s OCR season. You’ve gone to Loft and Banana Republic and JCrew. You think you’ve created the ideal wardrobe. But there’s something you’re missing – the perfect OCR purse.
Having the right purse is vital to reducing stress in this process. The ideal bag will fit all the essentials. It’s a place to throw gum and mints and a hairbrush and extra flats (because your heels will last you approximately an hour). However, it must be big enough to fit your padfolio. The best OCR purses will also be large enough to fit your laptop because there’s not always time to go home between classes and meetings and interviews and coffee chats. Having a laptop will make busy schedules a lot less stressful.
Yes, this magical purse seems like it only exists in the backpack and beach tote world. However, there are plenty of purses that have a structured look, yet have copious amounts of room inside. Kate Spade purses are practical OCR bags because it is not obvious how much stuff they can hold. They’re small enough to carry around all day, yet they can carry all the essentials, even laptops.
Luna Drive Willow – $498
Junior Madeline Su always struggled to fit her things and her padfolio in a bag before networking events and interviews. She recently decided it was time to fix this problem, and she purchased a Kate Spade tote. “I didn’t own a handbag, but with OCR rolling around the corner, I was able to use that as an excuse to buy myself one – and it’s pretty,” Madeline said. “It conveniently carries everything from a padfolio to my shoes to my leftover chipotle.”
Kate Spade usually has a good amount of purses on sale, but if you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, take a look to search through all of Zara’s bags. They’re mostly structured leather, the classic Zara look.
Geometric Tote – $39
Don’t let the anxiety of this process consume you. Take the plunge and get a bag that can take you from class to coffee chat.
-Marlena Hanna
Photos courtesy of: Kate Spade and Zara