In the manuals of corporate dress codes, a woman's handbag rarely merits a mention. Yet the purse a woman carries to work is much more than a place to hold a hairbrush. A purse can send a signal about its owner's character, says Monica Botkier, a New York-based handbag designer. 'The bag tells a lot,' she says. 'When I read a woman, I read her bag. It's a little Rorschach test.'
In the manuals of corporate dress codes, a woman's handbag rarely merits a mention. Yet the purse a woman carries to work is much more than a place to hold a hairbrush. A purse can send a signal about its owner's character, says Monica Botkier, a New York-based handbag designer. 'The bag tells a lot,' she says. 'When I read a woman, I read her bag. It's a little Rorschach test.'
公司著裝手冊(cè)中很少會(huì)提及女性手袋。但女性上班時(shí)攜帶的手袋遠(yuǎn)不只是一個(gè)放發(fā)梳的地方。紐約手袋設(shè)計(jì)師莫妮卡•柏柯爾(Monica Botkier)說(shuō)，手袋能夠傳達(dá)有關(guān)主人個(gè)性的信息。她說(shuō)，“包能告訴人們很多東西。我會(huì)通過(guò)包來(lái)了解一位女性。這就像一個(gè)小小的羅夏墨跡測(cè)試(Rorschach test)。”
Striking a balance between style and organization is crucial to projecting an image of chic competence, says Ms. Botkier, who developed her signature Trigger bag when she was a fashion photographer seeking a roomy but stylish bag for her gear。
柏柯爾說(shuō)，在時(shí)尚和井井有條之間取得平衡是打造雅致、干練形象的關(guān)鍵。柏柯爾當(dāng)年做時(shí)尚攝影師時(shí)曾希望找一款既寬敞又時(shí)尚的包來(lái)放自己的行頭，于是她創(chuàng)立了獨(dú)具特色的手袋品牌Trigger。
For Ms. Botkier, a work purse has to be generous enough to move items between the home and office without becoming unwieldy. There is a fine line, she says, between spacious and burdensome. An office handbag should be large enough for a set of ballet flats -- but not cavernous enough for a pair of heels; it might hold an iPad, but not a laptop。
柏柯爾認(rèn)為，上班用的手袋必須有足夠的空間，能裝得下通勤所需的物品，而又不能臃腫。她說(shuō)，寬敞和笨重之間是有一些細(xì)微差別的。上班用的手袋應(yīng)該能裝得下一雙平底鞋──但不至于大到裝得下一雙高跟鞋;它或許能裝得下一臺(tái)iPad，但裝不下筆記本電腦。
A great work bag should be well-organized, Ms. Botkier says. She looks for purses with at least one outside pocket for her smartphone. A few internal pockets help keep small items like keys and pens off the bottom of the bag. As the mother of three small children who like to rummage through her purse, Ms. Botkier likes at least one internal pocket to have a zipper closure. 'They'll get into everything anyway, but the zipper helps,' she says。
柏柯爾說(shuō)，好的通勤包應(yīng)該是井井有條的。她希望手袋至少有一個(gè)外側(cè)口袋，能用來(lái)放她的智能手機(jī)。幾個(gè)內(nèi)側(cè)口袋可以用來(lái)放鑰匙和鋼筆等小東西，使它們不至于掉到包的底部。柏柯爾有三個(gè)年幼的孩子，他們喜歡亂翻她的手袋，因此柏柯爾喜歡至少有一個(gè)內(nèi)側(cè)口袋能用拉鏈拉起來(lái)的包。她說(shuō)，“他們還是會(huì)什么都翻，但拉鏈能起一些作用。”
While some precious purses might stay bundled in a dust bag, your office bag will see daily use and should be made of a durable skin like cowhide or lambskin. Cowhide is sturdy but can seem heavy; lambskin is supple and lighter but more fragile. Choose deeper colors to mask stains and weatherproof the bag according to the designer's directions, she cautions. 'Stay away from suedes,' she says. 'The matte surface picks up dirt and can rub and get nubby.'
