The trick is to pick the bag that suits the user. Not all women are alike.
I like a tote that has a handle just a little longer than normal for carrying in the hand, but is long enough to loop over the shoulder so the bag is right under the armpit, but just short enough to carry in the crook of the arm. That way as I walk long distances with a big bag, I can carrying it by hand, in the crook of my arm or over my shoulder as each part of the body gets tired.
I’m not sure if it’s because of the shoulders, but if a woman stands with arms slack, her palms will face backwards, and a man’s will face forwards. Exceptions apply for both sexes.
I noticed this when my then-GF’s arms faced forwards (I’m also female) and it affected her whole gait, making it more masculine, and affected the way we’d both carry stuff: despite me being smaller than her, I could carry more stuff because it was easy for me to use my whole arm rather than my hands. Carrying rather than dragging, essentially. I could just stick my arms out and have stuff loaded on there, whereas she didn’t have the right leverage.
Arms with palms facing backwards name elbow-carrying easier.
huh? you mean like this? https://www.google.com/search?q=man+stand&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&rlz=1I7GGLD_en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ixNlUsDMDMG3rgfoh4DYDg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1088&bih=535#q=jesus+standing&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&tbm=isch 
Most of those have men with their hands in their pockets or held up with palms facing the camera. Nothing to do with anything I said.
I mean that, when a man walks along naturally, his hands will face more to the back than a woman’s will.
must be a bad link. you said that a man’s palm will face forward standing at rest, i am just having trouble picturing that, man or woman. if anything, his palms should face backwards if he was large.
A friend of mine has stated that women cannot be truly liberated until they insist on pockets.
This is it exactly. I used to love when I wore a jacket that had a pocket for my phone and wallet and I could skip the purse entirely. Now I also carry glasses and I don’t have a single outfit with enough pockets for that.
Shoulder straps, worn cross body or straight, don’t work for me. If straight they give me a cramp in the shoulder area, if cross body they press into my neck and make it sore. So the only tote I wear is around my hips. These are not considered stylish at all, but they are the only type I use, because of the high discomfort of the other types. In high school I kept carrying a handbag/shoulder bag and ended up developing a whole body tic from the shoulder and arm stress till I had stopped for a few months.
There is a difference in the arm bones. My bio professor called it a “carrying curve” but apparently that term is out of favor now; Google led me to carrying angle. It’s distinctive enough to provide a strong indication of sex. (other citations provided ( the last is a PDF)) The other thing that carrying a big bag or basket in the crook of your elbow does is get the weight and bulk above your hip, and keeps it from banging against your knees or whacking other people when you walk by them.
It’s not necessarily for strength reasons or biomechanical reasons. I’m a guy, and I’ll occasionally carry a basket that way when I go shopping. I live in Japan, where supermarkets are extremely crowded and have cramped layouts. It’s easier to maneuver a basket and makes it more obvious to people around you, so you avoid accidental jostling and other accidents.
That’s not untrue. (notice the inversion indicating agreement !) I wear jackets with zip pockets most of the time, and in the summer, I wear short little vests with pockets. The fact that I can find these with only a little bit of searching indicates I’m not the only woman who wants pockets.
Thanks for providing the link - I knew I wasn’t making it up.