If You Can't Match The Picture To The Handbag, Go Shopping Right Now

Fashion in the 2010s has been largely shaped by hipster-fashion, 1930s Western fashion, and a little thing called 'athleisure', which simply means when women (and men) wear their athletic gear when they are running errands or going to work. In the 1990s and early 2000s us women were bombarded with "It Bags" like those made by popular (and outrageously expensive) brands like Chanel, Hermès and Fendi.

Sure men can get away wearing their Jansport backpack whenever they go out (to mostly hold onto our sweaters and sweatpants since we get cold so easily) and they can get away with it. But women are increasingly scrutinized for their fashion style and (not to mention) their choice of handbags. Now to match our clothes with our handbags or to not match with our handbags is truly the question and a tricky dichotomy.  The fashion wheel turns around and around and around, but luckily a quick google search like "handbag winter trends 2018" can quickly nullify any of our concerns. Now if you are the type of person who has been vying for the "best dressed" title of your group of friends for as long as you can remember, then you should have no trouble passing this handbag quiz!

Question 1

What brand is this?

Ah, clutches. Sure they look super chic and classy but if you are any bit scatterbrained then this is not the bag for you. If you are known as a "Lost Louise" or a "Forgetful Freida" in your group of friends then you may want to add a long strap to this so that you can wear it messenger bag style or simply just let it hang from your shoulder. Or you could be like me and opt for no handbag at all.

Question 2

What brand is this?

I. Want. This. Bag. End of story. If you're super girly like me then you're probably drooling over this, too. This seems to be a spring bag to me, and it looks pretty versatile, meaning it is your choice for how you want to wear it: lazily hung over your shoulder for when you're running late for the bus stop or you can just carry it with your hands. Now, your boyfriend will probably never ever carry this for you. It's just too girly.

Question 3

What brand is this?

Every woman needs a black handbag. First of all, as we have learned from our mothers, black goes with anything. Period. You can almost say the same thing about white except it cannot be worn after Labor Day or during funerals. But yes, a black handbag is a staple in any woman's wardrobe. However, if you want to be a fancy pants and buy a high-end bag then I would look no further than the bag I have depicted to the right.

Question 4

What brand is this?

Back in the early 2000s it seemed like every girl in my high school (and even my middle school) had a designer brand. Even coming from a middle upper class family, I still couldn't get my hands on one of these designer brands. Yeah those bags those popular girls wore were probably knock-offs but even knock-offs can go for a pretty penny. Ebay was my best friend back in my teenage years. Oh, and clearance sales at Macy's, of course!

Question 5

What brand is this?

My jaw dropped when I saw the price of this crossbody bag. Wanna hear it? It is going for about $1200 on a retailer website. Oh. Man. For the love of all that is fashion, that is expensive! I suppose this is a brand only celebrities or doctor's wives can enjoy. Pity. Oh well, like I mentioned in the last question, Ebay can really save your butt...and your wallet. Yes, crossbody bags fall under the category of handbags. Just check out Pinterest if you don't believe me!

Question 6

What brand is this?

Okay so there are tons and tons of bag types that fall under the category of handbags. Let's go over them! There are hobo, baguette, duffel, shopper, wristlet, messenger, clutch, satchel, and last but not least there is the duffel bag. I'm a girl and I had not idea there were that many styles. You probably know better than myself, though. Truth be told: I fell off the fashion bandwagon as soon as those late night study sessions in college set in.

Question 7

What brand is this?

Can I be super honest here? I think purses were invented as a sort of scam for women. I mean, think about it...if we had deep enough pockets (or pockets, at all) our society probably would have never developed the demand for them. The market supply is a projection of what consumers demand. No pockets? Well, what else are we supposed to do if we don't have boyfriends to carry our phones, wallets, and endless lip applicators? The truth is in the pudding.

Question 8

What brand is this?

I don't even remember the last time I ran into someone with a high-end bag. People in Florida are either too hot or too lazy to be toting things around. I share a pretty minimalist lifestyle living on the beach, but don't be jealous especially since sand gets literally everywhere and handbags are no different. But whatever, I digress. I suppose it's time for me to buy a new bag...you know, just to show off when I meet up with college friends.

Question 9

What brand is this?

Okay so another personal note: I love love love this brand depicted to the right. It is my all-time favorite brand. Wanna know why? It's the perfect cross between quirky and classy. Something I strive for...(and usually miss) on most days of the week. This style became popular in the West about 10 or 12 years ago. I had my eyes on this brand since I was about 13 and looking back almost a decade later, I'm still swooning over this brand.

Question 10

What brand is this?

This brand is known for its chic crocodile leather style. And before you cry those crocodile tears over the prices to your boyfriend or husband to guilt him into gifting it to you for an early birthday present, make sure you cut him a break and get the ones without real diamonds. I mean, come on...won't they fall off eventually? At that point, it looks incredibly tacky and devalued to the point of no return. And that statement can be taken literally!

Question 11

What brand is this?

This brand is no trade secret. It has been around since the 1900s. That's right. Right around when Albert Einstein was developing his Theory of Relativity and when Ford motor company was starting to push its peddle to the medal. And here's another hint that should give it away: Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep star in a movie named after this popular designer brand. If you truly want diamonds studded onto your bag then you may want to look into this option, as well.

Question 12

What brand is this?

