I am in love with Apple’s iPhone. I don’t need a new phone–my little Razor is working just fine, thanks–but every time I see the iPhone commercials I get Phone Lust.

Like it or not, your phone or PDA is an accessory, like your watch or earrings. It’s a part of your look, particularly if you tote it with you all the time. But how do you make the phone part of your professional wardrobe? Kathy is wondering just that.

I have a question that is not strictly a wardrobe question, but it is a problem that has been bugging me. I work in a professional office. Despite my years of avoidance, I have recently been compelled to carry a Blackberry for work. Because of the nature of my work, I need to keep it with me most of the time.

How does a professional woman carry one of these devices? It’s too big to tuck in a pocket (like my tiny personal cell phone). Men usually clip them on their belt loops or waistband. Well, my figure does not accommodate tucked-in blouses, so if I am able to clip onto my slacks or skirt, I feel like I’m giving a show if I need to retrieve it by hiking up my top and whipping the thing out of the holster.

Wearing a dress makes it impossible to carry the BB. Most dresses don’t have pockets, and if they do, the bulk of the device makes the dress hang all wrong.

Do you have any suggestions for me? I’m sure I’m not the only woman who struggles with this. Some of my colleagues just carry it around in their hand, which is not a good solution for me. I will leave it behind at a meeting or drop it in the commode in the rest room. I’ve had too many near misses already. Help!

Let’s start with a few basic rules about iPhones and Blackberrys and other communication devices.

There is no good way to clip your phone or PDA to your waistband. I know, it’s convenient, but it looks horrible. Instead, think about using the “holster” (love that) to hook the phone to your bag; clip the holder at the top of the bag, in between the handles, with the phone INSIDE, just in case it falls off during the day. This way, you can still hear the ring, but without the bulk.

That, of course, raises another issue: what if you’re not someone who carries a bag with you all the time? I typically carry a small to medium sized bucket shaped tote bag, something that is open across the top and that can hold file folders easily. And yes, I do keep my phone clipped to the top of the bag because when it is INSIDE the bag, under the other stuff in there (which often includes at least one Superman action figure) I can never get to it in time when it rings.

Kathy’s question also brings up a side issue, about communications technology and civility. I understand the need to have a cell or PDA on hand all the time; as we juggle work and home and personal life, we need to keep in touch with sitters and spouses and clients. Without this technology, we wouldn’t have the flexibility to take the kids to the pool on a weekday or talk to the nanny when a child runs a fever or has a horrible day at school. But I am always a little put off by the constant need to be plugged in. I hate, with a passion, the Bluetooth ear pieces, because the message they send is that I am not as important as whoever it is who might call you while we’re having lunch or talking about a project. In the same way, I think that it is fine to have your Blackberry or iPhone or Razor in your bag during a meeting, in order to focus completely on the client. Clipping your cell or PDA to the top of the bag makes it easily accessible (for data entry or just to check the caller id if the phone rings) without giving anyone the sense that your attention is divided between them and your e-mail.

What do you do with your phone during the day? Do you have any suggestions for Kathy? And are ANY of you getting an iPhone?

Because I can’t tell you how much I want one.