Fashionable Bags

History of handbags

Have you ever wondered about the origin of handbags and purses??

well, here is a brief history, ..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 metion 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.

During the 16th and 17th century, cloth bags were used that were made larger and used by travelers and carried diagonally across the body.

By the 18th century, the handbags “reemerged”; women had different handbags for different occasions, and used to carry perfume, a fan, smelling salts and visiting cards. These handbags were called “reticules”.

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.

Then in 1920’s, handbags really came into its own. There was more variety in terms of designs, materials, accents and colors. The 50’s saw the rise of important designer houses such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci.

And now, we all know, we can find many fashion brands and styles all over the world.