Do you know what your bag reveals about the way you are?

It only takes 7 seconds to create a first impression of someone we just met. So believes body language expert Judi James, author of "The Body Language Bible." That first judgment can, on many occasions, be decisive and immovable, and it is influenced by aspects as decisive as posture, the way of speaking or facial expression. But also, whether we like it or not, the hairstyle, the makeup (or the lack of it) and, of course, the clothes... With their corresponding accessories, among which there is one that stands out above the rest, the bag.

The bag is not just another accessory: it is a fetish object for countless women. “Luxury bags make your life more pleasant, they make you dream, they give you confidence and show your neighbors that you are doing well”, Karl Lagerfeld once said about the most exclusive creations. But even the simplest (and affordable) models are important to their owners, as Carrie Bradshaw put it on the small screen: “we feel naked if we don't carry a bag in public”. This important psychological role that it plays suggests that this accessory will reveal a lot of information about its wearer. It really is that? Dr. Carolyn Mair, professor of fashion psychology, answers our question and explains how someone can be based on the type of bag they choose or the way they carry it.

Why do you choose one bag or another?

“The intuitive idea is that introverts will prefer small bags (to carry them hanging close to their body so as not to attract attention) and extroverts, large bags, hanging from their shoulder or elbow, so they look . However, it can also happen that an introvert wants to carry all his things with him and needs a large bag. Actually, I think it depends more on the situation than on the personality because generally the bag we choose has more to do with its functionality than with its aesthetic appearance”, explains Mair about the real difference between choosing a shopping bag or a mini clutch. “Maybe there is a direct relationship between personality and bag size, but that still needs to be investigated,” she admits.

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In her opinion, preferring a large or small bag is not as linked to the way of being as it may seem, but for more practical reasons. “How many things do you want to carry in it, how many options did you have and where are you going”, lists the psychologist before revealing an aspect that I did convey how the owner is. Carrying a luxury bag can convey something about your life: "That you have money to spend on that kind of thing and that you want others to know it," Mair agrees with Karl Lagerfeld. According to Mair, the color or the material (unless it is vegan skin) they do not have to be directly related to the way of being of its wearer, although if it is shiny or a light color it will attract more attention from others.

That's how you are, that's how you carry your bag

In your hand, like Olivia Palermo and other guests at Milan Fashion Week; hung on the shoulder, like the models; or around the waist, like the Kardashian sisters. The bag can be carried in many different ways, but each woman has a favorite. Because? “There is no empirical evidence to suggest that carrying your bag in a certain way reflects your personality, so the following explanation that I am going to give you is based on my opinion, based on other evidence that I am aware of”, explains Dr. Carolyn. Mair before drawing some profiles from the different ways of putting on a bag.

“Whoever wears a crossbody bag like a shoulder strap across the chest is a person who likes to feel protected and safe. He may be someone who doesn't like to be approached, who prefers to keep his distance. On the contrary, if you hang it on your shoulder, you will be a confident person, as well as informal and who wants to do other things with your hands while carrying the bag.” According to Mair, "possibly someone busy, multitasking", the same happens if you carry a crossbody bag on your back or if you carry a backpack or a fanny pack.

When the bag hangs from the elbow or is carried in the hand, whether it is a clutch or not, "it means that the girl is going to a special place and the bag is the final touch of the look", completes the psychologist about what can to show how to put on this accessory. “Of course, I think that personality can be shown more in the choice of the bag than in how it is carried. Sometimes someone's bag would not have been her first choice, but it was the one she had available for that situation”, says Carolyn Mair, returning to that practical role that the bag should always play.