Today the retail market is flooded with clothes and an increasing number of accessories in different styles and fashion. Although you may like one handbag, chances are if you are anything like me, you would have no clue of the type that the particular handbag belongs to. So the next time if your daughter compliments you, "Mom that's a great tote", don't look around; rather look at your purse and acknowledge her compliments. Although handbags could be of different sizes, shapes and styles, there are some most popular categories in handbags.

Holding your handbag by handles gives you a handheld handbag. The straps are small so that you can only carry them by your hands. These are not very big and you cannot dump anything and everything in it. These are pretty much in style now-a-days and are easy to carry while you are out shopping or in a casual get-together.

Shoulder bags as the name suggests have shoulder straps and are meant to be worn over the shoulder. These have large spaces and you can carry your make-up kit, books and wallet easily in a shoulder bag. These days shoulder bags come with nice metallic and leather straps that enhance the look and feel of these bags.

The back pack used for back packing is a popular bag across all ages and across all centuries. The reason is simple; it always serves the purpose. Although most popular among the students, back packs are largely used by all whenever they are out their negotiating the trails or going for a picnic. The more compartmentalized a back pack is more efficient it is. Back packs these days come in lovely colors with great patterns to choose from. Back packs from Swiss are quite famous and are priced around 100 USD.

A clutch is a handheld handbag without the straps. So you can just carry it in your palm or hold it in your hand but you cannot hang it. Clutch bags are pretty common in evening parties and dinners. Small and petite clutch bags generally have rich craftsmanship with beads and sequins. It will have enough space for your bare necessities. Most ladies have two to three clutch bags matching their evening wears.

Finally comes the all-purpose, casual, tote bag. Extremely practical, you can wear those across your shoulder and on your bag. These have compartments to demarcate your belongings! You will also have enough space to dump your books or your dancing shoes! These come in vibrant colors and patterns to uplift your mood.

Choosing a handbag that best suits your style and your clothes is the ideal way to go when it comes to shopping for handbags. First pick up the type that best suits your present needs and then go for the color, shape and pattern. It's not that difficult, you see! And if you do have the mullah, then why shy away? Buy one from each type and you are covered for all occasions and all seasons!