Handbags are one of the Woman's personal items and emergency
survival items. American English typically uses the terms "purse" and
"handbag" interchangeably. The term "handbag" began
appearing in the early 1900s. Initially, it was most often used to refer to
men's hand-luggage. Women's accessory bags grew larger and more complex during
that period, and the term was attached to the women's accessory. Handbags are
used as fashion accessories as well as functional ones.
History:
16th
Century:
Handbags were often designed to be modest and hidden in or
under the elaborate, sweeping skirts of the time.
18th Century:
After the French Revolution, slender neoclassical clothing
brought about the handbag’s revival. Eventually, the English nicknamed handbags
“reticules” and “indispensables,” solidifying their destiny as a staple accessory.
While experts disagree on an exact date, the term “handbag” was born somewhere
between the late 1800s and early 1900s, coinciding with the invention of train
travel and its demand for handheld luggage.
20th Century:
After the Roaring Twenties hit, women no longer felt the need
to harmonize their handbags with their outfits and turned to plain clutches
instead, resigning Victorian embellishments. Fast-forward ten years and the
shoulder bag, the satchel, and the clasp bag hit the mainstream. Handbags adopted
a plastic, zippered style thanks to the eclectic art deco movement, which
embraced abstract ideas and industrial materials.
1930s to 1940s:
When World War II drove American women into the workforce,
comfortable, practical handbags with a militarized aesthetic became the most
popular style.
1950s:
Postwar prosperity pushed design houses like Chanel and
Christian Dior into the spotlight. Designer handbags became as iconic as Grace
Kelly, and her famous Hermes leather pocketbook was eventually renamed the
Kelly bag in the 1970s. Decorating with a matching purse was the standard.
1960s:
Youth culture embraced styles that complemented various
fashion trends, like the miniskirt. As the value of individual expression
through fashion soared with each passing decade, handbags finally found their
niche as a statement accessory for any wardrobe or occasion.
1970s:
The fashion industry soon became a target for notable feminists
a culprit of female suppression with its unrealistic beauty ideals. As women
rejected things like makeup, bras, and purses, early 70s handbags were for
functional use only, until disco came around and begged for something flashy.
Labels were expensive and a fixation with logos opened the door for fake
knockoffs to rush in.
1980s:
Large flashy handbags experienced resurgence as women moved
up the corporate ladder. A sizable showy purse was an integral piece of the new
power wardrobe. Handbags were worn to represent a kind of forceful, feminine
success.
1990s:
This decade brought
with it a sensitive, spiritual awareness that embraced an earth-friendly ideal.
In response, designers like Prada and Kate spade New York championed a
minimalist aesthetic that made handbags simple and practical, but still
luxurious.
2000s:
As logos were once again in vogue, design houses competed to
have the It bag, placing handbags at the center of many fashion shows. Handbags
became increasingly lucrative and, to this day, women everywhere eagerly
anticipate the must-have bag of the season.
