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| eBags | Choosing a handbag A lady's handbag is a very important item. Not only does it hold all of our bits and pieces (purses, mobile phones, lipstick, tampons...) it is a striking fashion accessory in its own right and can make or break an outfit. Having the right handbag is an important part of your outfit when you are getting dressed up, and it is a good idea to match your style of handbag to the type of outfit that you will be wearing.
| Mad About Fashion - Authentic designer handbags by top drawer designers including Gucci, Fendi, Armani and Prada, all at discount prices. | |
| Bags Direct - Brand name designer bags, purses and wallets by Radley, Kipling and Jane Shilton. | Ladies shoes, handbags, purses and accessories On www.janeshilton.co.uk you can be sure to find what you are searching for, from the latest runway trends to classic truly timeless pieces and all at the best possible value. | ||
| Ducti - After something different? Try a range of bags, wallets and watches made with duct tape. |
The second consideration is what type of strap the bag has. Small shoulder bags with thin straps look better teamed with strappy cocktail dresses and not dresses with huge sleeves. A bigger shoulder bag with wider straps would be better suited to these sorts of outfits.
Some of the more exotically styled bags adorned with feathers and or sequins, should match similarly styled features on your dress or footwear. In fact, matching shoes and handbag are a really smart fashion statement to make if you are going somewhere special like a wedding or to the races.
Designer or not? Is a designer bag worth the additional money? Ultimately that is a personal decision. I must admit I do lust after the handbags by the designer Luella - those trademark leather hearts are just too cute - but at over £500 for some models there is no way I could justify the purchase of one. A store on the High Street in the town where I live has recently knocked 50% off the prices on the Luella bags (and a number of other items) and I was sorely tempted. I picked a bag up, held it lovingly and looked at myself in the mirror. Now I am just 5' 2" tall and this particular bag was huge. It made me look like a pygmy (no offence to pygmies intended). And £250 was still far too expensive - £25 would be more my league. The point I am trying to make is - get a bag that really suits you and that you really like, regardless of the cost. If that happens to be a designer bag, buy it, love it, treasure it, keep it in its dust bag and try not to leave it in the pub on a lunchtime. | A Gift from the Gods - A range of handbags including the Athena Metallic chain and the Athena charm handbag designs; suede designer shoulder bags, mini charm bags, metallic purses, tote bags and scrunch bags. | |
| Fashion Belts and Handbags @ Yukka Fashion belts for men including personalisable belts with LED lights and a range of other cool designs. Use code "super-saver" at the checkout to get a 10% discount until July 2007, or code "handbags-only" to get 12.5% off all handbags until July 2007. | Annabel Shaw - A great range of fashion accessories including sequinned and chain mail evening bags and purses, bag and purse sets, jewellery, scarves, pashminas and wallets. | ||
| Bags Galore - Fashion accessories including bags, jewellery, watches and check out the "boudoir" section. | Handbags and Gladrags - Frank Usher, Derrici, Suzy Smith, Pileci and more, together with accessories including scarves, gloves, fascinators and jewellery. | ||
| eDirectory - A large range of accessories by brands such as Prada and Annabel Chafa. Many prices are discounted. | WhatsAboutTown - Fashion accessories including bags by Cosmopolitan, clothes, cystal embellished baseball caps; and bracelets, crosses, earrings and brooches set with Swarovski crystals. | ||
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The first consideration is the size of the handbag, with larger bags offering a more casual feel than the neater sized evening bags. In addition, if you are a small person or have a small build, you can be swamped by a bag that is too large. Also, there is a temptation to overfill large bags, leading to possible shoulder and postural problems as one side of your body is weighed down.
Bags without straps at all, ie clutch bags, can be a very stylish accompaniment to an evening dress - you don't have to worry about how the straps will affect your outfit as you can hold the bag discretely in one hand. However, if you have big arms, beware of pressing a clutch bag to your upper body as this can be unflattering.