Handbag Style: What Does Yours Say About You?
Shoulder bag: Women who choose a shoulder bag are generally very practical. A shoulder bag can take you from the work day to date night to weekend errands so you'll often see commitment to one appropriate-for-any-occasion shoulder bag. Though she may not worry about swapping bags very often, the woman who chooses a this handbag style always seeks to dress appropriately wherever she may be and takes pride in her appearance. You will never see this woman as a fashion victim.
Chanel and Dooney & Bourke are classic shoulder bag choices.
Clutch: The clutch is not for the faint of heart (fashion-wise, that is). Often meaning choosing fashion over preparedness, the clutch a clear choice for the most confident of women. The clutch-wearer must be confident that she won't need that hair brush, perfume or anything else that she won't fit in her limited handbag real estate. Perhaps she's even confident enough to let her date hold her keys. The payoff for being so selective in what to carry (and for being willing to hold your clutch all night) is appearing (effortlessly) chic. Choose a brightly colored clutch to pair with your little black dress to make an instant fashion statement and stand out from the crowd. Or take it a step further with this handbag style in an intricately beaded version from the queen of evening bags, Judith Leiber.
Tote: A tote handbag can certainly take on a lot of looks, but no matter the material or color of the bag, one thing is for sure: the woman who chooses a tote has places to go and people to see. A sleek leather tote makes a stylish but functional work week bag for a busy, professional woman. This handbag style in a colorful print, however, conveys the adventurous and youthful spirit of the woman who carries it, making it perfect for the summer and weekends year round.
Try a Coach tote handbag for the work week or a tote from Vera Bradley to add some color to your wardrobe.
Oversized handbag: For the woman who carries an oversized handbag, it's all about efficiency. She generally doesn't have the time to swap her handbags, nor does she see the need to spend a month's salary on a handbag she won't use every day. So this bag is an investment for her, and she gets her money's worth, often by keeping her whole life in it. Don't think her unorganized though; the size of her handbag may just be an indication of how jam-packed her calendar is and how she may need to be fully prepared for anything on it.
If this sounds like you, try an oversized Balenciaga bag or a Longchamp handbag that comes in a variety of sizes.
Backpack: Another busy type, the backpack-wearer is young at heart. Casual and carefree, she's not a slave to fashion, but don't be fooled. Her handbag style choice will still give you a sense of her overall style. Today's backpacks can be so chic that they can be paired with any ensemble from shorts and flip-flops on the weekend to a business casual outfit during the work week.
Prada and Guess offer chic options for the woman who choose the backpack style.
Sports Bag: It's not too hard to see what a sports bag says about its wearer: she'd probably rather be on the field, on the court, or in the gym, and her bag will probably end up on the sidelines. You may not find the latest copy of Vogue in her handbag, but you can still learn a lot about her style (and she has one!) from her style of handbag. If she's chosen a pastel color, she may not be quite the tomboy you think, and you might just see her in a dress after the game ends.
Try a Juicy Couture bag for an option that transitions easily from the locker room to the runway.
About the author: Bridget Tutak is the owner of Select Designer Handbags. She studied fashion at the Chambre de Commerce of Paris and visited the houses of Hermes, Christian Lacroix, and Sonia Rykiel.