How-To

Bags You Can Carry In Multiple Ways

Lavie 4D Bag

We girls like to be perfectly co-ordinated in our outfits. It gives out a strong message that we are well informed and savvy in our choices, independent in our thinking. But unless you have unlimited budget and space in your closet, you really cannot go on buying a new bag with every new outfit. The next best option is to put what you have to multiple uses. Carrying one bag with multiple outfits is one way to do it. The other, more exciting way, is to carry the same bag in multiple ways with the same outfit! Enumerated below are the various ways you can do this:

1. Clutch/Sling

This is one of the most common styles that you’d have seen for sure and might also own one. When you want to look glam, go to the clutch mode; when you want to be hands-free, switch to sling mode. The slings can either be tucked inside the clutch seamlessly or they can be detached. One is literally spoilt for choice here! Shown here is a multi-hued bag by the 2AM Store.

Colour Play Box Clutch

2. Shoulder/Cross-Body/Top-Handle

Most modern day bags come with at least two of these options – shoulder/crossbody or crossbody/top-handle. Very handy options that can be toggled according to occasion – formal or casual. The shoulder-crossbody styles are usually a function of the strap that can be adjusted for length. On the other hand, when there is a top-handle, the crossbody strap should ideally be detachable. The shoulder/top-handle combination should be given a miss in my opinion. It is rather inconvenient to have the top handle poking you in the armpit when you have the bag over your shoulder.

Cilory Shoulder Bag With Top Handle

Image Courtesy: Cilory
3. Reversible Totes

One of the more versatile bags out there, reversible totes are a must-have in the modern woman’s arsenal. You just turn your tote inside-out and lo and behold, you have a bag as good as new! Opt for completely different colors or patterns on both sides of the bag so that you do not have a similar looking bag when you reverse it and also increase the range of clothes it matches with. This super stylish Steve Madden tote I chanced upon at the mall fits the bill perfectly.

Steve Madden Reversible Tote

4.Crossbody/Backpack

Ah – this combination is convenience personified. Apt for travel or when you have your baby around (ask this mum of three) – when you need to keep your belongings safe, be hands-free and juggle a myriad other tasks. There’s the just launched bag from ANQI that has caught our attention here.

ANQI Backpack Sling

5. All-in-one

Yes – there are such all-in-one bags and our very own Lavie had brought this gem to us a few seasons back. A reversible tote (that’s counted as 2), a sling and a clutch – that’s the 4D bag for you. Ok – it’s short of a backpack! But let’s give the brand credit for such innovative thinking; they sure are capable of coming out with a 5D superbag! 🙂

Lavie 4D Bag

6. Laptop/Shoulder Bag

This type of bag is a working woman’s best friend. The laptop pouch can either be detachable if it is meant for a larger laptop or an additional padded slot within the bag itself. The advantage with the former is that you can remove it if you do not have the laptop with you and convert your bag to a large carryall. I found some good choices in Baggit.

Baggit L Prive Forest Dew Green

7. Waist Pouch/Shoulder Bag

This combination is ideal for a traveler. Waist pouches score high on the utility factor and I feel are one of the most underrated bags. With the sort of immensely talented designers budding all over India, this space offers a mine of opportunities to cater to the growing tribe of travel bugs. Kipling is my go-to brand for this category.

Kipling Bag

So there you are – multi-carry-mode bags for the multitasking woman of today!

About the author

Vidya Gupta

Mother to three lovely boys and wife of a banking professional, I am extremely passionate about a host of topics, bags being one of them. For the record, the others are - makeup, travel, photography, in no particular order. Here I share my perspective on the Indian as well as the international bag-scene. As a youngster I would spend most of my money on bags and carry one according to my outfit. It is this love that I express through this blog. Needless to say, any suggestions for improvement, even healthy criticisms, are highly encouraged. Hope you enjoy your stay here and find something useful to help you on your next bag purchase!

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