As someone who stitches leather I have made more than my fair share of handbags, and the picture shows my latest, Not my usual style but I fancied trying something new, which my daughter assures me would be described as Prairie Chic by Harpers Bazar. I take her word for it, what do I know.

What I do know is whenever I am making handbags they always cause arguments. No matter what I create, it will be wrong. Now I don’t have a parade of visitors to my workshop, just a few women have access, but if they cant agree on whatever makes the perfect handbag, how can I be expected to make it.

Apparently whatever size I create is wrong, some women want a bag so captious only Mary Poppins carpet bag would suffice, others want just enough room to carry a credit card.

Handle length causes real arguments, and don’t start on shoulder straps. If your holding a bag how low should it hang? Knee height – up or down? Then we have strap width. I am told narrow straps are elegant but cut into your hands ( how much weight is in this bag?) Wide straps spread the weight but are ugly.

Then we come to add on extras. I have been told every bag needs space for an easy accessible water bottle, a phone pocket, a secure card pocket, a pen holder, whilst retaining the bags inherent elegance, with severe restrictions on weight. Apparently the contents weigh more than enough so the bag has to be Gossamer light.

So help a poor man out. I don’t use handbags, I just make them, and for once it would be nice to make one that more than 2 women agree is OK, I will settle for OK, we can aim for good. If you were writing the specifications what would be the perfect Handbag?