Custom bag partnerAnswer first
Measure the Space Under the Handle
Place the purse upright and lift the handle into the position you want to describe. Find the highest point on the inside of that handle and the bag's top edge directly below it. Measure the straight gap between those two points and write the result with its unit. That is handle drop in the sense used by bag designer Ann Saunders.
Do not follow the handle's curve with the tape. Saunders calls the distance between the two fitting points handle length, a different field. If you are comparing a shoulder strap, note the adjustment setting and name the strap being measured; “the handle is 30 cm” is ambiguous without endpoints.
Mark the endpoints
A Simple Handle-Drop Sketch
- Choose the handle: record whether it is the short hand handle or an adjustable shoulder strap.
- Raise it consistently: note whether the bag is empty and the strap setting. A soft bag may change shape when filled.
- Mark both endpoints: the inside handle apex and the bag top directly below it. Measure the straight gap and record the unit.
- Repeat when needed: if the pair of handles differs or the top edge slopes, mark each measurement on a photo instead of reporting one unexplained number.
Use in a custom brief
Turn a Reference Purse into a Clearer Sample Request
For a new tote or purse, the measured drop is a starting dimension, not proof that the handle will feel right. Tell us whether you expect hand carry, elbow carry or shoulder carry and what the bag is meant to hold. A physical sample can then be tried with the intended contents and clothing; no one drop length is comfortable for every person or bag.
A useful message to send: “On this reference purse, I measured the inside handle apex to the marked top edge at ___ cm, with the bag empty. I want to check shoulder carry on the sample. Please record handle drop and total handle length as separate dimensions.”
Our custom tote brief shows where handle drop belongs beside finished size, width and reinforcement. The sample guide covers broader approval checks.
Apply this guide to a catalog style
Point to the Handle and Bag Top
AltusPack catalog style · AP-R3-030
Custom Nylon Bucket Tote Bag with Button Closure and Oversized Pockets
What the photo shows: A raised loop handle and the bag's soft top opening.
How to use this example: Mark the inside apex and your chosen top-edge point on the photo, then measure a real sample in a stated position. Use your measured purse as a comparison if you want a different carry feel.
Evidence limit: A perspective photo does not establish numeric handle drop, total strap length, comfort, material identity or strength.
Source and limits
Where the Measurement Comes From
Ann Saunders, Design, Manufacture and Sell Your Bag Collection (first published 2024), Chapter 9, PDF p.226 / book p.203, defines handle drop by the inside top of the handle or strap and the bag top, and distinguishes it from handle length between fitting points. The upright-bag, photo-marking and sample-comfort steps are AltusPack editorial applications. The book does not set a universal comfortable drop or verify any current catalog measurement.