What’s In Your Handbag? £1,300 Worth Of Junk, That’s What

Confession time: How full is your handbag? A haven for dumping nearly everything we own, our bags are home to forgotten ticket stubs, old makeup, and the odd pricey gadget. And, now one particular high-street retailer’s latest research into U.K. shopping habits reveals that our arm candy and its contents are worth nearly £1,300!

Department store John Lewis came to the conclusion after compiling a list of its best selling handbag essentials. By “essentials,” it means an iPad mini, a purse valued at £30, an umbrella, a pair of Ray-Ban sunnies, a scarf from Somerset by Alice Temperley, and nearly £200 worth of luxury beauty products. To top it off, the department store includes its best selling bag, a £249 Ted Baker tote, into the equation, and you can do the math.

It must be said that the brand has only taken into account items that it sells in its stores and website but, surprisingly, it doesn’t account for mobile phones — possibly the most essential item in our bags — which makes it difficult to digest the seemingly staggering sum of nearly £1,300. How is it even possible to tote around essentials (read: junk) worth such a massive amount? Factors such as the unpredictable nature of weather are probably to blame for sunglasses and umbrellas to be found inside one bag, but do we really carry around £200 of beauty items? Looks like it is time to give our makeup bag a thorough edit.

The hike in sales of value and quality products reported by John Lewis could explain the popularity of staple brands like Ray-Ban and Somerset By Alice Temperley. But, whatever the reason for the lofty price tag on the contents of our handbags, the worrying thought of losing nearly £1,300 worth of personal, everyday items in one go scares the bejesus out of us! Guess it’s time to pull out the clutch.

Let us know in the comments section what “essentials” you have to carry with you at all times. Does it even come remotely close to the £1,300 price tag John Lewis suggests?