This is the general consensus among those who are able to overlook the utilitarian purpose of a bag.

I am not one of those people.

To me, the size of the bag depends STRICTLY on what is going inside it. Call me crazy. I'm the same height and weight as you are and I carry a great big patent black tote bag around with me most days. Why? Because I need to! What other option do I have to carry my stuff to and from classes? I think it's silly when I see women on the train carrying around a dainty little purse and then carrying all their files and books and other work items in a clunky, ugly shopping bag. It makes no sense either practically or visually. They look like unusually well-off bag ladies, and honestly, it just overwhelms them even more than if they just carried a single large, sleek, streamlined bag.

I generally try to limit what I bring with me every day. Most women have the problem of trying to carry too many unnecessary things with them. Once you've pared down the essentials, just find the smallest possible bag that accommodates them. That goes for tall women too. Who wants to lug around a gigantic satchel just to carry a wallet, keys, and some lip gloss?

To resolve the issue of appearing overwhelmed, I kept my bag very classic, structured, and sleek. That way people notice me and not the gigantic weight on my shoulder.

Great point mayapple :) In order to look professional when going to work, I agree we should all carry one larger bag as opposed to a bunch of smaller ones. However, when you are selecting the bag you carry on the weekends (when you don't have to carry all your stuff from class to class), would you then choose a smaller bag for your more petite frame? Or would you purchase a larger bag for just walking about town (and going about your weekend rituals)?

Perhaps I should also tell you all that the reason this topic has come up is that I'm considering purchasing a larger patent leather purse that would measure approximately 16 inches long x 4 inches wide x 10 inches high. It would have double straps which would hang over my shoulder so that the bottom of the bag would hit my body just below/at thigh height.

Hmmm interesting. I agree w/both of your views...but a tote bag is different than a purse and necessity outweighs fashion when it comes to commuting with a lot of gear. You also have to keep your back health in mind if you're carrying around alot of heavy gear.

My mother always told me to use math as a guide when figuring out proportions. To me, no more than 25% of your overall height should be covered up by your purse. (I don't know where I'm getting that number, but it sounds reasonable to me). So, if you are 62" tall (5'2") then a 15 inch purse would be about as big as I would go. I think there is probbly more leeway when it comes to how small you can go though.

This is an interesting topic. I would say there is definitely something to the purse size in proportion to your body theory. I'm also 5'2'' and weigh about 103. I've had many people comment on how huge and heavy my bag looks at school, and yet no one says anything to a girl who is 5'7'' and carries a bigger bag than mine. That said, I can't just leave all of my books and papers at home. I have to turn homework in, take notes, and some teachers require you to look at the book in class. I have weak shoulders and have yet to find a good way to do this. I've tried a black faux leather computer bag with a shoulder strap, regular backpacks, and large purses. Right now I'm carrying an unstylish dark blue backpack for books and a medium size black purse for essentials. I still have a hard time making myself put the backpack on both shoulders, which is what my physical therapist told me to do. I guess I'm not much help on this topic, but I could use some help too. :)

My quick answer would be "yes"... accessories always look better when some thought is given to their proportion relative to the body. If you are carrying a bag to work or for a functional purpose, though, obviously it will have to be large enough to hold your stuff. If it does need to be "large", details such as seaming zippers, hardware, and any other adornments should be in scale to the body and generally understated (like mayapple said) Generally, I think bags carried over the shoulder look best when the bottom of the bag falls somewhere between waist and hip, the closer to the waist the better.

Fascinating topic. I'm of no help since I'm "bag challenged" myself. I'm fine with respect to bags for going out, but my everyday going to work situation is awful - I leave the house with a big messy purse (tried the "purse kit" which didn't help at all), plus a tote bag for my laptop and some papers (stupid, as it doesn't even protect my laptop), plus often a little lunch bag. I hate slinging 3 bags over my shoulder, it's impractical, and it's certainly not stylish. But this thread might finally inspire me to just find one big bag that fits all (and only) what I need and replace the 3-bag-mess! Thank you all for that :-) I love this forum.

Bravo Antje!

The aim is to combine aesthetics with practicality. If you need to carry a lot of stuff to school, you need a big tote or satchel no matter what your size or height. The same holds true for nappy bags and laptop bags. Here, you need to find the most stylish solution to fulfill this very practical need. It can be done.

If you’re not in this phase, you need to think further. Limit the contents of what’s in your handbag. Heavy bags are bad for your back and posture. I believe that larger and taller people look better carrying larger handbags and vice versa. And I like Nicole’s mother’s proportions theory.

