Couture is not just clothes. Runway walking also involves accessories. From the expected purses and cell phones to the unexpected babies, it’ll be anticipated that you can put your fashion foot forward regardless of what you’ll be carrying. Own it with these tips and tricks.

Practice with Props

The biggest mistake you can make is walking with an accessory you’ve never handled before. If you’re not comfortable swinging around that purse, it will be obvious to everyone watching. The only way to make that purse a part of you is to carry it or something like it around with you. This practice prepares you for the weight, how it moves with your body, how it affects your balance, and other aspects you might not even consider. As a bonus, you’ll no doubt learn a cool thing to do with it during the walk.

Watch Yourself

It’s all well and good to be familiar with the accessory, but do you know what you look like? Maybe that cool way to hold it isn’t as cool as you imagined in your head. Get in front of a full length mirror and walk. What do you like? What don’t you like? What are some other things you can try? The answers to these questions are great guidance in preparing for the big walk.

Collect Critiques

Once you have a good idea of how you want to walk with the accessory, seek out your trusted colleagues and offer them a show. What do they like? What don’t they like? What would they do instead? Why would they make those choices? The more input you have, the more options you have to take just an accessory and make it a true part of the fashion you’ll be walking.