So what does your handbag really say about you?
”Your bag is representative of what you`re about because it`s a part of your costume,” says image consultant H.D. Anderson of Chicago`s H.D. Anderson & Co. ”The bag you are carrying is really sort of a mini-history about yourself.”
Want to know about someone`s insecurities, their neuroses? It`s just a matter of being able to interpret from their purse`s size, shape and style, say image experts Anderson and Debra Gibson of Debra Gibson Image and Dress Consultants in Chicago. Read on and you, too, can figure out what someone`s bag really is.
– Oversize bags: Indicative of someone on the undecisive side and who needs the security of having everything-all their makeup, toothbrush, toothpaste, appointment book, address book, books, sewing kit, coupons, Swiss army knife, you name it-with them.
– Small bags: Carried by very controlled people who tend to be more organized.
– Structured bags: Goes along with the controlled, efficient and organized personality. ”They like to have structure and form (in their lives)-it`s almost literal,” says Gibson.
– Slouchy bags: Reflects an easy-going, laid-back, fluid personality. Owners usually have a free-flowing lifestyle and creative jobs.
– Signature bags (Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Fendi): Points out an establishment-oriented person, someone who likes to play it safe. They like to go to reliable things rather than choosing something more individual on their own.
– Basic colors (black, browns, whites, taupes, navy): Also for people who like to play it safe and are fairly conservative. But they get points for forethought and organization because they`re usually thinking about how they can use their purse in a variety of dress situations.
– Bright colors: No shocker here-this indicates a more adventuresome person, someone who seeks excitement and doesn`t confine herself.
– Hardware adornments or metallic-colored ornamentation: On purses carried by people who need to draw attention to themselves.
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And what, you ask, does it mean if you have all of these bags in your closet?
Don`t rush out for psychoanalysis, says Gibson. It means you are exercising different aspects of your personality.
”Ideally, as you build your wardrobe,” she says, ”you want to identify with all parts of yourself. A lot of people box themselves into a category and don`t see they have just as many options outside the limits they`ve set for themselves.”
