Sometimes the things we carry around every day could use a little something. Maybe a favorite bag has been in heavy rotation for years, the keys could stand to be easier to spot, or there’s simply a print that deserves to come home even though absolutely nothing was missing before it appeared. Adding a new detail is an easy way to change things around without needing a particularly good reason.

Anyone who has stood at baggage claim studying a row of nearly identical suitcases knows the value of recognizing your own stuff. The same principle applies on a much smaller scale when digging through a crowded tote or trying to remember which bag belongs to whom. Color and familiar details have a way of being useful even when usefulness wasn’t necessarily why they were chosen.

A charm picked up because it made you smile can end up hanging around for years. It moves from one bag to another, gets attached somewhere unexpected, or simply stays put long enough that the thing underneath wouldn’t look quite right without it anymore. The extras may not be essential, but apparently that hasn’t stopped any of us from getting attached to them.