THE BIG BAG THEORY

So you’re on your way to a hot holiday party, a black tie bash, an intimate house party or maybe one of those big drafty ballroom fundraisers and you know you’ll be freezing once inside because even though it’s winter you are wearing sleeveless. Meanwhile outside it’s either blizzard-like, or a wintry mix of sleet and ice, combined with a muddy mish-mash of turf and ice-balls to maneuver under foot. In other words, you need to bring a few extra clothing and footwear options with you but all you have is that canvas L.L. Bean bag and it’s really not all that festive and besides, it’s still carrying traces of last summer’s beach sand, which, quite frankly, is depressing since you don’t want a reminder of what you will not see for another six months. That’s the problem, now here’s the solution – a zippered sequined tote bag. The zipper keeps things dry, it’s got party-ready presentation and believe it or not, the sequins deflect water. Get one large enough to carry a warm cashmere pashmina, an extra pair of shoes and then your boots once you’ve made the switch, your evening handbag and whatever assorted items you might need. Carry it with you all night or store it with coat-check once you’ve made the shoe switch. Call it the evening big bag theory. Find sequined totes at Wal-Mart, on line at TheFind, DanceSupply – ranging from $10.00 to $59.00. Then of course there’s Prada for $1350.00.