#the jurse one is sooooo jeans but it has a really good asymmetrical colorblocky pattern going on......... but it's so jeans

[macroglossus]

one of the gift ideas my best friend gave me for her christmas present was a Tote Bag because i always use tote bags and she thought it might be nice to have one of her own. when asked about design she said "you know me you know what i like". i do know her and i do know what she likes mostly but there are a few issues:

-she does not typically carry purses and instead favors either small crossbody bags or backpacks. however a tote bag implies a certain size and i'm unsure a.) whether she'd be dissatisfied with a normal sized tote bag because it's much bigger than she's used to carrying or b.) whether she'd be dissatisfied with a smaller tote bag because she was expecting a normal sized one for toting around objects (as the name would in fact suggest)

-some of the things she likes privately she would not like on a very visible every day bag, for example overblown metaphors about pomegranates et cetera. or cats or things like that. there can of course be elements of cheesiness but to a degree where it comes off as self aware/ironic not fully just "i can't control myshelf bookshelf image" (Not that there's Anything Wrong With That it just is a requirement). the issue is that because i spend most of my time with her privately i'm not always aware of where this distinction lies

-i want to get her something sturdy/not dogshit quality so she can use it regularly and w/o having to worry about the straps ripping off, and i want it to have functional inner pockets. however: a.) she's vegetarian considering going vegan so no leather and b.) environmental concerns with faux leather. however most of the tote bags i see in a style i think she'd actually like are either made of one of those materials or of dogshit quality. there is one i've been considering but it's made of denim and i'm worried about the jurse accusations

-if i buy a plain totebag and paint a design on it she will accept it and say she loves it and she probably will be very touched by the gesture. however it will not serve the utilitarian function she intends for the bag and therefore derails the intended purpose and makes it more about like. the Thought that Counts. which i don't want

-i am genuinely willing to spend a solid amount of money on this but i am concerned that in fact i will get it wrong even if i land on something that somehow fits these requirements and then she'll feel bad because the bag is not to her taste but she'll have to use it anyway because she loves me and she doesn't want me to feel bad about not Understanding Her (WORST CASE SCENARIO)