As every woman knows, her handbag is the essential accessory needed to carry all those items needed for modern life from lipstick to library books.
But as life has become busier, so women have shouldered a greater burden. The average girl about town now carries a bag weighing a whopping 2.37kg, 38 per cent heavier than five years ago and equivalent to five bags of sugar.
The extra weight trend has been blamed on new technology with girls about town now carrying mobile phones, chargers, BlackBerries, iPods and palmtop computers. Women on their way to work often carry smart shoes as well.
Retailers are now reinforcing bag straps to cope with the greater demands. Asda, which carried out the snapshot survey, currently designs bags which can easily withstand 20lb (9kg) of weight.
Asda brand director Fiona Lambert said: "Women have often complained modern life is becoming a burden and now we know they are right. The contents of a woman's handbag is a good indicator of their lifestyle. Increased weight must mean increasing responsibilities."
Sue Braddick, John Lewis's assistant handbag buyer, said:"We are seeing a trend for bigger bags. For example, sales of Mulberry bags, which tend to be bigger anyway, are up 19 per cent.
"The two best-selling own brands are compartment bags. The have lots of different pockets and compartments so it helps women organise the many things they have to carry around."
Linda Jackson, director of recruitment and training consultancy Fairplace, said: "I have just bought a bag called 'The Overnighter'. I'm not going to use it as an overnight bag, it's simply to cart all my usual stuff around.
"It has to be able to take my make-up, phone, BlackBerry and sometimes a pair of shoes or some extra jewellery if I'm going out in the evening. Also, it has obviously got to be big enough to take an A4 rolled-up file because I might need to do some work. It really is a mobile office." Communications consultant Lesley Smith said: "You'd think bags would be getting lighter because we've all dumped Filofaxes but we still keep paper diaries and the purse has got much heavier because it's so full of plastic. For the later-in-life working mother like me, you've also often got the baby's bottle and changing bag."
(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=501871&in_page_id=1879)
From Kate Moss to Kylie, no self-respecting girl about town can do without their handbag
But as life has become busier, so women have shouldered a greater burden. The average girl about town now carries a bag weighing a whopping 2.37kg, 38 per cent heavier than five years ago and equivalent to five bags of sugar.
The extra weight trend has been blamed on new technology with girls about town now carrying mobile phones, chargers, BlackBerries, iPods and palmtop computers. Women on their way to work often carry smart shoes as well.
Retailers are now reinforcing bag straps to cope with the greater demands. Asda, which carried out the snapshot survey, currently designs bags which can easily withstand 20lb (9kg) of weight.
Asda brand director Fiona Lambert said: "Women have often complained modern life is becoming a burden and now we know they are right. The contents of a woman's handbag is a good indicator of their lifestyle. Increased weight must mean increasing responsibilities."
Sue Braddick, John Lewis's assistant handbag buyer, said:"We are seeing a trend for bigger bags. For example, sales of Mulberry bags, which tend to be bigger anyway, are up 19 per cent.
"The two best-selling own brands are compartment bags. The have lots of different pockets and compartments so it helps women organise the many things they have to carry around."
Linda Jackson, director of recruitment and training consultancy Fairplace, said: "I have just bought a bag called 'The Overnighter'. I'm not going to use it as an overnight bag, it's simply to cart all my usual stuff around.
"It has to be able to take my make-up, phone, BlackBerry and sometimes a pair of shoes or some extra jewellery if I'm going out in the evening. Also, it has obviously got to be big enough to take an A4 rolled-up file because I might need to do some work. It really is a mobile office." Communications consultant Lesley Smith said: "You'd think bags would be getting lighter because we've all dumped Filofaxes but we still keep paper diaries and the purse has got much heavier because it's so full of plastic. For the later-in-life working mother like me, you've also often got the baby's bottle and changing bag."
(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=501871&in_page_id=1879)
From Kate Moss to Kylie, no self-respecting girl about town can do without their handbag
