Purses are fine, and they generally are more lenient with women with one bag even if it may not perfectly fit the sizing parameters. Security is much stricter on dudes, as I have seen all types of briefcases, computer bags, and back-packs rejected. A very small, soft back-pack generally is ok. They generally will wand and pat down folks as well, so anything questionable, even possibly what sound like really cool Zippo gloves, may get rejected. I've always played it safe, as having to discard or find a bar to store your stuff is not worth the hassle (if you have a parked car, it's not the end of the world, other than the walk back).