Today is Handbag Day. It’s no secret that many women love handbags, sometimes perhaps a little too much, but who would have thought that it would ever get to the point where an entire day of the year would be put aside especially for handbags to be celebrated in all their glory? The way you carry your handbag says a lot about you:
Worn over one shoulder with the wearer keeping the bag close to her body. You're practical and driven by utilitarian motives. It points to the wearer prioritizing her freedom of movement over the display elements. She's not a peacock, just getting things done.
Worn over one shoulder with the bag swinging freely. This indicates a priority on ease and functionality over display. Keeping it buckled, closed, and situated at the front of her body might allow passerby to better check out the brand/shape/fabric/color, but it wouldn't be as practical.
Worn cross-body with the bag in front of the body. Placing your accessory in front of your person is almost a form of armament. This style of bag-wearing often indicates a more cautious personality, someone who is reticent or shy. Her downward gaze and slightly folded up body posture support the suggestion of a slightly defensive personality. It's not uncommon to see celebs holding their purses like this as a way to avoid contact with paparazzi photogs.
Worn cross-body with the bag behind the body. The bag is incidental to her independent self-image, flung on for its functionality. Clearly—we can't even get a proper view of it to identify the brand or style.
Worn in crook of elbow. Bags worn like this often indicate a priority on status and position. You're basically de-operationalizing one of your arms in order to carry something of that size, telling everyone you don't need to use both arms as you move around in the world. This harkens back to the times when women's packages were carried for them. This manner of carrying best shows off the brand specifics of the bag you're carrying, signaling your status to "those in the know" who can properly identify it.
Held in hand. Some bags are so tiny there's no other option, but what if various straps give you multiple ways to carry it? Her bag is so heavy she needs to adjust her weight to carry it and is leaning to the side. This is equivalent to carrying a briefcase and communicates the importance of the woman's job.
Going bag-less. Not carrying a bag indicates a level of status where others handle the every-day issues such as money and schedules.
So, do you agree?