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Have you ever wondered about the
origin of handbags and purses? Handbags have been essential to daily life ever
since people have had something precious to carry around with them and only the
items have changed over time. The very first mention in written literature comes
from the 14th century, even though Egyptian hieroglyphs show pouches carried
around the waist.
Bags
were attached to what were called "girdles" which were fastened to the
waist. Embroidery and jewels adorned these articles and were used to show status
- the richer the person, the more elaborate the bag. More information on
medieval clothing
In the 16th century, handbags took on more of an air of practicality with the
use of everyday materials such as leather with a drawstring fastener on top.
During this period, cloth bags were used that were made larger and used by
travellers and carried diagonally across the body.
The
17th century saw more variety and both fashionable men and women carried small
purses with more complex shapes. Young girls were taught embroidery as a very
necessary skill to make them marriage-able and we see the rise of beautiful and
unique stitched artwork in handbags.
Neo-classical clothing became popular in the 18th century with a
reduction in the amount of underclothing worn by women. Wearing a purse would
ruin the look of this clothing so fashionable ladies started carrying their
handbags which were called reticules. Women had a different bag for every
occasion and every fashion magazine had arguments on the proper carrying of
these purses. In the reticules one would find rouge, face powder, a fan, a scent
bottle, visiting cards a card case, and smelling salts.
The term "handbag" first came into use in the early
1900's and generally referred to hand-held luggage bags usually carried by men.
These were an inspiration for new bags that became popularized for women,
including complicated fasteners, internal compartments, and locks. With this new
fashion, jewellers got into the act with special compartments for opera glasses,
cosmetics, and fans.
The 1920's saw a revolution in fashion with varying hemlines and
lighter clothing. Bags no longer needed to match the outfit perfectly and the
rage was for the stylish lady to carry a doll dressed exactly like herself,
complete with matching bag for her miniature companion! The discovery of King
Tutankhamun's tomb inspired Egyptian art on purses. The 1940's saw new austerity
in clothing, including handbags with the war effort in mind. Metal frames, zips,
leather, and mirrors were in short supply so manufacturers used plastic and
wood. The 50's saw the rise of important designer houses including Chanel, Louis
Vuitton, and Hermes and the 60's saw the breakdown of old notions of the
classical and the rise of youth culture.
Copy is the most sincere form of flattery and, if so, Kate Spade,
Gucci, Coach and Dior must be very flattered! There are many replica handbags
flooding the market (just visit Canal Street in New York City!). Some of these
"designer fakes" even carry the label of the Company they are
imitating while others just have the signature "C" or "G"
without the label.
What's in the future of handbags? My personal prediction is more
individualized bags and interesting fabrics. What do you think?
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