Pattie

–Why a woman owns 111 handbags in her lifetime–

You ask yourself, “Am I absolutely crazy out of my mind?” Why would anyone even consider spending on average $14,937.59 for handbags? Yet, according to researchers, the average 30 year old owns 21 handbags, and buys a new one every 3 months. Over a lifetime that works out to 111 handbags, and that huge figure above. Go ahead, look at it again. With the average outlay of $141.90, OMG, no wonder!!! And, get this, of the 30 year olds surveyed, 5% admitted owning over 100 handbags already.  Geeesh!!

If we can get past sticker shock, you might find yourself asking (yep, still talking to yourself),   “do I really need this many handbags during my life.”   With people like Lindsay Lohan and Sienna Miller setting the trend, no wonder many women are spending a small fortune on expensive designer brands. This, from 1500 shoppers that a researcher* was asking about their handbags.   So, there you have it, have we all gone crazy? The answer might be yes and no. This tidbit emerged from the research*, and is certainly more realistic, if you think about it. Ready–Typically women use three handbags on a regular basis, changing to suit the occasion, outfit, or even their mood.   The rest are safely stored “just in case”.   Do you fit this profile at all??

Many handbags are passed down though generations, according to the survey, with one in eight women owning one bag more than 50 years old.   That’s kind of hard to believe, I know. When asked what the most they ever spent on a bag, the average 20 somethings replied, $345.48 (obviously working professionals, don’t you think?). If you think that’s more than you’d spend, the average from this survey of 30 something spent an eye-popping $709.55!!!

When asked why they hoard so many handbags seven in 10 answered, “you never know what they’ll go with” Are we laughing yet, or does this describe you, too?   One woman stated in her survey, “Handbags can change your whole look and transform a plain outfit into one that’s set to impress.”   One in five women said that they are so fond of their handbags, that sentimental value stops them from throwing them away”.

So, ladies as we head for the finish line, what have we learned here.   It’s clear from the results of this research that British women (oops, I forgot to mention that earlier) have some sort of handbag obsession. I don’t know of an American survey of women and their handbags, but if you do, please let me know and I’ll be happy to have fun with that survey, also.

For most of us, owning a handbag is a lifestyle necessity, rather than a fashion accessory. Having one, two, three or four just won’t do, and sooner or later we give in.
We’re all just lucky, whether British, American, or whatever our nationalities are that there is a nice down home place to shop and buy superb handbags, and not spend a queen’s ransom and that place, of course would be Hildashandbags.   Have a nice day, all!!
Do drop by, again…..

*Angela Poplett is a personal shopper at Lakeside shopping centre in Essex, which carried out the survey.

Focus: Clutch Handbags 

You already have black staples in your wardrobe. Now’s the time to invest in something not so BASIC!!  If black gives you the blues, look to your organic grocery aisle for inspiration. So, let’s take a walk down the aisle and look around. Yummy, in addition to the delicious foods making my mouth water, there are delicious colors shouting hello everywhere. Hello, Juicy pumpkins-hello shiny red apple-hi green olive~~ and there’s mustard yellow shouting hello to all that pass.

 Fall extras call for bold embellishments, so don’t be shy. Architectural accents like colored gemstones and triangles add to the outside of your bag calling to those who would notice you are keeping up with fashions of today!!  Come along as we check slim clutch handbags  in bold colors going from day to night, adding character to fall’s black palette.

OMG!!!–>There’s a leopard clutch now!! Liven up your separates with an animal print bag; leopard carry-alls can take you from day to night in style. It’s the purrrrr-fect addition to make your wardrobe sizzle, and will bring out the animal in you!

Bridal handbags can be hard to find especially during the summer and spring when so many wedding are going on.   It can be a big drag when it is your big day and you can’t find that one bag that will set your outfit apart.   Try looking on the internet to find your handbag before your event comes up so that you can truly enjoy what is going on around you rather than having to rush for an item that can either make or break your outfit.   Other than shoes and earrings, the right handbag is the most important accent to show how styling you are to all your friends and family.  
 Let’s say you saw a woman wearing the perfect dress, but the bad doesn’t match at all, in fact the bag is a color and style that completely offsets the look of the dress and brings down the fashion of the entire outfit.  Now this woman could have spent a few minutes to check out these awesome styles that could have saved her day.

It is so hard trying to find a purse that tons of other people don’t have.   I relied on catalogs in the mail, but waiting for them to come and having them be the thing that I actually wanted was not exactly an easy or time effective so I had to look for other options.   I found some great handbags on the internet that were unique and just for me.  If you have a problem, the internet is just a short click away and all of a sudden great interesting new products are right at your fingertips.  Find some handbags that will really bring out the colors of your wardrobe and give it the effect that want so that you can shine.

Starting in the 14th century the first records of the handbag is recorded in Egyptian hieroglyphs which shows as a pouch around the waist.  The bags were fastened to the waist by what was called “girdles.” These early bags were adorned with embriodery and jewels to show off a person’s fiancial status. Wealthier people obviously owned more elaborate and ornate bags. Everyone hoped to outdo their friends and aquaintances by having the best money could buy.
 
Traveling a few centuries forward to the 1600’s an era of practicality took over, with craftspeople using everyday materials such as leather, and drawstring closures on bags they created. Cloth bags were made much larger to accomodate bigger loads, and were carried diagonally. Before you know it, the next century sweeps in ushering still another look in handbags. It was the 1700’s and now the rage was variety–for both men and women of fashion. The large bags from the earlier centruy were forsaken for elaborate smaller bags, sewn into complex shapes. If a young girl hoped to get married, she’d have to have embroidery as a necessary skill. This resulted in more uniquely crafted bags than ever, which now more resembeled works of art!