What’s Your Favorite Bag?

So what’s in a bag? It’s very seldom that we see a woman without a bag. Aside from carrying a lot of what we ladies may need, the bag has become a sort of fashion statement. You can wear a simple outfit and let your bag define your look. Sometimes a bag can be more expensive than what's inside it. And just like shoes, the style of the bag says a lot about who we are. With so many brands, shapes and sizes to choose from, how do we know if we've found the perfect bag? This week, stylish women talk about their favorite bags.

Tina Maristela-Ocampo: The Balenciaga Le Dix bag was getting so much hype, when I was in the US, I went to Barneys New York to see what the fuss was all about. It looked sturdy unlike my other work bags. It was just the right size to carry all my everyday necessities. Most of all, I love what Nicolas Ghesquiere is doing to the classic Balenciaga image. I just know he will add more hyper details to more familiar structures.

Mai Mai Cojuangco: My Hermes Birkin bag because it’s a classic, it will last me forever.

Neriza Mathay: My Birkin bag, it’s my go anywhere, everywhere bag.

Kathy De Guzman: The Domino bag by Sonia Rykiel because it’s a fun bag and very now.

Joanne Zapanta Andrada: I have a passion for bags and I collect them. My favorite piece, however, is a black sturdy old tote that resembles a doctor’s bag. It is so functional and can fit an awful lot of things. I am one of those people who brings the entire contents of her aparador in her bag! I have used it so many times that the manufacturer himself has begged me to stop using it for fear it would wear itself out.

Elizabeth "Beng" Dee: When I want to be a little dressy, I like Jamin Puech because the styles are feminine and lady-like.

For travel, I like my Hermes because it can carry all seven passports of my four children, my husband and yaya.

Trisha Panlilio Cu-Unjieng: If I may mention two... for the evening, I have a snake-skin bag in taupe that can be worn two ways, either really short and under the shoulder or as a clutch. The size is perfect and goes with almost anything. For day, I wear a white bag that I’ve had for years – a Prada. It’s actually been used and abused but the size is perfect and it goes with almost anything.

Josephine Knox: My red Gucci bag. It’s a passé partout – perfect for travel and great with jeans and silk pants. It is a versatile accessory which suits my lifestyle perfectly.