Downsize your handbag to give your back a break
Over the last few years, the trend for smaller handbags has swept across Europe. While the latest clutch bags and smaller handbags are a real fashion winner, they can prove to be an inconvenience when trying to fit your life into them on a daily basis.
Research from Logitech has found that over half of women admit to carrying more items than they really need in their handbags. In fact, nearly a fifth have broken or damaged a handbag by trying to fit too much into them. And the biggest offenders at putting extra items in their bag “just in case” were 18-24 year old women, with 62 percent admitting to doing so.
When combined with the trend for smaller bags, it’s clear that fitting everything into our bags is a challenge. And what’s more, technology is taking up more and more room. Almost 9 in 10 (87 percent) women say that their phone is the most important item in their bags, and over a third (35 percent) is now carrying a tablet device as well. Then there are laptops, BlackBerries, bank card readers, portable music players, headphones and more – all vying for precious bag space.
To help women keep on top of their handbag, Logitech has teamed up with fashion expert and author of Kate Moss: Style, Angela Buttolph, to provide top tips for keeping your bag in check and in style.
Here are Angela’s top tips for keeping your handbag organised and looking its best:
- 1. Prioritise a space for your smartphone
Always make sure you buy a bag with a high interior pocket or dedicated space for your mobile. It’s the one item you really need to find in a hurry.
- 2. Adopt a lighter lining
A lot of bags have dark linings to avoid marks showing. But a bag with a lighter coloured interior makes locating items easier.
- 3. Cord wraps
Stray cords from headphones and chargers are a common clutter culprit. A cord wrap seems fussy, but taking those extra seconds to neatly wind away your earphone cable or your charger cord saves valuable time untangling them from the contents of your bag later.
- 4. Keys
A dedicated key wallet for your keys will make them much easier to locate in your bag and won’t get tangled up with your other possessions. You can also buy vibrant, colourful ones which will keep with the chic style of your bag. If your key-ring has swelled to epic proportions, remove the ones you don’t need every day to save a bit more space.
- 5. Downsize
There are travel-sized versions of everything from stationary to beauty products so there’s no need to carry full-sized anything anymore. This will greatly reduce the bulk and weight of your bag’s contents.
- 6. Go contactless
Contactless cards, rolling out from banks and in shops across Europe, can save us from fumbling through your purse or for that tiny plastic wallet for your credit or debit card. Find a purse with pockets that work for easy-swipe payments and journeys.
- 7. Dress and protect your tech
It’s always best to invest in a protective case for you tablet device to make sure it’s always looking its best.
- 8. Honesty is the best policy
Be honest with yourself about what you use every day; all those just-in-case items can really weigh a bag down. Logitech’s research found that younger women were the worst offenders at putting extra items in their bag “just in case.” Go through your contents and take out anything you won’t need today.
- 9. Make use of your home-from-home
Do you ever touch up all your make-up on the go? Or could you do a quick retouch before you leave work and leave a spare make up bag at your desk?
- 10. Don’t worry, be ‘appy
Smartphone and tablet apps, such as banking applications or online tools like WeTransfer and DropBox, allow us to streamline our bags even more, so you don’t need to carry extra bulk such as work documents, diaries or card readers with you anymore.
Angela knows how important it is to keep the essentials on you at all times, while also having a bag with style: “I can’t bear to see a gorgeous bag crammed with clutter. If you’ve spent money on a bag you love (and equally great contents) it’s a crime not to keep it neat and chic, inside and out. With technology allowing us to streamline the contents of our bags, we should be able to stay stylish while still having our essential items on us at all times.”
As Angela’s tips demonstrate, using technology smartly can actually help to streamline the contents of our often cluttered bags. “Technology doesn’t have to mean carrying more,” said Rogier Volmer, Country Manager UK and Ireland, Logitech. “Modern devices can replace several different products, meaning we can still fit the essentials into our bags without compromising on style.”
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