How To Choose A Good Handbag For Yourself

For most women, a quality handbag is more than something used to carry belongings in. It's also a fashion accessory, with the bag's style, colour or material used to tie an outfit together or complement it. In fact, a handbag is an item most women will rarely leave home without, and when they do they're likely to feel inadequately dressed.  No wonder the average woman owns 21 handbags of different shapes, sizes, styles, materials and colours and buys a new one every couple of months.

Having attaining the status of "necessary accessory item", there's a demand for handbags that hundreds of manufacturers produce tens of thousands of handbag styles to fill. Unfortunately not all of the handbags being produced are made of quality materials, or are they well made. Competition among both handbag manufacturers and retailers has kept pricing competitive, but in pursuit of profits corners are often cut.

Select The Right Bag For You

Consider where and when you'll be using the handbag you're considering buying. What will you be carrying in it? What outfits will you be wearing with the handbag? Is the bag going to be for work, general use, or is it to be for formal occasions. The answers to these questions will determine the size, style, colour, and material you should choose.

Just as you would do with any other fashion accessories, choose a leather handbag that flatters your body. The size of handbag should be proportionate to your body type. If you are short, petite women you'll appear taller carrying a smaller handbag. Tall, slim women suit midsize to larger styles best.

When it comes to the shape of a handbag the rule of thumb is to go with the opposite of your body type. If you're shorter carrying a long, rectangular handbag will make you appear taller. Whereas round handbags suit tall, slim women best. Buxom women will find short strap handbags emphasis the bust, while a bag that is carried at the hip distracts from the bust area. Women of average stature and body style look best wearing handbags that hang in the middle of the torso.

Variations of body styles and shapes are endless, so always check a potential handbag purchase in a full length mirror. If you're planning on using your new handbag while wearing a special outfit be sure to check the look of the bag with it on. If you're not wearing the outfit at the time you buy your new handbag most stores will allow an exchange provided it's returned promptly.

Sorting The Good From The Bad

As important as what looks good is the quality of workmanship invested in a handbag. Unfortunately, poor workmanship is not always visible at first glance. Poor stitching, shoddy material finishes and tacky hardware are obvious signs of poor quality. However, poor quality leather or fabrics may not become apparent until your new handbag is handled a bit. There are some tell tale things to look for though...

The stitching and seaming of a quality handbag is consistent throughout, with no out of line or loose threads. The printed fabric or stitched pattern of a quality handbag will always match at the seams. Ornamentation added to quality handbags will not come loose when tugged on. Quality handbags have zippers that open and close smoothly, and button or clasp closures that close easily and stay closed. Obviously handbags with handles that are glued rather than stitched along their edges will eventually separate, so this is good indicator of poor quality.

There are subtle indicators that a handbag is of quality manufacture to look for. Feet applied to the bottom of a handbag to prevent the underside from getting dirty is a sign of quality. Likewise, little touches such as exterior pockets with a strong magnetic closures also indicated quality.

Of course it is not always possible to determine if a handbag is quality made just from what is included or missing. Knock offs, a.k.a. counterfeit designer handbags, will often be poorly manufactures but include all of the bells an whistles the real McCoy has and look to be quality products, In fact some are well made. However, careful, critical examinations of a bag that includes handling it and looking closely at stitching and finish will usually separate the good from the bad.