Women's bags: by hand, over the shoulder or crossbody
The families that fill this page differ in how they carry the weight, not in their shape. A handbag is held by short handles, in the hand or over the forearm; a shoulder bag has handles long enough to pass over the shoulder and sits against the side; a crossbody has an adjustable strap that runs across the body and frees both hands. Past two kilos of contents, the crossbody is the only one of the three that does not tire one side alone.
The materials on this page are smooth leather, suede, woven straw and raffia, nylon and recycled fabric. Smooth leather is the only one that improves with use: it takes on a patina and tolerates creases. Suede looks better at the start and is more fragile later, because it holds dust and marks with water. Straw and raffia are extremely light and suited to the warm season, but they will not carry the weight of a laptop. Nylon is the choice of anyone who packs a bag in a suitcase.
Usable capacity does not match external measurements. A structured bag, with a rigid base and sides that stand up on their own, holds less than a soft one of the same dimensions, but it protects the contents and keeps its line even when empty; a soft bag adapts to what you carry and sits better under the arm, but it collapses when half full. The reinforced base with feet decides how long the leather will last on the side that rests on the ground.
The hardware is the first part to give way. Zips that run without forcing, snap hooks with a solid rather than a stamped spring, and strap anchors that are riveted and not only stitched are the three points to check before the colour. On a bag carried every day the strap anchor works harder than any other part, and that is where they break first.
The most reliable approach is to start from what has to fit inside and from how many hours you will carry it, not from the measurements on the product page. If you already know how you want to carry it, it is quicker to enter from the right page: the crossbody bags to keep both hands free, the handbags when the line is what counts.
