There are some women who change their handbag on a regular basis to go with the outfit they’re wearing, but there are plenty of others who stick to the same one most of the time because of their life style. Some women like to carry round a small bag with just enough room to carry credit card and keys and at the other extreme there are those who carry round a lot of their life in their handbag, However, there are a variety of pros and cons to carrying a large handbag. If you’re wedded to carrying a large handbag, you may occasionally want to consider clearing your bag of some of its contents or downsizing to a smaller bag occasionally.

Pros

Carry a large number of items An obvious pro of carrying a large handbag is that it allows you to carry a lots of items at once. Many women carry round bags with the contents of a mini office including their laptop and papers , food and a flat pair of shoes and if they’re mothers often items such as nappies or baby wipes. The sheer variety of things that some women need to carry make carrying a large handbag a necessity.

Disguising your shape It was the late Princess Grace of Monaco who became famous for carrying a large bag in front of her to disguise her pregnancy. Of course her – bag, later named after her, was not as large as some of the bags carried today, however, it’s a ploy copied by women today such as Victoria Beckhem. Even if you are not pregnant carrying a large handbag will make a woman look smaller.

Cons

Weight and strain The flip side of the advantage of being able to carry a large number of items in a large handbag is the possible strain this can have on your shoulders, neck and back. Of course this does depend on the type of strap and how a bag is worn. Wearing it across the body reduces the strain that carrying a bag on one shoulder. There is nothing wrong in carrying a large bag – it’s the amount of things you put in it that is the real issue.

Security issues It may not be something that you often thing about, but carrying a very large handbag on days out when you may be going into museums or art galleries, can be a disadvantage, as they won’t generally let you carry round large bags. You might not mind being parted from your belongs as you walk round, but it can be irritating if you suddenly have to find space in pockets for some of the things that you want to keep with you.

Losing things in a hurry Large bags can be great, particularly if you’re very organised and they have sufficient pockets to keep the different items easily accessible. However, there is nothing worse, than having a very large bag with insufficient pockets and finding that your keys or purse are lost in the bottom. We’ve all been there!

Not always suitable for day to night There are many women who find themselves having to go onto an evening event straight from work. Whether this is an event associated with work, or part of their leisure time, large handbags don’t always translate from their day use into evening, in the same way that some small bags can.

So should you carry a large handbag? Carrying a large handbag is going to be a matter of personal circumstances and lifestyle. Just remember if you favour a large bag, then remember to de-clutter on a weekly basis and check that you’re really not carrying more than you need to, and if you’re causing yourself any pain, then you need to stop before you cause permanent damage.