Making a statement with a handbag used to involve spending lots of money.
In these straitened times, however, it seems all you have to do is carry it in the right way.A body language expert has analyzed how women hold their bags and suggest there are ten distinctive styles which reveal volumes about their personalities.Just pick the figure that carries a bag the way you do and then read the result below.
Clutches are hard to hold, we know, but this move keeps your bag in place while leaving your hands free. "There's an awkwardness about it, and I see it happen a lot with women who are carrying a purse that doesn't fit her body."
You've got two, three, four... five bags to worry about, so you've got a "wherever fits" strategy going on. "You're fatigued, exhausted, and in a rush -- the bags suggest you're a little spaced-out and have a hard time being present."
"Bags worn like this often indicate a priority on status and position," Hendricks said after checking out this pic of Emmy Rossum. "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. So, while your grandparents might not know Rossum's bag is Dior, fashion lovers do.
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," Hendricks explained. The read is true of this carry style in general, but especially so if, like Jessica Alba, you tend to use bags of the smaller variety.
A recent favorite of street style stars, the baguette style is a scoop-up, on-the-go method."It's a utilitarian look, and you don't really care about the bag but rather what's in it. You're goal-oriented."
If you carry your bag over your shoulder, no criminal will be able to steal your precious cargo. You’re a little bit prone to showing off your huge wealth, but you’re very generous at the same time. Be careful, though, as some may perceive this trait of yours as a weakness and use you to their own advantage.
There's a certain type of woman who chooses to forgo the shoulder strap for the top handle. "She's in business mode. She's going fast and her bag has a lot of weight -- she cares less about her appearance and more about where she's off to."
There's a reason this moves associated with Carrie from Sex and the City. "I see women in cosmopolitan cities doing this. They remember their mamas telling them to protect their bags... they don't want to get them pulled off while they're walking! They're street-smart."
"Not carrying a bag indicates a level of status where others handle the every-day issues such as money and schedules. This personality is the most self-assured of the group, relying on staff so that she can simply be."
"The way bag is swinging and open indicates a priority on ease and functionality over the 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.
