I'm a firm believer in carrying the bag you love with pride, whether that be a vintage hand-me-down from your mother or a simple cotton shopping tote you rescued from the side of the road! But if your goal is to find out what bag best compliments and balances out your body type, then read on.
General body types
Each of us has a certain body type that has nothing to do with our weight. For example, I'm more of a rectangle shape which means my shoulders, waist and hips are all roughly the same width. Other people may be pear shaped (shoulders and waist are narrower than hip), apple shaped (shoulders and hip are narrower than waist), hourglass shaped (shoulders and hips are well balanced, while waist is narrow) or inverted triangles (shoulders wider than waist and hips).
While it's well known that the type of clothing we wear can influence how our body proportions are perceived, the type and size of bag we carry can also play a big role. Below I've summarised the best types of bags for each body type. As a general rule, balance is achieved by carrying a bag that is opposite to our body type, and that sits by the part of our body we want to draw attention to.
Rectangle
People like me with rectangular body types can carry bags of most sizes, but the best styles for balancing our angular bodies are slouchy and curvy bags. These bags help to soften our frame. Think bags like hobos, which are naturally slouchy (and glorious in my opinion!), rather than bags with too much structure like rigid totes or briefcases. Crossbody bags are also great because the strap helps to visually break up the rectangular frame.
Pear
Pear body types can carry slouchy or structured bags. As the hips are the widest part, bags that sit just under the arm or at the waist are perfect to balance out these proportions. If wearing belt/hip bags, these could be worn across the chest instead of the hip to avoid accentuating the widest part of the body.
Hourglass
These body types have the freedom to carry bags either up higher or down by the hip, however to balance proportions you can wear clothing that balances out the bag e.g. if you're carrying a crossbody that hits at your hip, you could add structure to your shoulders by wearing a jacket or sleeved top.
Apple
Bags with long straps look great worn off shoulder or crossbody as they will hit at the hip rather than waist. Crossbody bags look great as they visually break up the rounder frame (much like rectangular body types). Bags with a shorter strap that fit snugly just under the arm would act to widen the shoulders. Structured bags help to balance out the softer frame, so think boxy tote bags or backpacks.
Inverted triangle
Being widest at the shoulder and narrower at the hips, inverted triangles can balance their proportions by carrying bags with long straps so that they hit at the hip e.g. shoulder or crossbody bags. For an evening look, a clutch bag or grab bag carried down at hip level would work well.
I hope this has helped you to consider your future bag choices. And, if you've decided you'd like a custom bag that suits your body shape perfectly, just get in touch at info@moochdenim.com.
Always remember that rules are made to be broken and the best 'style' of bag is the one that meets your functional needs and that makes you smile inside.
xx Maz