Want to know a secret fashion tip? If you're not too embarrassed to tell future guys you date that you still live at home, then I'd suggest living with your mom and sister for as long as you can. Not only does it save money so you can splurge when you want, but then you guys can swap clothes and accessories. Yes, I'm assuming you're roughly the same size as the women in your family but I don't think it's a far cry from typical American families.

Question 13

What brand is this?

Now that Christmas has come and gone, hopefully you scored some cool handbags from the in-laws or your own family. Or hey, maybe you got a few hundred extra bucks to spend on yourself. It's the gift that keeps on giving. My mother used to joke that once I purchased an expensive wallet then I wouldn't have any money to put it in. Very funny. But no one's kidding around when they buy one of these bad boys like the one shown on the right.

Question 14

What brand is this?

Okay now we are getting into celebrity fashion territory. I will probably never be able to afford bags like this...but you know, a girl can dream, can't she? Well, I guess I'll keep on dreaming. This fashion designer had her start in the 1960s she is known for bedazzling most of her handbag lines which really ramp up the prices. Kudos to you if you can guess which brand this is since I'm pretty sure it is a luxury strictly for celebs. Sigh...

Question 15

What brand is this?

Here's a history lesson! The phrase "to handbag" comes from the UK prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, pulling pieces of paper out of her handbags at meetings to remember what to say. More generally, it means to "treat ruthlessly" which is alluding to Margaret Thatcher's style of government. What handbags were to Margaret Thatcher is what cigars were to Winston Churchill. How interesting! However, I was sort of expecting purses to have originated from women who were looking for a secret place to put tampons.

Question 16

What brand is this?

Here's another history lesson. This time it's about the brand in question. This brand was started by a young man in Somerset, England. Thanks to 500 bucks his mother lent him, he got to work on designing his logo and handbag style. It's logo is reminiscent of a tree which goes back to the days of this founder's youth. The logo is supposed to be iconic of the trees he would pass on his way to school. I love when backstories come from the heart.

Question 17

What brand is this?

Well, here's a (sort of) hint. This brand was mentioned in that old, hit song by the Black Eyed Peas. Remember that one with Fergie and will.i.am? It was called "My Humps" if you are drawing a blank. Yeah, it's not the best hint since they mention a lot of top brands in the song. Or at least Fergie sings about them. That hint should narrow the choices to about fifty-fifty if you can remember how the song goes.

Question 18

What brand is this?

Whether you have plans to go away to college or you're already studying at college, you have probably noticed all the iPhone or Android wallet purses. Those things are a life-saver! It's super neat because you can hold onto all your debit or credit cards in it (along with your student id and social security card), keys, and phone all in one. Before transitioning to this type of wallet, I would lose my phone and keys constantly. Now, I practically never lose my stuff!

Question 19

What brand is this?

I guess the phone wallet I still have going on is becoming a bit...well, outdated to say the least. I guess it's time for me to ditch my old college stuff and upgrade to a more adult accessory collection. I just keep telling myself that the older I get the better life will be since I'll have more experience and won't be so easily swayed by relationships. Once you date a few different types of guys, you basically have dated them all.

Question 20

What brand is this?

Honestly, some of these bags are about as much as a down payment on a house. I don't get it. I mean, wouldn't women rather spend it on a wedding or vacation or a rocket to go to outer space even? I guess not. Oh well, different strokes for different folks I suppose. I'll say this much though: I would totally buy all these bags if I was rich and famous. Well, I'd like to look into the company's manufacturers just to make sure they aren't being made with sweatshop wages. You can never be too careful!

Question 21

What brand is this?

Okay this pattern is super iconic for the brand. In fact, this pattern became so popular that just about everyone in my high school had one. At least, this brand or they had a Victoria's Secret tote. Some, however, had to opt for the free Victoria's Secret after spending about 50 bucks during their semi annual sale. By the end of the school year, my bag looked well-loved. I'm sure this brand would have lasted a lot longer.

Question 22

What brand is this?

Okay so apparently fanny packs are no longer called fanny packs. They are called waist purses. I guess that would be a good idea during the summer when you are just walking around town, but I can imagine them being quite cumbersome when getting in and out of cars and when putting on a coat during the winter months. If you have time, check out some on Etsy. Some are actually quite cute. As for me, I do not think I would actually get one. But that is just me!

Question 23

What brand is this?

Hmm this looks suede to me. Is it suede? I honestly can not stand suede. Yes there are all kinds of sprays, sealants, and protectors out there. At least, I'm assuming that since they have sprays for suede shoes that they have sprays for purses, as well. Suede is easily damaged and it's a pain in the rear end to get rid of. At least with faux leather you can scrub grime away. Not so with suede, not at all.

Question 24

What brand is this?

This style keeps coming up when I search for this specific brand. I believe it was super popular last spring, but quite honestly, this should last several seasons. I mean look at it! It is beige brown, first of all. It is leather, which is practically timeless and will always be in style. Oh, and it even has a long arm length strap so you can wear it messenger style or just over the shoulder. Usually when I am in a rush I just throw the strap on my shoulder and run out the door.

Question 25

What brand is this?

Okay, last, but not least—we've made it to the last question. Hopefully, you've been racing through these with flying colors. This last one should be fairly easy if you shop at Nordstrom at all and pay attention to all the different brands. This pattern is pretty iconic and representative of the style of this brand. It is chic, low-key, and fabulous all rolled into one. It has tons of pockets so you can be as Type A as much as you want. Score!

See Your Result
Questions Left
Current Score