Does This Purse Make Me Look Fat?
Don’t be left holding the wrong bag
By Susie Galvez
You spend hours scouting for the perfect outfit, analyzing it many times over in the mirror to make sure it fits in all of the right places. After all, it must showcase your assets and camouflage any areas you want to downplay. Plus, it must fit your lifestyle as well as your fashion personality, to be truly perfect. But do you give the same time and consideration to your No. 1 accessory — your purse — before throwing it over your shoulder and leaving the house?
Wearing the correct style of purse is as important as the cut of your clothes. The right bag can lift an outfit, update it, change its look and give your clothing a new sense of style. The wrong one can break your outfit, lessen your sense of style and even add extra weight!
But because purses do not come with sizes like clothing, how do you know what size and which style of bag are best for you? A bag that is in proportion to your body size and is the opposite of your body shape is the best way to instantly slim your silhouette. So, if you are tall and thin, look for large, oversize and unstructured purses that lie against your body to complement your figure. If you are short and voluptuous, choose a purse that is tall and rectangular or long and sleek.
Best Purse Style for You
Most women look great with a bag that hits mid-torso because it flatters the waist.
Let’s take a look at the five basic body shapes to find the best purse style for you:
Triangle Shape:
Narrow top/full bottom. Draw the eye upward by carrying a bag with shorter straps that hits between your waist and just above your hips. This will create an illusion of broader shoulders and better balance the figure. Best purse choices: satchel and barrel styles.
Inverted Triangle Shape:
Full top/narrow bottom. Draw the eye downward with longer-handled bags that hit at your hip level, highlighting your slender hips. Best purse choices: hobo and messenger styles.
Hourglass Shape:
Balanced top and bottom. Any style of purse will suit you perfectly, as long as the size is proportionate to your body size. Best purse choices: the full range of styles from clutches to totes.
Athletic Shape:
Narrow top to bottom. Your shape is long and lean with equal width shoulders, waist and hip lines. The key is to add dimension to your profile. Your best bet is to keep the purse unstructured and on the bulky side; it should hit at your waistline but not hug the body. Best purse choices: hobo and satchel styles.
Apple Shape:
Narrow shoulders and thighs/thickest in the middle. In general, the rounder your figure, the more structured your purse should be. A wider bag carried at the hipline helps balance your figure. Best purse choices: shopper and bucket styles.
Always remember to try on the bag — just as you do for clothing and shoes. Take a look at your body shape and purse style in the store mirror. Check yourself out from the front, the side and the back (using a compact mirror to see your reflection in the store mirror from the back) to ensure that what you look like both coming and going is flattering and nonfattening!
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