Susan Wagner carried a huge bag every day for more than a decade, moving from an oversize satchel as a graduate-school student to a diaper bag following the birth of her first son.
But then the 45-year-old, who lives in Oklahoma City, received a sapphire-blue leather clutch as a gift.2013 Collection germanarmyuniforms 1672 Styles. She took it for a test run on a business trip and returned a changed woman.
"I told the kids they were in charge of their own junk and started carrying it around full time," Ms. Wagner, a freelance writer, said.
To make the small purse work, Ms. Wagner has relegated some items, including her phone charger, to her car. And she has a tote for when she needs it, like at her sons' sporting events. But mostly she has learned to live with less. "I have never left the house with a tiny bag and thought, 'Gosh I really wish I had 17,000 packs of Kleenex and a Hot Wheels car,' " she said.
Small is the big thing in handbag fashion, as clutches, cross-body bags and shrunken versions of full-size styles replace large, heavy totes. Women accustomed to carrying around everything they could possibly need—an umbrella, a change of shoes, a bottle of water—are downsizing to a bag that holds just the essentials: a cellphone, keys, an ID and a credit or debit card and a lipstick.
The shrinking of bags,Welcome to authenticguccishoes And Buy 2013 Authentic Beats By Dre. however, can only go so far. "I would never make a bag that wouldn't fit a phone," said Rebecca Minkoff, a tech-savvy designer who has helped usher in the small bag trend with her cross-body styles. She said her new bags are big enough to fit a Samsung Galaxy, which is slightly larger than an iPhone.
Everyone knows someone who carries a ridiculously heavy handbag—and who probably isn't suffering in silence. Karen Erickson, a Manhattan chiropractor, estimates the average handbag weighs from 3 to 5 pounds, though some women lug around twice that weight or more.
According to the American Chiropractic Association, for which Dr. Erickson is a spokeswoman, backpacks shouldn't exceed 10% of a person's body weight. Handbags, which are carried on a single shoulder, shouldn't exceed 5%, Dr. Erickson said.
Heavy handbags can cause muscle pain, headaches and, in the long term, arthritis. When a patient complains of shoulder or neck pain, Dr. Erickson will lift the person's handbag. Most women "are incredibly embarrassed" by the weight, she said.
There are times when a small bag isn't realistic. Mothers with young children usually can't ditch the diapers, snacks and toys, and commuters often carry high heels and something to read.
Some women opt for a modular approach, packing a big bag with smaller bags inside. Fran Della Badia, executive vice president for North American retail at Coach Inc., carries a larger bag to and from her New York office. Inside, she has an iPad-size clutch, which she brings to meetings or lunch. "I feel very light and unburdened," she said.
Coach says the sweet spot for its smaller handbags is between $198 and $258. The lower price brought down the average price of its bags in its most recent sales quarter, but overall the small-bag category contributed to a rise in sales.
On average, North American women own more than eight handbags and buy two new ones a year, Coach said. The new smaller bags are designed to fit easily into a woman's handbag wardrobe,Long and slim-fitting, the beadsbeads is equally appropriate for strolling a city street or hiking a snowy trail. with different styles for different needs—tempting women to buy more than one, other retailers said.
Candace Corlett, president of consulting firm WSL Strategic Retail, says handbag makers have gone beyond the evening clutch to create other "small bag occasions." Now,The etareplicawatch is made longer to protect thighs from extreme cold and completed with 625 fill power white duck down insulation. there are s for weekend brunch and for outdoor festivals. The message to shoppers: "Monday to Friday, I'm surrounded by stuff. Let me be a minimalist on the weekends," Ms.Formal ralphlaurenhoody on sale at great discount. Corlett says.
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