Purse Shopping

I had been looking around for a purse the last few months. The one I have I love, but it is four years old and faded, and the strap is about the break. And I wanted something a bit bigger.

I got in the mail a couple weeks ago a $10 gift card to Kohl's. I had checked a Kohl's recently not to find anything, but last Thursday I decided to check the one close to us since I had the gift card and a 15-percent-off coupon. To my surprise, I found many I liked. But not loved. While I am trying to be more stylish, especially in accessories, practicality is my weakness. None of the purses had all the features I wanted: size, style, organization (the biggest factor), and price. I got it down to four:

1. Chaps purse in leopard print. Gorgeous. Very sophisticated. Too small. Side pockets lacked a closure--items may fall out easily. Pricey.

2. Nine & Co. purse. Similar exterior design and shape as my current purse. Plenty of compartments. Great price. Zippered main compartment; wanted snap. Too safe in style. Not easy to retrieve items while holding Caden.

3. Nine & Co. purse in black, not silver, which is a little too out of my comfort zone. Very stylish (love the rouching), large, compartmentalized, easy to reach inside. Great price. Outside pockets way too small.

4. Apt. 9 purse in black, not ugly tan. Slightly smaller than aforementioned purse but same interior design. Outside pockets large enough for water bottle (I always have one with me). Very comfortable. Not as pretty and a bit more expensive.

I finally narrowed it down to the last two. They were basically the same in design, just slight differences, the biggest being the style. Of course, practicality won. I got the last one because it was very comfortable and could hold a water bottle and sippy cup. I'm still getting used to it. It's much larger than my previous purse. I still like the third purse better, but I know I would not have been completely happy with it either. I'd rather be unhappy with style than function, which is why I did not choose that purse. Which would you have chosen?