Handbag Shopping Tips

A handbag can really complete an outfit and give it real style, and with the vast number of designs, colours and fabrics available, it's not always easy to know what to choose.

The main rule I would have to say is not to forget why you have the handbag in the first place, it's for carrying things in, so practicality is the key, but practical CAN be stylish too!

Clutch bags.

Generally for more formal occasions, clutch bags are small and not designed to hold a great deal. You can only really carry the bare essentials in a clutch, so look for one that is not the standard flat clutch, but one that is more like the shape of a make up bag, these have more room in the bottom and a clasp fastening.

Day to day handbags.

Think carefully about what you need to carry around day to day, if you have a lot to carry, a small handbag is not really going to be the most practical thing. If you do have a lot to carry, go for a medium to large sized handbag, one with lots of pockets, whether they are inside or outside they will come in handy for keeping stuff organised.

If you don't have so much to carry, you can still carry a big handbag (if you like them!) but you can get away with a smaller handbag, things won't get so lost in a smaller one!

Kids.

If you have kids, there are obviously certain things that you need to carry, and you won't have the time to be scrabbling around in your bag for them Make sure the bag has plenty of pockets so you can keep everything organised.

Minimise your size.

With a big handbag, just as huge handbags look ridiculous on tiny women, tiny handbags look odd on big women. A large handbag will help to make you look smaller.

Co ordinate, but don't match.

If you are wearing a pretty floral dress, a large black leather handbag is going to look horribly out of place isn't it? You don't need to match your handbag to a pattern or material in your outfit, but make sure it is in the same family at least.

You get what you pay for.

Whilst having a whole array of handbags in different styles and colours is nice, cheap handbags do not last as long. Look for good quality fabrics and check the stitching. Make sure the stitches are tight and small, look for slightly wider straps aswell, thin straps wear out much more quickly.

Personalise.Personalising/customising your bag can look great, simple things like adding a scarf over the bag or a few badges/buttons, a bag charm or even a bracelet instead of a bag charm!