To answer the question above, when I'm not heading off to school or work, I still carry the smallest bag necessary to hold all my things. Often this is just a tiny Kate Spade Pia bag that barely fits my wallet, lip gloss, and slim cell phone. If I want to carry a book and a watter bottle, I'll go bigger. It doesn't really have as much to do with my size as it does comfort. Bigger bags are bad for your back and difficult to carry, and after a long week of hauling around my tote, it's a relief to scale down. Larger bags also don't stay on my shoulder so I constantly have to yank them up, which is annoying. The smaller I go, the more details I like to add, but with bigger bags I prefer to be more discreet. I think the style of bag can cause it to recede or pop even more than the size sometimes.

Mayapple, When I'm going to run errands or shopping, I don't like to be burdened with a purse, so I carry a wristlet. I have two, a plain black one my husband bought me as a stocking stuffer and a nice blue leather Coach one. They're just big enough to hold a tiny billfold type wallet, lip balm, my cell phone and any receipts I collect along the way. It's also small enough to tuck into my coat pocket, so I can have my hands free. Of course when the warmer weather comes, the coat pocket isn't available, but I just hook it over my wrist and I'm good to go. I also tend to use this when I'm travelling because I'm always so concerned about being a victim of purse snatcher or pick pocket. I actually prefer the cheap one to the Coach one because it's a little bit smaler, and it has an outside pocket that perfectly holds my phone.

I was checking out a beautiful blue canvas bag yesterday. I wasn't crazy about the way it closed though--it had three snaps and I thought it would be a pain in the butt to get in and out of...and I was afraid the canvas would just get filthy quickly. But I absolutely loved the color--bright robins egg blue! I'm going to keep my eyes open for a bag that color, but in a more practical material--like leather.

I was thinking of getting a wristlet some time ago, Nicole. I found a great cheap one at Urban Outfitters a few months ago and I wish I had bought it. It actually came with a pocket for your cell phone, card slots, a zippered coin purse, and a pocket for cash. It would have held everything I needed. Maybe it will pop up on ebay some time.

Canvas bags look hideous after a few outings. Unless they're dark enough to conceal the dirt. it's best to just bypass them.

It's interesting how you both perceive a wristlet to be less cumbersome than a sling or shoulder bag Nicole & Mayapple. I find the exact opposite. I wear a wristlet when I know I won’t need both hands, like at night when I go out. Horses for courses!

Angie, I think if bags stayed on my shoulder I would probably prefer them, but it's incredibly annoying to constantly have to yank them up. Since they end up sliding down to my forearm anyway, it doesn't make much difference to me.

Okay. How about a small sling?

I am petite and the short answer to your question is absolutely. It is so funny to see anyone wearing a bag that looks like their whole kitchen sink is in it. So bottom line, yes we need to think of practicality BUT please get the smallest bag that fits your essentials only. Essentials being the key word in that sentence. Thank you! Can you tell this is a pet peeve of mine? ;-) You don't look fab if you can't be seen you behind a bag...

Mayapple, I have the same problem with shoulder bags falling off my shoulder. I tried a sling style bags, but the bag itself was akward. But a shorter strap will help the strap slip sitch. The bag itself stays tucked under your arm tighter than a longer bag. This wont help for your large tote bag, since you can't really tuck a large bag under your arm. But it's great for the need of a smaller bag.

Hmm, I haven't really given any thought to sling bags, maybe because I have never really come across one that I really love. I try to steer clear of sportier looks because it's just so not who I am, and the majority of slings I have seen are of the sportier variety.

My arms are really scrawny so the strap has to be super short to stay on. So far only my Pia bag accomplishes this, which is why I like it,but it definitely doesn't hold much. I also think my shoulders are just narrower and, um, slope-ier than most people's. I can't even get my bra straps to stay up.

Oh Maya, I am the most un-sporty girl of them all. I would never advocate a sporty sling bag unless you were an athlete. I’m talking retro fab, pleather fun and funky deluxe. They are available.

Bustier women that I have worked with do not seem to prefer sling bags. Do you and Nicole feel the same way?

haha, I guess I just haven't seen the mystical retro fab pleather fun and funky variety. I admit I don't do much bag shopping though.

I was actually thinking about that consideration. Messenger bags cut across me at the most awkward point when I sling them over the opposite shoulder, so I imagine a sling would be even worse. They should invent some sort of snappy clip thing to stick on your shoulder that holds your purse in place!

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As a short person who is also really chesty, I'll answer your question Angie--I hate, hate, hate any kind of sling or messenger bag. Having it cut right across my boobs, forcing them to stick out from either side of the strap, is just the worst.

Nicole, I am wondering where you saw that blue canvas bag? I have an off-white canvas bag that I got from Coach about five years ago that's still clean and in good shape, and I don't purchase leather, so I'm interested in finding another cute canvas bag. Thanks!

Steph, Unfortunately, I saw the blue canvas bag at TJ Maxx. But I can tell you the brand was Sisley. It was marked down to $35.