Why less is more when it comes to a new handbag

IT COULD be handbags at dawn for brands selling cavernous totes in Britain, with larger hold-alls rapidly falling out of favour with shoppers.

A third of women who bought a handbag in the past year decided to go for something smaller, like a clutch or a ‘grab bag’ from labels including Mulberry and Fendi.

The switch could save people from the chore of rummaging through a massive bag to find a purse, mobile phone, or keys.

And the change could help people’s health – with medical experts saying the heavy bags have been linked to ailments including backache and other muscular pains,

Last year saw 31 per cent of women buy a handbag, and of those who did, 29 per cent bought a smaller handbag, according to retail analysts Mintel.

Experts believe they are not only more fashionable, but also send out a statement that the holder is more organised – particularly useful for women in the workplace.

Big bags are still popular, and often used by mothers or those in a hurry, who pack everything into them from nappies to a spare pair of shoes or an umbrella so they can be prepared for any event.

But doctors have found that some bags weigh so much that regular use can lead to backache, muscular pain and even the early onset of arthritis if they are carried around all the time.

With so many women opting for smaller and cheaper bags, the growth of the overall spend on the market has slowed down.

In 2015, the total value of sales of handbags rose 5 per cent compared to 2014 to £1.34billion, which in turn was up 9 per cent on 2013, according to Mintel senior fashion analyst Tamara Sender.

She added: ‘A change in trend away from large bags such as totes to smaller styles such as cross-body bags, which are indeed lower priced, has also had an impact.

‘Several designer brands including Mulberry, Fendi and Alexander Wang have looked to appeal to aspirational shoppers with less expensive diminutive versions of their bestselling styles.’

In a recent interview to launch her own line of smaller handbags, British designer Lulu Guinness said women had days for big bags and days for small ones.

She explained: ‘Big-bag day is when everything’s gone in just because you are in a hurry and you can sort it out later. A small bag is a badge of being organised.’

Her recent designs are around a third smaller than her previous versions. ‘I just thought that they would be more glamorous if they were smaller,’ she said.