The problem with a small bag isn't the bag. It's that most of us try to fit the contents of a large bag into it, fail, and go back to carrying a tote that gives us backache.
Small bags need a slightly different approach. Here's what's actually worth carrying, what to leave at home, and the one swap that frees up more space than anything else.
What should you keep in a crossbody bag?
Five things cover almost every day out: your phone, your cards, your keys, a lip balm and one thing that solves your most likely problem.
That last one is personal and it's the bit generic lists always miss. Depending on who you are it might be:
- Painkillers
- An inhaler or an antihistamine
- A hair clip or a bobble
- A plaster or two
- A portable charger
- A spare contact lens
Work out which one applies to you and it earns its space several times a year. Everything else is optional and should be treated that way.
The one swap that frees up the most space
Replace your purse with a card holder.
A full purse is usually the single biggest item in a small bag, and most of what's in it is dead weight: loyalty cards you never scan, receipts, coins you'll never spend, a card for a shop that closed. A card holder takes two or three cards and a note, and it's a fraction of the size.
If you're not ready for that, the next best thing is emptying the purse you've got. Most people are carrying about four cards' worth of actual use and fifteen cards' worth of bulk.
What to add depending on the day
Start with the five, then add for the specific day rather than for every possible day.
A work day: a pen, your pass, headphones, and something to eat that isn't a meal deal bought in a hurry.
A day out or shopping: a folded tote for whatever you buy, sunglasses, and a water bottle if the bag has an outside pocket for one.
Travelling: a portable charger, your documents, and a bag that closes properly and sits in front of you rather than behind.
An evening out: honestly, less than you think. Phone, one card, keys, lipstick.
How do you fit a book in a small bag?
Carry a paperback rather than a hardback, and protect it, because a small bag is a rough place for a book.
A standard UK paperback is smaller than most people assume, and it'll go into a surprising number of crossbody bags. The issue is what happens to it once it's in there with your keys. A padded book sleeve solves that, and we've written a full guide to what size fits what if you want to check before you buy.
If the bag really is too small, an e-reader is the honest answer. A Kindle is thinner than most paperbacks and takes up less room than a phone charger. Our guide to e-reader cases covers keeping that safe in a bag too.
What not to carry
The things that quietly take up half your bag:
- A full make-up bag. One lipstick and a blotting paper covers a day out. The rest is being carried on the off-chance.
- Several sets of headphones. There are usually three pairs in there. One works.
- An umbrella you don't need today. Check the forecast rather than carrying it every day for the four days a month it rains.
- Old receipts. They multiply.
- A laptop. That's a tote job, not a crossbody job, and trying to make a small bag do it is how straps break.
How to stop it turning into a mess
Use one small pouch inside the bag, and give it a job.
Small bags go feral faster than large ones, because everything is touching everything else and there's no structure. One pouch for the fiddly bits, plasters, hair clips, painkillers, spare change, means you're not emptying the whole bag onto a table to find a paracetamol.
The other habit worth having: empty it once a week. It takes about ninety seconds and it's the difference between a bag that works and a bag that's slowly filling with receipts.
How to make one bag look like several
Change the strap.
This is the cheapest styling trick going and most people never try it. A different strap changes how a bag reads more than you'd expect. A plain bag with a bright patterned strap becomes a different bag, and it costs a fraction of buying another one.
The other thing that does a lot of work for very little money is what you hang off it. A keychain or an enamel pin is the accessory equivalent of a good pair of earrings. Small, cheap, and it makes the whole thing look considered.
Our bags
We make crossbody bags in colours and patterns you won't see on everyone else's shoulder, which was the whole point of starting the shop.
They sit alongside the straps, so you can put together something that isn't the same black bag everyone owns. The rest of it is in bags and accessories if you want a proper look.
Where to start
Empty your current bag onto a table and put back only the things you've used in the last fortnight. Almost everyone ends up with a smaller pile than they expected, and usually a smaller bag would have done all along.