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Bag shopping considerations
By Meg | August 15, 2007
As you can guess from Monday’s post, I love bags. It wasn’t always so. When I used to shop for bags, my main concerns were whether it was neutral enough to more or less complement everything I wore and whether it was large enough to carry a book and my wallet (the book has since been replaced by a cellphone and PDA, but I still like to keep a book nearby even if not in my purse). Nowadays, though, a lot more thought goes into my bag purchases.
No longer do I try to match my bag to my entire wardrobe. I don’t mind splurging a bit to have colorful bags that make an outfit instead of just hanging off my shoulder. Of course, that means that I have to do a bit of bargain shopping, but that’s half the fun. A colorful bag and another matching accessory like shoes or jewelry can make an outfit out of otherwise boring neutral clothing.
Start with style
There are bags for a day at the beach, bags for business meetings, bags for formal events… and so on. Material has a lot to do with a bag’s style. A denim purse just doesn’t complement a formal gown like a fancy satin clutch. I prefer leather for everyday bags, but sometimes I need something fancier or that will hold up better to the elements.
Brands aren’t unimportant
Right now, I don’t really care who designed my bag so long as it looks great and is affordable. However, I’ll admit that I’m coming to appreciate the importance of status symbols. In some careers and social networks, bag labels are important status symbols. In some networks, the name on your bag is a cue that you’re successful - which is not to say that there aren’t other ways to show off your success. In other networks, it means zip (especially if you’re not around anyone who would even recognize the purse). If labels are a consideration, or you always like having the latest and greatest, consider renting bags instead of buying them. Depending on your situation, it might be more economical than spending so much on a single bag.
Find the right fit
It’s important to consider how the size of the purse and even where it hangs complements your body shape and size (not to mention, how much the bag will hold). On About.com: Fashion there is a great post on the subject entitled Choose the Right Handbag for Your Body. It’s worth checking out, for sure, though I’ll sum it up as: choose a size in proportion to your body, a length that hits where you want to accentuate, and a shape that differs from your own for balance.
For instance, I’m 5′10, medium build, with a great waist (my hips and thighs are another matter). So, ideally I should get bags that aren’t too small and that hit at the waist instead of my hips. I’m neither very thin nor particularly overweight, so I tend towards bags that are neither too structured and square nor too slouchy and rounded (the former being better suited for curvier women and the latter being better suited for thin or athletic women).
Of course, no matter what the ‘rules’ say, it’s important to try on the purse in front of a mirror just like you would a pair of shoes or a blouse. Unfortunately, my experience has been that stores don’t tend to have mirrors located near the purse section, so you might have to do what I do and drag a few purses across the store to the nearest mirror.
What do you look for in a bag?
Tags: Bags, Fashion, Spending Money
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