Nah, you can’t have a purse ... CNN says gals don’t have a way to carry because of dresses! You just aren’t paying attention to the news. :-) I’m 76. I’ve got a over the shoulder “man bag”. I keep my Kindle, a few meds and my 18 round 9 mm and 2 spare clips. Decked out with Crimson Trace, and a light. Always tickles me to be sitting there on the bench reading (while the wife is shopping) and watching the gangbanger walking by sort of “sneering” at that old guy on the bench. (An old guy with more firepower than all of them together in the mall).
Ah yes, these days things are all backwards. Men get purses, women are helpless I guess. I’m not a shopper but if I need goods I’ve got a little .380 with 2 xtra clips in my purse. If I have to go someplace to sit I usually take my crochet bag complete with kindle if I’d rather read. It holds my Governor. I also walk a couple miles a day on clear days with said Governor in a dreaded fanny pack. If I’m going into questionable territory wearing pants I’ve got a little .22 in an ankle holster in addition to one of those other options.
Last fall I took 2 granddaughters out for a burger at an upscale yuppy-looking joint. This punk millenial got ticked of at an altercation between my 5 yr old granddarlin and his 2 little “angels” about the same age. I’m not going into the long story but this guy about 30 started out in the booth next to us ended up standing by the booth cussing me with every word not postable here. He was trying to speak softly so other people wouldn’t hear. I wanted that stuff heard so I said loudly, “I’m sorry sir but can you speak up? I’m over 60 years old and I just can’t hear like I used to.” He got up, came to stand by my table where I was loaded for bear with purse and ankle ready and started telling me he was going to call his wife up to kick my a$$. Kept cussing me, threatening me with his wife. I was astounded. Furious. Nobody in the place except the granddaughters seemed to know what was going on. I was ready if he acted but it was all verbal. Freaked me out. I will add this was in a blue county which I think accounts for a lot.