Fashion Sense for Dummies - Handbag and Purse Edition

First I think we should address the question, "Is there a difference between a handbag and a purse? And what about all the other types of purses out there - clutches, satchels, totes... what does all of it mean?" A lot of the facts out there are merely people's opinions. So I'll start with mine. I say the only difference between a handbag and a purse is the way you carry it. A handbag is more like a satchel, in that the straps are shorter and are not meant to hang from the shoulder. A purse has longer straps so that it hangs down almost to your waist. (These types of purses remind me of the older style that our mom's have.) But I do tend to use the word "purse" more often than handbag because I find that handbag is a newer term, and purse just rolls off the tongue.

But let's discuss what the so-called experts say about the difference between a handbag and a purse. When you search for "handbag" on Wikipedia, it actually re-routes you to the "purse" page. From Wikipedia:

In American English, a purse is a small bag, also called a handbag or a pocketbook.

In British English, a purse is a small money container similar to a wallet, but typically used by women and including a compartment for coins, with a handbag being considerably larger; indeed, a purse is often kept in a handbag.

A purse or handbag is often fashionably designed, typically used by women, and is used to hold items such as wallet, keys, tissues, makeup, a hairbrush, cellular device or personal digital assistant, feminine products, or other items.

In the early 1900s people began calling their bags "handbags". This term referred to luggage that men carried. They then inspired women, who began carrying bags with complicated fasteners, internal compartments, and locks. In the 1920s, it became popular that bags no longer had to match your outfit. In the 1940s, with WWII, women's purses were made out of wood or plastic since metal was being saved for supplies. In the 1950s, popular handbag designers included Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes. Today these three brands are still popular, along with Gucci, Christian Dior, Fendi, Prada, Kate Spade, and Lockheart among many others.

Types of handbags

* Clutch: Small, yet long (rectangular), evening bag without a handle.

* Satchel: large bag with small handle that is carried on the arm rather than on the shoulder.

* Duffle: A large bag usually used for travel or sports.

* Tote: A medium to large bag with two straps.

* Messenger bag : A bag with a long strap to be worn across the body.

* Sling bag : A bag with a long strap (similar to a messenger bag), yet smaller.

So see, even Wikpedia agrees with me. There's not much of a difference!

Here is an example of what I think is a handbag and a purse. Our designer inspired white handbag has shorter handles, making it the perfect "arm" bag. It is easily held on the arm, as opposed to up higher on the shoulder (though you can fit it up there too.) The giraffe print purse has slightly longer handles that you would definitely wear on your shoulder, hence we call it a purse.

I hope you've enjoyed this little lesson on the handbags vs purse subject!

Now let's talk about another specific type of purse - the hobo. No, silly, not the bums on the street - we're talking about the hobo handbag. A hobo bag is a style of purse characterized by its crescent shape and slouchy appearance. It actually did get its name from the appearance of the bags that homeless people used to carry slung over their shoulder tied to a stick. That's kind of sad, isn't it? But I digress. Hobos are one of my favorite types of bags and we have a lot of them to show you! We have a variety of handbags including giraffe print hobo purses and zebra print hobo handbags. These purses fit the description of a hobo because they are pretty large, have longer handles that you can sling over your shoulder, and have a general crescent shape. They are also more "slouchy" and don't have a defined shape. These hobo style bags are popular and never go out of style. Check out our selection at handbagbug.com!

Not only is the style or shape of the bag important, but so is the color or print. Get something in zebra print. Animal prints will never go out of style, especially if you stick with a classic one. Timeless black and white stripes are safe for years to come, so if you don't want to buy a new handbag every time the trends change, get a zebra print handbag or zebra print wallet and never worry about it again. Try zebra print with a splash of color to spice things up. We have a zebra print purse with pink handles, a zebra print wallet with red trim, one our zebra print peace totes that come in green, red, blue, or pink, or our Ed Hardy version zebra print tattoo bag. A lot of people shy away from animal print because they think it's too wild for them, but it doesn't have to be. Zebra print stripes are one of the safer patterns. Leopard prints might scream wild and crazy but zebra prints say "I know how to pick my animal print and look great!" Don't be afraid, be confident. Go forth and choose one of the many zebra prints from our site!