What's In Your Bag?

We asked three local women to tell us about their purses and what lurks within:

Who: Kitty O'Neal, afternoon news anchor at KFBK (1530 AM).

What: A briefcase-type bag by designer Kenneth Cole with multiple compartments.

What's inside: A wallet, makeup bag, sunglasses and even "my old-fashioned month-at-a-glance day planner."

Bag this: Interestingly, O'Neal isn't the primary bag buyer in her family. That would be her husband, Kurt Spataro, executive chef for the restaurants in the Paragary Restaurant Group. "Prada, Gucci, Chanel. He's 'Mr. Designer Man,' " O'Neal says. "The last purse he bought me was when we were in New York, last Christmas. It was a Gucci hobo bag that opens really wide with an easy-snap closure."

Chief purse-suit: Fun bags, especially big straw ones for the summer. "I can throw my lunch in there every day," she says.

Who: Anna Ferrera, a legislative advocate at Murdoch, Walrath & Holmes in Sacramento.

What: A Chanel bag -- in green -- that she purchased while in Washington, D.C.

What's inside: A cell phone, a BlackBerry and "tons of folders for paperwork."

Bag this: Ferrera says investing in a good handbag -- and fashionable yet functional shoes -- is worth the money. A good bag lasts her about a year and a half.

Chief purse-suit: A bag with big handles and made of leather. It must also fit over her shoulder, and she says she needs to be able to hold it tight against her body.

Who: Erica Kazinec, store manager at Franco Ferrini in Pavilions.

What: A bag by designer Mitzi Baker, which can alternate between being a purse or a tote, depending on how you close it.

What's inside: A clutch (for running quick errands) and supplies for her 1-year-old daughter, including sippy cup, snack bag and a puppet toy. Plus wipes and Purell hand sanitizer.

Bag this: Kazinec, who sees handbags come and go every day, says she always shops for quality first. "I like Mitzi's bag because she does it in several patterns and fabrics."

Chief purse-suit: Her bag has to have pockets for keys and a cell phone. "For travel, I look for a bag with a zipper or some type of closure to keep everything from falling out.

Source: sacbee.com