Work, errands, shopping, the occasional party—no matter what you've got going on, these styles will have no problem keeping up and keeping you looking up-to-date.
The best of human nature—generosity, compassion, cooperation, selflessness—surfaced in these studies. Of course, the goal is to draw out a person's good side, not exploit it. Use your powers wisely.
Inspire a Seat-of-the-Pants Moment
When are people more generous: spontaneously or after stopping to think? To find out, Harvard researchers timed game players as they decided how much money to contribute to a pool that would be doubled and divvied up evenly (the more everyone chips in, the more they get). The result: Faster decisions are kinder. When (by force or choice) people took 10 seconds or less to decide, they contributed 15 percent more money to the common pot than those who took longer. Cooperation seems to be the first impulse (for most of us) before beady-eyed self-interest undermines it. The next time you're running a fundraising marathon, make a quick emotional appeal, then set a quick deadline for the donors.
Warm the Cockles of Their Insulas
If you want people to act more warmly, offer them a hot cup of coffee and make them hold it for a minute or two. Subconsciously, temperature affects our perceptions—and actions—find studies by Yale University psychologist John Bargh, PhD, and his colleagues.
In one, volunteers who held a warm-pack before playing a game trusted in and invested more money with an anonymous partner than did those whose hands were chilled. It's a quirk of the insula, a prune-sized part of the brain that forms cross-associations between physical and psychological warmth. When you heat people up—even their hands, briefly—they perceive you and everyone else as warmer, and they respond in kind.
The Secret Keeper
The idea of a perpetually organized purse sounds blissful. On the days—or weeks—when that's not even a remote possibility, a structured top-handle bag guarantees that no one can tell that you're carrying eight months of crumpled receipts, two powdery tins of busted Altoids, and half a dozen pens that don't write, not to mention your keys and cash. The handbag holds its form so well that it's the ideal style for the office, making you feel pulled together even on days when you hit snooze too many times to iron your shirt.
Top-handle bags are appropriate for any work environment, but pay attention to the color. If you plan on carrying it every day—or you work in a conservative office—go for a dark neutral, like tan, gray or black.
The Throwback
Saved by the Bell's Mark-Paul Gosselaar is hotter than ever on Franklin & Bash, and Cory and Topanga are returning to TV in the reboot of Boy Meets World, so it only makes sense that another late-'90s hit is experiencing a revival: the drawstring (or bucket) bag. Nearly as spacious as a tote, it's great for women on the run. However, the top closes so you don't have to worry about the contents spilling out as you dash from one place to another. Plus, the teardrop shape is perfect for switching up your look without changing your outfit—it lends a funky, casual tone to whatever you're wearing.
Like the tote, it's important to check the handles, since you can (and will) cram a lot into this bag. Also pay attention to the drawstring—or clasp—closure. If it slides open easily, it will only get looser over time.
The Arm Candy
At first glance, the clutch seems impractical—it can barely hold a set of keys—but that's because you're thinking of it as a carryall, not what it really is: a bauble with purpose. It's just as eye-catching as a pair of chandelier earrings, but unlike jewelry, it discreetly holds your bare necessities.
When shopping, make a fist around your cell phone and stick it in a prospective clutch. If it fits, the handbag should have just enough space for your night-out essentials, dubbed "PMILK" by sartorial minimalists: phone, money, ID, lipcolor, keys.