Choosing the best bag for everyday use can be very challenging. I find myself trying to balance fashion, comfort, and practicality whenever I go shopping for a new handbag that I can use as my everyday bag.
An everyday handbag needs to suit your needs and lifestyle. It needs to be the right size and have enough compartments to hold everything you need. You also need to think about how you carry your bag and choose the size and type of handle or straps that work best for you.
Let’s look at 6 key questions you should ask yourself before you go shopping for a bag. That way you can already narrow down what you really want ahead of time.
What Is The Purpose Of Your Handbag
The first thing to think about is your lifestyle and what you do on a daily basis as well as what sort of treatment your handbag will get.
If you are a girl that drives to work and you park close to where you work then it means that you won’t be walking far while carrying your handbag. This means that your bag doesn’t need to be lightweight.
On the other hand, if you walk, or use public transport you will need a bag that is lighter and more comfortable to carry. In addition, your bag will need to have a good strong clasp, to prevent anyone from getting into it on a crowded bus commuter train.
If you are the kind of girl that does a lot of shopping then a crossover handbag will probably work best for you in terms of practicality and comfort. Your crossover bag will leave your hands totally free for doing your shopping
If you are a blogger that enjoys writing at a café while sipping your late, then you will need a higher quality bag that can carry your laptop, charger, notebook, pens, as well as your personal belongings. The same applies if you work in a corporate office or aspire to. It is also the bag that I would choose if I was going to interview for a corporate job.
If you are a minimalist girl and don’t carry a lot of personal items around with you, you will be able to get away with a smaller bag that can take your phone, money, and a few basic necessities.
What Shape Or Size Handbag Works For An Everyday Bag
Fashion trends come and go. However, when it comes to a handbag for everyday use, most girls prefer a bag that complements their body shape and their own sense of style.
If you are a girl whose everyday outfits are more formal, then you’re going to need to match your more formal style with a structured, good-quality handbag.
But if you’re a more casual girl who wears sweatpants and baggy tees, then a slouchy, soft, unstructured handbag will be a good match for you.
In addition, there are some rules that will help you to avoid looking out of proportion to your handbag.
By way of example, short or petite girls should ideally avoid oversized handbags as this will only make you look smaller. The reverse holds true for tall or big women. If you are bigger, then a small bag won’t look right as it will make you look even bigger.
When it comes to the shape of your bag, a good idea is to look at bags that are opposite of your body shape.
Therefore if you are small and curvy, wear a structured bag that has straight lines. And if you’re a thin girl, then a bag with a rounded shape will create the impression of more curves about you.
What Is The Best Material For Your Everyday Handbag
One of the key choices for you to make is whether you want a bag made of real leather or synthetic leather.
Many girls are opposed to wearing real leather from an ethical perspective. That is a choice that you will need to make for yourself.
One point that I must add is that as fabric goes, real leather is noticeably heavier than synthetic leather. I have picked up leather bags in the past that clearly felt heavy to me even when they were empty. So, if you are a girl that does a lot of walking, you won’t want to have a heavyweight hanging off your shoulder. In this instance, it would be best to avoid real leather handbags, irrespective of ethical considerations.
As I mentioned, synthetic materials are much lighter. They also vary enormously in quality. Some synthetic materials look exactly like leather, while many do not.
There are some very good imitation leather handbags available, so do take the time to include them when shopping for a leather handbag. More often than not you can get a gorgeous imitation leather bag for a fraction of the price of a real leather bag.
If you spend a lot of time sunning yourself by the pool or at the beach during summer then you have the choice of canvas fabric, raffia, straw, bamboo, and even cotton fabrics for an everyday handbag.
Even when choosing from these other light-weight materials, always consider the durability of the fabric. Is this a bag that you want to last in good condition, or do you just want your everyday bag to look good and be fashionable for a season or two? Maybe you only want your straw bag to last for the length of your beach vacation and will replace it with something else when you head back home and to work.
