Women's handbags: faux leather, canvas, velvet and straw

Choosing a women's handbag: start with what it has to hold

Work out what goes in before you look at the colour. A purse, a phone, keys and a small pouch fit into almost anything here. Add a water bottle, a folding umbrella or a paperback, and the picture changes: depth matters as much as width, and you want a base that sits flat instead of tipping over when the bag goes down beside you.

Short handles are what make a handbag a handbag. They sit in your palm or hook over your forearm, which is comfortable on a walk into town and awkward on a full day of buses and trains. Prefer to keep both hands free? Our cross-body bags answer a different need altogether.

Handbag fabrics in this selection

Handles, fastenings and the details that show wear

A push-lock clasp opens with one hand and closes with a click you can hear. A zip keeps everything in place on a crowded train. A flap looks neater but takes two steps to open, every single time. None of these is better in the abstract, so pick the one that matches how often you go into the bag.

Handle joins repay a second look. Metal rings and rivets take the strain better under a heavy load than tabs stitched flat to the body, and a scarf knotted round the handle is decoration, not structure. Quilted shapes trap dust in the raised stitching, which shows on pale colours. Past a certain size, inside zipped pockets do more for you than extra litres.

Colour, print and the rest of the outfit

Camel, beige and taupe work all year round and sit quietly against most coats. Navy and black stand up to the daily commute better. Red, mustard and the multicoloured prints do the opposite job: they are the single strong colour in an otherwise plain outfit, which is why one printed piece at a time is plenty. Tropical prints, tartan checks and star motifs all show up from across the room.

When another bag shape suits you better

A handbag is not always the answer. A tote or a weekend bag carries more, a bum bag frees your hands completely, and a straw basket is strictly a summer thing. They all sit together in our bags section, and the purses, card holders and pouches slip inside most of the shapes described above. Material and dimensions are listed on each product page.