Bag Servant Body Shape

When buying a handbag do you consider whether it suits your body shape?

Within the past seven months I've worked with Emily Jayne to develop my personal style and create my summer capsule wardrobe.  But the one thing that we have not touched on is handbags.  As you'll know from do you use or wear your handbag? and the perfect everyday bag? I have a number of handbags that suit my handbag personality.  But what I haven't considered is whether they suit my body shape.  So I asked my friends at Bag Servant what I should be considering for my hour glass shape, here's their advise about how to consider your body shape when buying your next handbag.

We love to see what the celebrities are wearing on the red carpet and we are influenced each season by the catwalk. We love investing our hard earned money on fashion that makes us look and feel good. But do we ever consider the size, shape and style of handbag that will suit our body shape?

We are used to body shape terminology from television stylists such as Nicky Hambleton-Jones or the fabulous Gok Wan who have simply transformed the lives of so many women on the brink of emotional torture. Even the most fashion-savvy amongst us can do with a nod of approval or a stern word of disapproval when it comes to right and wrong fashion choices.

So, our body shapes are a fruit bowl of apple or strawberry like chic mummy to be Drew Barrymore , pear like the sugar delight Eva Longoria, butternut squash (the hourglass) like the delicious glamourpuss Nigella Lawson, petite like trend-setter Kylie Minogue, and athletic like sporty-luxe Duchess of Cambridge.

When it comes to choosing the best handbag to accentuate and flatter your shape, there are just a few rules…yes, ladies – RULES to keep the fashion police at bay.

If you are apple, you want to draw attention away from the tummy area. The best every day bag is a hand held, and for evening a cross-body mini bag (very hot this season). Avoid anything slouchy. Structure is your friend. We love and recommend the Reiss Handheld Leather Satchel. We recently did an in-store tried and tested with this season’s Reiss handbags, and they are divine! For the evening we adore this Riki Rosetta Blue Lizard Croco – the shoulder piece is the key feature on this bag as it is a mix of leather and metal and is moulded to your shoulder. This means you can have a canapé in one hand, cocktail in the other, and not spend your night worrying about bag-slippage.

For the pears, you’ll have a heavier bottom half. You can even everything out with a fabulous tote or shopper. If you are a slimmer pear then experiment with patterns and florals. On trend this season is the glamazon look. This look is great for clothing for pears as well as bags. You can wear all glamazon print, or just opt for a fabulously colourful bag. We love this Jamin Puech Raffia Tote. And for the evening, nothing looks more stunning against tanned summer skin than a shot of bright neon. We adore this Stella McCartney hot pink woven faux leather clutch.

Our butternut squash ladies are our envy. All woman with curves in all the right places. But you don’t want to draw attention to your bust or your hips. Emphasise that tiny waist with a structured tote or satchel especially in a pop of bright colour. It’s summer, so go for it with this on-trend burst of orange in this chic Osprey of London Ladybug Large Croc GrabBag. For the evening, reveal that glamourpuss with this Anya Hindmarch glitter clutch in red…make sure you are ready to be photographed.

Did you know that if you are petite, you certainly shouldn’t shy away from a big bag? Nothing that will drown you, but certainly something that says ‘I’m a big bag lover, and proud of it’. And girl, you’ll look great too. Our fabulous finds are the Diane Von Furstenberg Peacock Blue Drew Bag…hot, hot, hot. Make sure you team with gold accessories, especially a wrist-cuff. We also adore the oversized clutch, and love the Riki Rosetta Orange Lizard Clutch. You can read our review here…

So, you’re fit and trim and look the part too. You’re athletic in shape, and sometimes get called the tom boy shape or, the rhubarb. It doesn’t mean that you can’t do girly-glam. Look at our stunning Duchess Kate who mixes designer with the high street. There are some divine oversized clutches and pouches that are hot right now. Add in a little of the neon trend, and we want your look.  Duchess Kate has been papped clutching Reiss, Dune, L.K Bennet, and Whistles. By day, fall in love with this bright yellow Marc by Marc Jacobs ‘Too Hot to Handle’ Bucket Bag – I am in love!. And for the evening we adore this Reiss Cross OverStrap clutch with a retro twist.

You will love the expert handbag fashion advice detailed in the BagServant ultimateBuyer’s Guide.

Thanks to Bag Servant for an insightful body shape guide, I'll certainly be bearing this in mind, along with my handbag personality when I make my next handbag purchase.

A handbag for every occasion.........as long as it suits my butternut squash curves!

Lula Belle x