When To Choose A Backpack Or Shoulder-Strap For Your Everyday Handbag
There is a very good reason that backpack handbags have become very popular over the last few years. If you’ve never tried this truly hands-free kind of handbag, now would be a good time to consider this option while it is trending.
One of the advantages of a backpack-style handbag is that you are able to balance the weight of your bag between your shoulders, preventing painful muscle damage and keeping the alignment of your spine healthy. This is especially true if you carry heavy stuff in your daily handbag.
A backpack bag usually has room for a book, snacks, a water bottle, plus your earphones, wallet, smartphone, and hand cream. I always carry a notebook and pen as well as a mirror compact and a few basics if I need to touch up my makeup during the day.
A few years ago I was able to spend about a month in Barcelona and using a backpack as my everyday handbag was an excellent choice jumping on and off the metro, busses, and taxis all day as I could keep my hands free. Whenever I was in a crowded place, like the metro, I’d just swing the backpack around and wear it on my chest to prevent anyone from opening the zip and stealing my wallet or phone.
Shoulder bags have been popular for as long as I can remember. Generally, the original handbag with a short, hand-held strap is seen as a more formal bag while a shoulder bag is a more casual option.
With most shoulder bags you can vary the length of the strap as a way to emphasize your body shape in a flattering way. You can draw attention to small, narrow hips by having your shoulder bag hang next to your hips. This will actually make your hips appear slightly wider as the shoulder strap hangs out and away from your body, down to the hip.
However, if you have large hips, you should shorten the strap so your bag hangs next to your waist. Doing this draws attention up and away from your hips. It also makes your waist look narrower as your bag is able to fit above your hip.
When it comes to an everyday handbag, versatility is always appealing. So, for that reason, you should maybe look for a bag that has all three types of straps and can be worn as a hand-held, shoulder, or backpack bag. Two great examples:
- This lightweight nylon bag (available on Amazon).
- And this vegan leather bag (available on Amazon)
Why Compartments Are Key When Choosing An Everyday Bag
We tend to carry lots of different things in our everyday handbag and as time passes our bag can get quite cluttered with store receipts, tissues, etc.
I once had a medium size tote bag as my everyday handbag that consisted of one large compartment. It was a gorgeous bag, but I could never find what I needed quickly. Important things like my phone, wallet, and keys would settle down to the very bottom of the bag, hidden beneath everything else.
Being in a store and needing to just about unpack your whole bag to get to your wallet while other customers are waiting is not a classy move. The worst for me was being in a library and having my phone start ringing and not being able to find my phone in my bag before it eventually rang off.
These days, a very important component in my decision-making process when I buy a new, everyday handbag is looking at the number and shape of the compartments.
I like lots of separate compartments that allow me to have clear, different places for particular groups of items. That way I can find what I need fast and not have any embarrassing moments in a library or a store.
My current everyday bag has four compartments. The two main compartments have zips to make them more secure. This really makes life less stressful, as I know exactly where everything is. My phone, bank cards, wallet, keys, and passport when I’m traveling are in one. My mirror compact lipsticks, eyeliner, hand cream, earphones, small notebook, and pens are in another.
What Are The Best Handbag Colors For Everyday Bags
Black is always a safe choice because you know that it will always match whatever you choose to wear on any day. Right now my everyday bag is black and it works in casual settings as well as somewhat more formal settings.
If you have certain colors you wear frequently, then you could match or complement the color palettes of your personal fashion.
If you wear earth shades of soft orange, browns, beiges, cream, taupe, or dark reds, these will all be enhanced by a deep orange-red or wine-colored handbag.
Alternatively, if you are a blue-jeans girl, maybe a deep-blue, or dark green bag could be a trendy touch to compliment your outfits.
Green, tan, teal, and metallic are also all colors that can be paired with just about any color of clothing and work in all seasons of the year.
My advice to you would be to sit down and think about the comfort, practicality, style, and size of the everyday bag that you ideally want. Do this well before you go shopping for your new handbag. That way you should be able to find just what you need in less than half the time.