I love ita-bags—well, actually, I love bags in general. I have quite a few (the picture above being the ita-bags that are currently out), and recently I had to downsize after realizing my consumer habits were veering into full-blown shopaholic territory. This tendency hasn’t been helped by being offered entry into the Amazon Vine program, which provides access to products—including bags—at a very nice discount of free (but with taxes). So, in the process of downsizing, I had to think carefully about which bags truly fit me and which I would donate or gift.

Which brings us to today’s post: a guide to picking a bag for yourself (or a friend)—thoughtful, practical, and hopefully a little fun. Especially as we get close to the holidays when many people are probably searching for gifts.

When it comes to ita-bags, it’s important to remember that these aren’t typically your everyday carry. Some people do use them daily (#me), but most of us don’t tote these to work or school. They aren’t made for that kind of heavy-duty use. These display-focused bags can range from $30 to $150 (USD), are often small, usually come with only one insert, and are made from less durable materials.

So why do we buy them? Because they’re cute, or cool, and they let us show off our favorite pins and charms safely at cons or around town—without worrying about losing a pricey pin if the back falls off or keychain if a clip breaks. So, if you’re going to get one, for yourself or another, how do you choose? Here are my thoughts, from over a decade of being a dedicated bag owner and buyer.

Firstly, aim to pick something of quality. Most of my bags are bought in person because I like to test the quality before committing: I lightly pull on the handles to see at what point the seams start to show, gently run my hands over the surface to check texture and fabric type, and check the inner pockets for stretch. These are tips I learned from my grandmother—a fellow bag connoisseur. I did some searching online, and I think this video is pretty helpful for understanding how to identify a quality bag:

Now, in the video, the creator (Justine) is talking mostly about regular handbags but a lot of what she says can apply to ita-bags too. Realistically, a lot of us are not going to buy designer itas, so we want to check for quality that can last us several wears (and, hopefully, several years).

Secondly, we want to think of design. What do we like in a bag? Alternatively, what does our friend like?

So, for example, I recently gave two ita-bags to Krow here at The Anime View from my collection. One is a black bag that I want to talk about first. Black and Gray are Krow’s favorite colors. In fact, they like to say that their “favorite color is a shade 😎”—so the color of the first one was a great pick but that’s not the only things to consider here.

In many ways, Krow likes a lot of different things—as do we all. For a while, I was considering gifting them a coffin shaped bag. However, I was a bit worried that it wouldn’t be diverse enough for their aesthetic and that it might be too awkwardly shaped to fit their regular items. It had to be small, but not too small and a bit more versatile. I eventually procured a dice-designed, black bag and realized that it would be a better fit for them than my original idea. It was a smaller backpack that can double as a crossbody, yet slightly bigger than their typically small bags. It has since become their day-to-day bag.

While I know that Krow has yet to get into table top games, they have an interest in DnD and have their own dice. It is a growing interest and so the design ended up being a great fit. Plus, the quality was something I tested and I knew would hold up for a fair amount of use despite it being pleather. The only con would be that the insert is uniquely shaped, making it more of a challenge to replace.

If you are looking for an ita-bag for a friend, what does your friend like? Dislike? What is the design? If you’re looking for one, then ask yourself the same questions. For me, I have found this bag to be my favorite and it regularly goes out with me:

My choice comes down to four main factors: the bag’s quality, how often I’ll use it, whether it captures my attention, and how well I like the bag itself before adding any accessories. That last point is especially important:

Do you like the bag itself, pre-pins? Or do you only like how it might match a certain set of pins you already have? That, I believe, is the key to making a choice in ita-bags and in picking one up for someone else.

The bag above, the one I carry regularly, has several different names and different places to buy it online. On Amazon I have seen it called “Ita Bag Crossbody Cute Small Pin Purse Kawaii Anime Messenger Bag for Women” from Armor Gift Shop, I’ve seen it from online stores like moemoekyun.com, where it is called “Japanese High School Cartoon Style Ita Bag” and there are a few other variations across different stores.

I personally picked mine up at a convention a year or so ago. Out of all my ita-bags, this one has probably been my favorite and the one I have kept out the longest.

While this particular bag can’t handle extreme overstuffing or heavy weight, it’s durable enough for my day-to-day essentials: a light sweater, notebook, phone, keys, pen, and occasionally a tablet if I skip the sweater.

The comic-style front is semi-flashy, but the black-and-white design keeps it muted enough to take to work or a convention without feeling over-the-top. The awkwardly-sized insert means I won’t be able to swap it with a premade one—but that’s fine. I know how to make my own, and because it’s black and white, any pin colors will look good on it. The comic design also resonates with me. It feels personal and aligned with my interests, even before any pins are added.

Third and finally, the last consideration I have for you: How much are you willing to spend on the bag (and not just financially to purchase it)?

Ita-bags can be low maintenance or high, and it really depends on what you get. You can make custom inserts, but what other work you have to put into it really depends on the bag itself and not just the accessories you are putting into it. Read the reviews and really think about the kind of bag you want.

Right now, I would recommend the Cherry Sauce bags on Amazon as a starting point. They have great versatility in design and are pretty good quality for the price.

I hope this has been a helpful guide for you to get yourself or a friend introduced into the fun world of ita-bags! If you have more questions or just want to geek out about the ita-bag you might already have, let us know in the comments! Also, if you want to learn how to make inserts, here is a video that I think is pretty helpful:

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Line edits by: Krow Smith | @coffeewithkrow

Copyedited by: Katherine Cañeba | @kcserinlee