THE late Maya Angelou once said: "When someone shows you their true colours, believe them."

THE late Maya Angelou once said: "When someone shows you their true colours, believe them."

But what if these true colours were hidden behind certain personal belongings?

Yes, in dating circles, there is a theory out there that you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes, or even the wallet they carry.

We decided to put this theory to the test and find out if there is any validity to it.

Can the contents of your partner's wallet, laptop and wardrobe tell you if they are for keeps?

Sowetan put together a focus group consisting of men and women from different walks of life, and they tell us what goes beyond the naked eye when it comes to assessing and making judgments about our partners.

Our focus group consisted of Susan Dlamini, a 27-year-old safety officer at a mine in Embalenhle, Secunda; Mophete Thebe, a 31-year-old international relations journalist from Sandton; Sharon Bogatsu, a 29-year-old nails expert at a beauty salon in Pimville, Soweto; Emmanuel Petlele, a 21-year-old musician from Kagiso; and Sammy Matsena, a 28-year-old bank consultant from Tshiawelo, Soweto.

So, what can we learn about a man or woman from:

WALLET/HANDBAG

Emmanuel: The truth is that men hardly carry wallets anymore, so I think anyone who places any value on the make or designer wallet is just being vain and silly!

Mophete: Finding a medical aid card in his wallet is a bonus. This guy took out medical aid because he cares about his health and those of his loved ones, and you'll never find him in a queue at the clinic.

Sammy: The worst thing you can find in a man's wallet is a condom. He is clearly ever ready for action, be it at a party or a pub.

The same goes for scribbled down cellphone numbers. He doesn't want to store them in his phone in case you find them.

He is a definite cheater.

Susan: When it comes to women's bags, the worst thing you can find is a used sanitary towel. My aunt does that. Some women have this superstitious belief against chucking them away, and instead opt to burn them. That is just nasty.

Clearly she's into voodoo. What's next, your used condoms? Run.

Sharon: Please open your woman's bag and hope to find a packet of Kleenex! Every woman should carry tissues, and it says a lot about those who don't.

PC/LAPTOP

Sammy: Definitely worry if I don't have you as my screensaver. That means I'm still sussing you out.

Mophete: Women shouldn't panic if you find Kim Kardashian as your man's wallpaper, or a hot car.

Men love to fantasise. It has no bearing on the relationship. Be worried if the wallpaper is of an ex, or baby mama.

Susan: Go into her e-mails. You will tell a lot by the number of guys she's chatting to. That means she's keeping her options open.

Sharon: Go into her internet browser's search history. And if something like "Does love muti work" pops up, run.

You can tell a lot about a person just by what they Google.

WARDROBE

Emmanuel: Finding many Ben 10 or Superman T-shirts in his closet will mean he's still immature. At the same time, finding too many formal shirts, pants, ties and suits means he's too uptight.

There should be a balance.

Mophete: I appreciate bumping into sex toys in a woman's closet or drawer. She's in touch with her sexuality and knows what pleases her and can teach something.

Susan: Go into her underwear drawer. Finding unmatching bras and panties means she's sloppy and is the type who will show up to bed with rollers in her hair and a dirty T-shirt once you live together.

Sharon: For men, an untidy closet says a lot. This is the man you will have to clean up after, because his mom used to. Run.

SHOES

Sammy: A man shouldn't have too many expensive sneakers, and brag about it. He has his priorities warped. This is the skhothane who would rather buy the latest Jordans than pay rent.

Susan: Chuck any woman with too many pumps. She's lazy. Unless she has some medical reason for not wearing heels, and shows you the proof!

For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays