I have a deep-seated fascination with large purses. When I was a child, there was a girl whose grandmother lived next door to my family. We were about the same age, and whenever she visited her grandmother, we’d play together. She’d share what I once thought were worldly opinions but now realize were just absurd takes on random aspects of life — like how kids who grow up with black appliances in their kitchens are destined to be goth. One afternoon, we were pretending to be sophisticated, grown-up ladies with careers and kids, when she handed me a large purse from her grandmother’s closet and said, “You need this to carry your womanly things.” When I told her I didn’t have any “womanly things,” she said I could borrow some of hers. She shoved a fistful of objects into the huge bag, including a tube of kid’s lipstick, fake car keys, a small change purse containing some pennies, a half-eaten roll of Spree and — weirdest of all — a ring of measuring spoons from her play kitchen. You know, all the womanly essentials. I could finally be the put-together adult I guess I had always wanted to be, and it was all because I had a big purse. It’s no wonder that, to this day, when I see someone carrying a gigantic bag, I think, “There’s someone who’s competent and poised.” When I watch Selling Tampa, I think that a lot.

It’s hard to miss the purses in Selling Tampa, and not just because many of them are positively massive. Throughout Season 1, the women of Allure Realty not only carry around their large purses on their shoulders and forearms, they also prop the bags up on their desks, dinner tables and luxe sofas and chairs. In nearly every scene, my attention briefly wanders away from the drama and settles on the purses — like Anne-Sophie’s Louis Vuitton tote that’s about half her size or the black Saint Laurent bag Colony takes everywhere (which looks less like a purse and more like a suitcase for monthlong journeys). 

The purses, with their impressive designer pedigrees, whisper rather than scream their worth. They are undoubtedly enviable, but what’s most interesting is that they’re not trendy. Unlike a petite baguette, pillow clutch or beaded bucket bag, these large purses are practical more than anything else. Their functionality illustrates something about the agents on Selling Tampa that’s quite different from other reality TV stars. While Christine Quinn parades around with a $900 crystal-encrusted chair purse that can’t hold a single item, Anne-Sophie, Colony and Rena are all about business — their purses are sensible and, frankly, relatable. After all, it takes a lot of stuff to be a person in this world, and all that stuff can’t fit in a tiny crossbody!

While one approach to style, career or life isn’t better than another, I just adore the dependability of the women of Selling Tampa with their monstrous pocketbooks. I’m sure I’m not alone. You don’t need a weird neighbor to tell you that large purses are for working women who have their lives together. I’d guess that nearly all of you know someone with a spacious bag who is always prepared. Perhaps it’s your mom, who always has snacks packed away. Or maybe it’s your co-worker, who always has gum and floss tucked in a side pocket for those extra garlicky lunches. Or it could just be a random good samaritan, who slips you an extra tampon out of their big handbag. 

While I don’t relate to the value placed on “producing” by Selling Tampa cast members, I can’t help but respect their hustle — and their purses. Accessories aren’t everything, but it’s easy to love these extremely capable, genuinely talented women. They clearly have no trouble securing the bag.