The Handbag as Both the Statement Piece and Essential 

Contemporary life has produced a lot of essential items for the modern person, from the newest makeup setting powder (or spray) to the newest cellphone model. One of the most impactful roles of these new production pieces is the handbag. It has become essential for the modern woman (or man) to keep their most important items on their person at all times outside of the home – and so, the handbag has become essential for housing and traveling with those important items. 

The Meaning of a Handbag

Because handbags have become essential, an expectation for them has also risen in our culture. This expectation has opened the doors for designers and entrepreneurs to fight for the consumer – and because we generally buy handbags at a lower rate than other accessories, every purchase matters for these producers. But this means that the choice of the handbag that you want, also heavily impacts your appearance. Most people will use their handbag as a large statement piece, but there are others who want to change their handbag once a month or (I shudder to think about) once a week. 

Projecting Outward Expression

The choice of handbag can be as simple as liking a color or shape – or it can be seen as a discrete psychological game. For those in the know about handbags, everything about a piece can expose aspects of the owner. The brand, the type, the color, the shape, the customization, even the material, can send out particular signals to others in the same social circle or strangers. Of course, personal preference and knowledge from association will play a role in how the individual will see these signals, but there is a series of generally accepted ideas with handbags. 

Brands

Brands are the easiest to know of these signal releasers. Designers of both corporations and entrepreneurs take their battle to this arena. Does the consumer want a Coach or a Michael Kors? A Dooney and Bourke or a Louis Vuitton? A Natalie Therése or a GiGi New York? 

There are more brand options than I can list here, and every one of them gives off specific intel about you and your appearance. Generally, each brand is sought out for its niche clientele – the loyalists that follow custom over trends. 

For the few brands that listed, some indications can be made. Consumers with these types of bags often have these values: 

• Louis Vuitton handbag values high expense and status over use. 
• Dooney and Bourke handbag values quality material over status.
• Coach handbag values both status and quality material over use. 
• Michael Kors handbag values low expense over quality material. 
• Natalie Therése handbag values environmentalism over all else. 
• GiGi New York handbag values style over all else. 

Types of Handbags

In combination with the brand of the handbag that the consumer chooses, the type of handbag expands further on the information about the owner. The style of handbag can speak to a person’s personality or status or priorities. Some of the common types include the hobo, the baguette, the duffle, the shopper, the wristlet, the messenger, the clutch, the satchel, the tote, and the bucket. While the less common include the barrel, the satchel, the doctor, or the minaudiere. 

Taking style into account when thinking about your next handbag purchase can heavily impact the outcome of the choices. You would not want to go to a professional meeting with a duffle (if it could be helped), but you would also not want to go to a party with a messenger. The style of the handbag indicates your preparedness for social interaction, while also hinting at your personality – mini-barrel Louis Vuitton, versus a Dooney and Bourke shopper, for instance. 

Colors

The color of your handbag also indicates particular meanings to those who are familiar with seasonal colors and trends. Generally, if shopping for a new handbag, this is not a large concern because sellers will always try to promote their most trendy options. However, this aspect needs to be further considered if you change your bag seasonally (which you should, if you don’t). Colors do not need to be trendy, per se, but they should try to fit with the same rule of thumbs used for styling your wardrobe. 

Things like not wearing a white handbag in winter, or not wearing fall colors in the spring, can help to influence your outward appearance. We would not find a plum wristlet on the wrist of a summer fashion model, so we should aspire to gain another handbag for the seasonal change. 

Customization

Some producers of handbags allow for professional customization options like GiGi New York allows for monograms to be added to some of their handbags. This is a unique and interesting way to make your specific handbag more personalized (and stylized!) However, a lot of large producers do not have these types of options outside of offering a hand or a strap alternative. 

Instead, it is on the owner to customize their look to best fit their handbag for the day/month. The easiest manner to do this is by using matching colors or complementary styles, to emphasize that there was consideration about how the final ensemble would look. The easiest way to do this today is by capitalizing on the Covid masks. Match your handbag color to your mask and compliment those two accessories with a pant or slack a shade darker or lighter than your blouse.