Chicago Must Have: Cross Body Bag

When I arrived in Chicago I carried a very pretty and very impractical bag. It had a short strap. It was open on top. It was a perfectly prime target for a pick pocket or a purse snatcher.

The purse made me and everyone I hung out with nervous. Jumping on and off the bus, wandering crowded streets, waiting for trains ... at every moment I had to babysit my bag. I felt like I was serving it instead of it serving me. I knew I needed a cross body bag to keep my wallet and phone safe. Plus it needed to be roomy enough to lug around all the "necessities."

In a few weeks I found the perfect Cable Car Satchel by lug. It has served me well these past few months. It's just like the one below except it's black. It has several compartments. It zips closed. And it's waterproof - which means I can pull it back out when the snow starts falling in a few months.

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Until then, I'm on the hunt for a bright, utilitarian, feminine cross body bag. I need something new to get me through the remaining summer months.

Here are a few I have my eye on:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Do you have a favorite?