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What to know about handbags & wallets
Buy a bag on how it will be carried before how it looks, because that decision is the one you live with every day. A shoulder strap leaves both hands free only while you keep that shoulder raised; a crossbody really frees your hands and spreads the weight across your back. A top handle looks sharpest and occupies a hand permanently. Weight compounds the choice, since a heavy bag empty is a heavy bag full. Leather lined with more leather can account for a third of what you end up carrying.
What you actually put inside settles the size. Measure the longest thing you carry daily, usually a laptop, a tablet or a water bottle, and check it against the stated dimensions rather than trusting words like roomy. A bag that swallows a 15 inch laptop and a bag that swallows a phone and keys are both called medium by somebody.
Hardware and lining fail long before the leather does. Zips, strap anchors, feet and the stitching where a handle meets the body take all the stress. Every guide below explains what to check there, plus the named shapes, the materials and how to keep the bag in shape.
