We’re all about getting organized here at Elum. We love a well-folded sweater and a desktop as neat as a pin. Perfectly stacked bookcases and color coordinated closets makes us swoon. Marie Kondo is our goddess and we aspire to her calm, uncluttered joy. Now that the New Year has settled in we’re ready to get down and dirty with our disarray. We’re making plans and setting goals. We’re opening our desk draws, kitchen junk draws and closets and asking the tough questions, “What exactly does that do? And why am I keeping it?” Marie Kondo tells us to “Keep only those things that speak to your heart.” We hear you, Marie! That’s why we’re starting by giving our bags a makeover.
“Our purses are our home away from home. Why shouldn’t they be as lovely inside as outside?”
Goodbye ancient tubes of lip balm, tattered day planners and ballpoints without caps and hello lip treatment in vintage tins, our Umi Bold Type Weekly Organizer, and Lamy pink fountain pens. We’re Elum and prettifying our purses is a job we can get behind! We’re obsessed with British Vogue’s In The Bag YouTube channel, where celebrities like Lily-Rose Depp and Hailey Baldwin empty their purses for the camera. Turns out even supermodels need bag makeovers! #supermodelsuperbag We’re here to help! Read our four fierce tips for switching up the contents of your purse.
1. Think of the interior of your purse as a room and choose a color scheme. Empty the contents of your bag onto a table and take a good look at them. What’s the color of your wallet? Your phone case? Your key ring? Is there a thread that ties them together? The key elements in your purse should match, harmonize or prettily contrast. We’re adoring Pantone’s color of the year, Living Coral, and love how it pairs with gold and dusty pinks and spring greens. Maybe you prefer classic black, white and silver? Or hot pink, red and black? Choose your favorite pieces and build a color palette around them.
2. Once the contents of your purse have seen the light of the day, it’s time to face them one by one and ask, “Do you need to be here?” Now’s the time to file all those business cards you’ve been collecting, return make up you rarely wear to the bathroom drawer, throw out that roll of Lifesavers that has been rattling in the bottom of your purse for a year, and remove anything you don’t use on a daily basis. We all know how easy it is to collect stuff in our bags: bobby pins, tiny packages of condiments, subway tokens, loose change, phone numbers on napkins. Head over to Sarah Benton’s In Her Handbag project to realize you’re not alone. #whatsinapurse
3. Once you’ve removed the items you don’t need you’re left with the essentials, the items you use on a daily basis. Now comes the fun part. Switching out the ugly essentials for pretty ones. Those earbuds with the frayed cord? Trade them in for these adorable cat ones that come in a range of colors from mint green to peachy pink and are accompanied by their own cute-as-a-button cases. That dog-eared notepad? Upgrade to a darling pink and blue ombre notebook: You got this! Small, inexpensive changes can make a big difference. Toss those old breath mints and swap with these prettily packaged organic VerMints. Trash that unsightly hair brush and replace with a milk+ sass macaron for your hair. When in doubt ask yourself what glamor icon Dita Von Teese would keep in her purse. We watched the video. Turns out it’s sexy things, blingy things and heated rollers! #ditaspurse See for yourself below!
4. Finally, choose some pretty cases and containers. Makeup, with its loose caps and tendency to spill, can be a problem if left adrift in your purse. A beautiful waterproof makeup bag like this floral by Ted Baker or this polka dot number by Face Stockholm will keep your lipstick and face powder stylishly safe. Loose coins, pencils and hairbands can be tidied away in Anthropologie’s whimsical Cherry Play Pouch or go slim, modern, & sleek with this black leather zip pouch from Everlane. And because Dita never travels anywhere without Thank You notes, we think a box of pretty stationery should be in every woman’s purse.
Whatever your style is— feminine, quirky retro, or full-on glamor—be playful and experiment with your purse makeover. We spend a lot of time each day with our purses. They are our home away from home. Why shouldn’t they be as lovely inside as outside?
We’d love to hear your tips and tricks for keeping your purse sassy and shipshape. Even better, share your photos with us! #insidemybag@elum
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