# Perhaps A Stupid Question For Women... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 15, 2013, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292 "2013-10-15T08:31:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/21 "2013-10-16T03:23:08Z")
i thought it was a defensive posture - girls shield their breasts while boys shield their crotch. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/22 "2013-10-16T04:18:20Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > Try it. It actually is physically easier to carry something with your elbows bent up because you are getting better leverage. > > Also try carrying a backpack or something else with handles in the two styes and it’s much easier to carry it on your elbow. If you let a heavy bag swing around your knees, it takes a lot of work. Putting the handle near the elbow joint give you maximum leverage. Also, if we’re talking biomechanics, I’ve read that because women have on average narrower shoulders and wider hips, women typically carry their arms differently than men while walking; if women walked _exactly_ like men they’d be constantly whacking their hips with their hands, so they don’t. It just occurred to me that something carried at leg height might well be more prone to irritatingly constantly whacking into the side of their leg. I don’t have a bunch of women available to test that hypothesis, though. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/23 "2013-10-16T05:54:30Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > i thought it was a defensive posture - girls shield their breasts while boys shield their crotch. Girls being “on guard” for hours a day? Doesn’t seem likely. > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > It just occurred to me that something carried at leg height might well be more prone to irritatingly constantly whacking into the side of their leg. Something carried at leg level would whack me on the legs as well, unless the bag were held very carefully. This is part of things just being easier to carry at arm level. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/24 "2013-10-16T10:22:06Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > Girls being “on guard” for hours a day? Doesn’t seem likely. Ah, yes, when there are boys around for hours a day, it’s very likely. Little girls hold their bags and books down. It very much starts as a boob shield around fifth or sixth grade when they have breast buds but not yet hips. That it’s more comfortable and biomechanically efficient to use the bicep rather than the deltoid when you develop hips is entirely serendipitous. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/25 "2013-10-16T15:15:48Z")
Boob shield, makes sense but it never clicked with me. I always just thought the way girls carried books looked mincing and the way boys carried books looked stronger (I guess if it takes more effort that is true!) and so I made a point to carry my books down at my side because I wanted to grow up awesome like all the men I saw. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/26 "2013-10-16T15:45:36Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Personally, I don’t get who buys those bags. I need my hands free and having a bag hanging off my elbow is not comfortable, nor does it really accomplish the hands free thing. I need a strap long enough to get my purse onto my shoulder with one motion (i.e. it can’t be so short that my elbow gets stuck) and wide enough that if I have my book and my iPad in my bag (yes, the bag needs to fit a book and an iPad) it doesn’t cut into my shoulder. What she said. ^This. THIS. _THIS!_ [The Unionbay bag that meets my needs perfectly](http://c.shld.net/rpx/i/s/i/spin/image/spin_prod_772565312?hei=315&wid=315&op_sharpen=1&resMode=sharp&op_usm=0.9,0.5,0,0). The strap lengthens to double the length of what’s shown in the picture and its crossbody design is the easiest and most practical way to carry (plus it’s stylish and inexpensive). ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/27 "2013-10-17T22:22:22Z")
DMark there’s a basic flaw in your thinking. Fashion Rule #1: Its not about comfort. ---
**Author:** ![Silvorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Silvorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silvorange)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2013, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/28 "2013-10-17T22:53:44Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Has any research bioligist of the male species ever discovered or explained why the female species ever evolved handbags in the first place? What evolutionary or survival need is met by handbags, that the male species has managed to survive without them? We are different species now? Anyway, it has not always been the case that men did not carry purses. As for what modern women need them for that men don’t: tampons, pads, cosmetics, and haircare items. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/29 "2013-10-18T05:19:34Z")
I always just put it down to women’s different body build and physics. To me, it’s always felt like less effort to carry heavy babies, purses, schoolbooks, and even full bags of groceries in the crook of my arm. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/30 "2013-10-18T12:26:18Z")
> [@Silvorange](#): > > As for what modern women need them for that men don’t: [snip] haircare items. You know a very, very different selection of men than I do… ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/31 "2013-10-18T13:53:21Z")
> [@SerafinaPekala](#): > > DMark there’s a basic flaw in your thinking. Fashion Rule #1: Its not about comfort. Yes, it is. Sure, when choosing a purse the style might overrule comfort and a woman picks a purse she likes not thinking or caring if it’s too large or heavy. But DMark’s question wasn’t about style of purse, it was about how it’s carried, and several female posters (including the first 3 responses) have indicated that it’s simply more comfortable to carry a large purse at the elbow than by hand. Women carry other items like this (e.g. shopping baskets and babies in car seats); items that men carry by hand. I agree with Chicken Fingers and others and think it boils down to arm and grip strength. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/32 "2013-10-18T14:00:31Z")
> [@Chicken\_Fingers](#): > > I always just put it down to women’s different body build and physics. To me, it’s always felt like less effort to carry heavy babies, purses, schoolbooks, and even full bags of groceries in the crook of my arm. There’s no difference between men’s and momen’s arms. Anyone gets better leverage holding it that way. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/33 "2013-10-18T14:13:53Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > There’s no difference between men’s and momen’s arms. Actually as I recall there is some; women’s arms are attached at a slightly different angle because of their narrower shoulders. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/34 "2013-10-18T15:44:56Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > There’s no difference between men’s and momen’s arms. Anyone gets better leverage holding it that way. The difference is strength. I agree that a man might get better leverage in the elbow, and in fact I think I remember contestants in the Worlds Strongest Man competition lift things this way. However, the weights we’re talking about here are relatively small and nothing a typical male can’t manage by hand. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/35 "2013-10-19T03:37:41Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > Girls being “on guard” for hours a day? Doesn’t seem likely. Oh yes. It’s not about the risk of someone bumping against you - it’s about your tits hurting. All. The. Time. For several years. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/36 "2013-10-19T12:56:23Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Has any research bioligist of the male species ever discovered or explained why the female species ever evolved handbags in the first place? What evolutionary or survival need is met by handbags, that the male species has managed to survive without them? Much like the male nipple, [the male handbag](http://www.rawganique.com/Images/Accessories/fp1-040615-53-2.jpg) is a some what useful iteration without delivering full functionality. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/37 "2013-10-19T16:15:38Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Has any research bioligist of the male species ever discovered or explained why the female species ever evolved handbags in the first place? What evolutionary or survival need is met by handbags, that the male species has managed to survive without them? Men of my father’s generation make their wives carry all the stuff they want but that don’t fit in the pockets. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/38 "2013-10-19T18:21:04Z")
> [@Tapiotar](#): > > Men of my father’s generation make their wives carry all the stuff they want but that don’t fit in the pockets. On the other hand, Madeline Albright never carried a purse. She always made her date or Secret Service agent put her lipstick and cellphone in his pockets. Bodyguards make the best accessories. OT: a lot of those big bags you see are mostly empty. Stuffing them with things ruins the look. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/39 "2013-10-20T00:21:32Z")
> [@Tapiotar](#): > > Men of my father’s generation make their wives carry all the stuff they want but that don’t fit in the pockets. This still happens. I don’t mind carrying a few things in my purse for my husband, but I did finally flip out on him one day and explain that it is a purse, not a husband diaper bag, after he asked to carry one too many things in my purse. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292/40 "2013-10-20T18:56:56Z")
When I was wearing a full cast on my left arm, I got use to carrying things between my stomach and my arm-bent-at-90-degrees. I still do it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/perhaps-a-stupid-question-for-women/671292.md?page=3)