North-South Divide

The real North-South divide has traditionally been based on the economic and cultural differences between Southern England and the rest of Great Britain (Northern England, Wales and Scotland). Not so in the fashion world!It's all in The Bag...Londoners tend to opt for the gargantuan, larger than yourself, bag. Whilst northerners tend to want to glam it up most of the time. Clutches feature heavily particularly in places like Newcastle.Debenhams conducted a survey to find out bag preferences which included the postcode of those that took part.The larger than life bag trend, opted by women who live in London, was mainly due to long working longer hours. Many without access to a car, therefore needing an extra-large handbag for the obligatory make-up, change of clothes, gym or yoga kit even. The list of must have-to-take-to-work is endless.The "desk to dinner" lifestyle is more common with Londoners, as many commute not making it possible to go home before a night out. The larger tote is a trend among Londoners known as the "24 hour" handbag.As a recent export from London to the North myself, I can definitely support the lifestyle differences. In London, bars and restaurants get busy immediately after the working day. In the north I observed how deserted some towns were early evening. It's because most go home, refresh and then return for a evening out. How rather civilised and lucky. No such luck for a Londoner.Today the handbag has become the ultimate statement piece for women. It signals status. The research by Debenhams also demonstrates how the bag we carry, like the clothes we wear, reflects our personality.Below is a more regional summary of the choice of bag by postcode...


Bag type: Crossbody bagWhat your bag says about you: Safety-savvyStyle icon: Emeli Sande


Bag type: Clutch bagWhat your bag says about you: Dressed up and ready to goStyle icon: Cheryl Cole


Bag type: Medium-sized toteWhat your bag says about you: Classic and practicalStyle icon: Cat Deeley


you: Busy 24 hours a dayStyle icon: Victoria Beckham


Bag type: Shoulder bagWhat your bag says about you: No fuss and a bit self-containedStyle icon: Una Healey


Bag type: Gym bags and backpacksWhat your bag says about you: The Mt. Snowdon effect - sportyStyle icon: Katherine Jenkins

So next time you're asked to comment of the real north-south divide, take a look at her handbag.