When most women buy a handbag, what really matters most, brand, design or price?

 When I purchase a handbag, I do a thorough inspection of all of the parts, the size, the drop from the shoulder, the materials used to manufacture it and, as a final point of consideration, the price. Let me break this down for you, so you’ll understand my thought process when I’m in the process of buying a new handbag. All of these factors matter equally.

Thecomponents of a handbag

Any handbag that would pass muster with me personally will have multiple pockets both inside as well as outside the bag itself. Note the above Gucci bag (a fake, I might add) which has two large visible open pockets inside, and a wide zippered pocket. This would be the absolute minimum for me personally because I store business cards, my phone, two or three pairs of glasses (sunglasses included) and numerous smaller items (lip balm, note paper, a pen, my credit cards, etc.).

The lining of a bag is also important to me. The above Coach bag has a soft fabric lining in a beautiful color. It too has pockets inside.

Size matters too.

Some people carry a lot more in their handbags than I myself do (see above as one example). I never like to pack my handbag with half the items I own, but I do need more space on certain days than I do on others. For this reason alone, I own multiple handbags of different sizes.

At the very least, I need a space large enough for the basics as you see above. The stuffed animal would be a fun extra.

Thedrop of a handbag matters a lot.

I need a 14″ drop on any handbag I buy. This is the distance from the top of your shoulder to the top of the bag itself. I need this drop so I can swing the bag onto my shoulder in one easy movement. The bag you see below meets this requirement perfectly, and has plenty of room inside as well. It also has three outside pockets and three inside, for a total of six altogether.

The designer is an important factor too.

I always carry a classic designer bag whenever I go shopping for clothes, skin care products, or makeup. I get far better treatment in the stores when I’m well dressed and fashionable looking. I strongly recommend that everyone purchase at least one classic handbag. The bag you see below is a Rebecca Minkoff designer bag, and it’s my favorite bag of all times.