How you carry your bag reveals your personality
Apparently, the way you carry your handbag says a lot about your personality, according to experts.
A handbag is a girl's best friend. They help us carry essentials and can also complement our outfits. But is that all there is to a handbag? Apparently not. According to body language experts, the way you carry your handbag says a lot more about you than you think.
Body language expert Patti Wood claims the way you carry your bag can reveal your status, your taste, and even your personality. “I am fascinated by purse behaviour. Purses are a gender identifier: a way to show your status, your taste and creativity, and personality,” she told Reader’s Digest website.
Below is what the experts had to say about what the way you carry your handbag reveals about you:
Over the shoulder
"A woman who doesn't use her bag to hide the front of her body is usually very confident as it ensures the solar plexus is clear of any objects. When you wear your bag over your shoulder, the message you're sending is that you don't feel the need to hide behind anything. It's also very practical as the bag is out of your way and leaves both hands free to get on with the task at hand," India Ford, body language expert and founder of TalkBodyLanguage told Harper Bazaar website.
Over one shoulder with bag close to the body
“If you tightly grip the bag and pull it, it’s more likely fear, lower self-esteem, or concern of your purse being stolen,” Patti Wood told Reader’s Digest.
Cross-body with the bag in front of the body
This style of bag-wearing often indicates a more cautious personality, someone who is reticent or shy, body language expert Doctor Kathlyn Hendricks told Glamour.
Cross-body with the bag behind the body
"An urban warrior with a clear goal. The bag is incidental to her independent self-image, flung on for its functionality,” Dr Hendricks told Glamour.
In the crook of the elbow
According to Wood holding your bag in the crook of the elbow depicts power.
"You’re wearing the bag as if it’s a badge of honour or an award. You feel as if you’ve got a sense of superiority,” she told Reader’s Digest.
Tucking it under the arm
"You would usually hold your bag in this way if the style of the bag requires it, like a clutch. But if a woman tucks a bag that has handles under her arm, it sends signals that she's relaxed and not overly concerned with her appearance,” India Ford told Harper Bazaar. She added that if the bag is gripped too tightly or squeezed against the body, it sends a signal of nerves or insecurity.
The dangle
Aside from this not being the most practical way to hold your handbag, it communicates a sense of insecurity. Holding your bag in front of your body acts as a barrier to the outside world and holding your arm across your body further can send a signal of self-doubt,” Ford told Harper Bazaar.
In the below video, handbag designer Velvet Lattimore shares how you can pick a handbag more suited for your personality type.
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