Shoulder Bags vs Handbags

No one can deny it - like the Tories and Labour, these are just about the only two popular bags in existence. We've decided to weigh up their pros and cons against each other. After all, there needs to be some way of deciding which one you want to wear, right? Because if your lives follow the same pattern as mine, they're full of last-minute rushing which is made worse by indecision over which bag to wear - which looks nicest with what you're wearing?

 Shoulder bags are practical whilst still looking fashionable (most of the time) and can easily fit all your essentials as well as things that are of more awkward shapes: like A4 folders and pieces of paper. They make everything very organised and from one unzipping it is clear to see what is inside.
But as always shoulder bags have the awkward habit of banging against you with every step, especially if you're walking or running quickly. They also tend to swing around in the most annoying (and sometimes painful) manner.

Handbags are definitely also practical - the general carrier of everything you ever need, these items always remain your fiathful companion. They are usually big and never really have to be unpacked - you can just continue dumping new things on top.
Which brings us to the one, major con - handbags (not always, but nearly always) tend to be a complete mess. You have to dig around for a good time to find anything, and on the way there your hands tend to encounter unpleasant things you didn't even know were still there. Like the shoulder bags, they can also be tedious to carry when they start slipping off, or take up lots of space next to you and bang into everyone you walk by.

Despite all of this, we have chosen the traditional handbag as our favourite. However, when you need to put anything that might be crumpled or bent into a bag, we definitely recommend the shoulder bag. Unless you don't care about how it looks like once you've walked a few steps!

Bus-Stop Fashion

It always comes back to the same old question: What do you wear if you’re doing something really casual? Where is the distinction between fancy and simple? And most importantly, what do you wear at the bus stop?

The simple truth is that your heels and short dress can be very embarrassing as you step onto the bus. You stumble, the wind blows your dress up, it splits while you’re managing the large gap drivers always seem to leave between pavement and bus. You can, of course, wear your old trainers and carry your heels in a plastic bag, but we’re looking for better alternatives.

As of yet, we've found that the best (and easiest) method is to go for the dressed down chic – chunky doc martins may not seem the ideal partner to a lovely dress or those cool roll-ups you just bought, but go ahead, try it – you’ll be surprised at what the outcomes can be. 

And here’s our Top Tip: Next time you’re bored waiting for the bus, have a go noting down what everyone is wearing – business style? Laid back? Wrapped up in thick rain-jackets? And then (here comes the important bit) think of how you would change the outfit to make it dead fashionable. It’s not as easy as you might think, and varies with both time and bus-stop location. But one thing is guaranteed – seeing that the bus is only due in 14 minutes will (hopefully) never be boring again for all you fashionistas!