futani ka dibba

Never ask a lady her age and never ever try to look inside her handbag. Remember the two good manners or else you might be knocked for six at the findings.

A lady is never what she looks like. Let's rephrase that; she never looks as young or old as she really is. Either she is very conscious and maintains herself as one would a sleek Ferrari, in which case, she's not as young as she appears, or she is too laid back and has let go and looks ten times older than she really is. In the almost similar line of surprises, whether she lugs a huge jhola, or a dainty vanity bag, you can almost never predict what she's got inside it.

A school teacher was once known to carry a knife in her bag. No, not to cut the tongues off naughty children but to attack muggers if she ever encountered one. And until yesterday the knife lay at the bottom of her bag, carefully wrapped in brown paper, waiting for action. What beats me is whether she would have time to retrieve or unwrap the knife if, God forbid, she does meet a mugger.

I know a lady who was detained for over half an hour in Calgary airport, because they detected a screwdriver in her handbag. She was going to visit her son, and what still amazes me is why a screw driver… Maybe she thought it was time to tighten the son's loose screw, something that has been bothering him since childhood.

That reminds me; I have to look at the dark secret chambers of my bag. What if that pickle pot needs a little sunshine? You see, women and what they want to carry in their bags because of those certain 'what if I need this or that' fits never cease to amaze one.

A Hand bag
A woman's hand bag is an appendix to her personality. She would never go out without one. The contents of her bag can offer clues to her identity. You never know what's inside a handbag until she opens it and I am afraid that when a handbag is emptied completely it dies. Take for example a working woman's handbag. It is an office, washroom, databank, first aid centre, counselling department, long term warehouse, travelling suitcase and financial department all rolled into one, chic little off-the-shoulder number.

No matter how deeply these strange personal things are packed into the handbag they always pop out and land in the middle of the desk when the personal organiser is pulled out at the start of an important meeting. And then she is as vulnerable as she can be.

What MAHEEN KHAN, LS' style guru says
Bags are an extension of one's personality. It is an important accessory and says a lot about a person. It represents occasions. For office purposes you carry a big one that can accommodate papers and notepads, but for a fun evening out with friends a trendy Boho-chic number will be just right. But for a formal night out you want to go for small cute purses that are the exact size of your lipstick holder and cell phone.

A bag signifies more than utility. More and more people want to use the right bag with the right attire.

The fun frolic '70's look is back and this year the significant trend is the bohemian looking bag. Normally we associate Fine Arts students with such bags but the Shanti Niketan look is very much the look young trendy people this year are opting for. People are going for interesting purses rather that those boring clutch bags.

The fashion world this season is bursting out with vibrant colours and confusion of patterns. The 70's psychedelic colours have made a come back. Accessories are brighter now. The colour chart tilts towards orange, tangerine, peach, and coral, yellow (which is very big this season), and olive. The texture is very important, the feel should be soft rather than the formal stiff look.

The idea is if you are wearing white or any other pastel shade, then jazz up your look by carrying a bright vibrant satchel-bags with matching chappals. This goes with jeans and fotua or shalwar kameez.

If you are wearing a sari, like chiffon or a Dhakai, carry a bright botua with it instead of any designer clutch bag. You can also carry a shoulder botua bag with big sash belt hanging on the side. It makes you stand out in the crowd. But remember that the party look now is dominated with couture blouses with bags that match the blouse.

How you dress says a lot about the 'in fad thing' in town and people here are catching on to styles that are more international.

To sum it up all this year colourful, ethnic bags are very in.

Men and bags
Modern man needs a bag to carry all his gadgets. Pack your cell phone, wallet, keys, sunglasses, PDA, iPod or MP3 player, and gym pass into a bag and you'll be free and mobile. In fact a young man these days feel almost naked without that trendy canvas bag hung across his shoulders.

All in all, hand bags are an important accessory and a must item to complete ones entire look, not only that it has become a style statement today.

By Raffat Binte Rashid
Photo: Zahedul I Khan
Model: Nasira and Sujan
Bags: Mayasir and Shong
Makeup: Farzana Shakil