你可能會(huì)把一些貴重的手袋收在防塵袋里，但通勤包你每天都會(huì)用，它們應(yīng)該用牛皮或小羊皮等耐用的皮革制成。牛皮很結(jié)實(shí)，但可能顯得比較重;小羊皮柔軟，比較輕，也比較容易受損。她提醒說(shuō)，要選擇深一點(diǎn)的顏色，這樣更耐臟，同時(shí)要根據(jù)設(shè)計(jì)師的指導(dǎo)對(duì)手袋進(jìn)行保養(yǎng)。她說(shuō)，“不要用絨面皮的包，磨砂表面容易聚灰，擦了以后會(huì)結(jié)成塊。”
It's hard to appear competent when fishing in the bottom of a purse, pulling out personal items in the middle of a conference table. So while unstructured hobo bags might be au courant, Ms. Botkier suggests carrying something with a slightly stiffer structure for the office。
如果正開著會(huì)的時(shí)候伸手到包底摸索，把個(gè)人物品翻出來(lái)的話，就很難給人以干練的感覺。因此，盡管率性隨意的餃子包可能很潮，但柏柯爾建議上班時(shí)攜帶結(jié)構(gòu)稍微規(guī)矩一些的包。
A bag with a choice of straps or handles -- to wear across the body, hoist on a shoulder or dangle from a wrist -- gives commuters options。
背提兩用包可以斜挎、背在肩上或者搭在手腕上，給了通勤一族多重選擇。
While fashion might favor tassels, noisy hardware and large logos, Ms. Botkier suggests toning purses down for corporate culture -- though creative offices might be more forgiving of trends。
盡管流蘇、夸張的配飾和大大的徽標(biāo)可能是時(shí)尚潮流，但柏柯爾建議讓手袋與公司文化相協(xié)調(diào)──當(dāng)然創(chuàng)意類公司可能會(huì)對(duì)潮流更加寬容。
She suggests switching purses with the seasons. In spring, she likes lighter colors -- pink or mint this year -- and less bulky bags. 'I always think of cross-body straps for spring, so you can have your hands free.'
她建議在不同的季節(jié)換不同的手袋。春季她喜歡顏色較淺──今年是粉色或薄荷色──以及輕巧一些的包。她說(shuō)，“春天我總會(huì)考慮背斜挎包，這樣就可以空出手來(lái)。”
In autumn, she prefers rich colors, such as deep plums or emeralds, and a larger handbag, which can balance out the bulk of a heavy coat and offer room for a hat, scarves and gloves。
在秋季，她偏愛濃郁的色彩，比如深紫或翠綠色系，她還喜歡大一些的手袋，這樣與厚重的大衣比較配，還能裝得下帽子、圍巾和手套。
To ease the seasonal swap, or to switch bags for the weekend, Ms. Botkier keeps her makeup in pouches. A leather makeup bag helps prevent lipstick stains in a purse and could double as a clutch for party wear。
為減少換季和周末換包帶來(lái)的不便，柏柯爾把她的化妝品放在化妝包里。皮制的化妝包可以防止口紅把手袋弄臟，還可以兼作手抓包搭配晚禮服。
When carrying gym clothes, paper files and other items too large for a purse, Ms. Botkier carries a separate bag that doesn't conform to somber office dress codes and can be stashed under a desk. 'It can be anything from a luxe leather tote to a cute fabric in bright colors or leopard prints,' she says. 'And that's your fun tote. It's something a little extra.'
在攜帶運(yùn)動(dòng)衣、紙質(zhì)文件或手袋里放不下的其他東西時(shí)，柏柯爾會(huì)另帶一個(gè)包。這個(gè)包并不符合嚴(yán)肅的辦公室著裝規(guī)則，可以塞到桌子底下。她說(shuō)，“奢華的皮制托特包，可愛的亮色布包或者豹紋包通通都可以。這種好玩的托特包是一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)額外的東西。”
Monica Botkier
莫妮卡•柏柯爾
Launched the Botkier handbag line in 2003
2003年推出柏柯爾手袋系列
Developed her signature Trigger handbag in 2003
2003年創(chuàng)立了她的特色品牌Trigger
Botkier is available at Nordstrom, Shopbop and Botkier.com 柏柯爾品牌產(chǎn)品在諾德斯特羅姆百貨公司(Nordstrom)、Shopbop品牌網(wǎng)店和Botkier.com有售
Monica Botkier, her first luxury collection, will be out in the fall
她的首個(gè)奢侈品系列“莫妮卡•柏柯爾”將于今年秋季面市
