The purse's evolution (A brief history part 2)

The purse evolved drastically around the 17th century. The introduction of pockets in men's clothing meant that men no longer needed to carry a pouch. Woman's fashions changed in the 18th century. Dresses became more tight fitting and were made of lighter fabrics. It became impractical to hide a purse under your skirt. Finally, the purse was exposed!

This is when the purse began to be solely identified as a woman's accessory. They named these bags reticules. Most women had more than one, so that they could use a certain one for each occasion. Contents of these bags might include rouge, face powder, a fan, a scent bottle, visiting cards, a card case, and smelling salts.

In the early 1900s people began calling their bags "handbags" (a term referring to luggage that men carried). Luggage fashion influenced woman's handbag fashion and introduced complicated fasteners, internal compartments, and locks into the design. Finally, in the 1920s, it became popular that bags no longer HAD to match your outfit (what a relief!). In the 1940s, with WWII, women's purses were made out of wood or plastic since metal was being saved for supplies. In the 1950s, popular handbag designers included Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes. Today these three brands are still popular, along with Gucci, Christian Dior, Fendi, Prada, and Kate Spade, among many others.

The purse eventually became an indispensable fashion accessory, the final touch that perfected an outfit and showed good taste. Women could no longer ignore this accessory, not only because of its esthetics and fashion statement but also because it was the place where women could stash their beauty secrets and their secrets of the heart! The purse finally crossed all social barriers and is now inseparable when it comes to a woman's feminine image.

At some point, we managed to break the social status barrier and purses were no longer limited to the 'elite'. That didn't last very long though. Interestingly enough, the inside of one’s purse was personal and intimate however the outside became a billboard advertising one’s place in the world. 'Status' bags were taken to new heights in the designer era, with top fashion companies adorning bags with logos and other signs of luxury. Who hasn't dreamed of owning a Hermes, a Chanel, or a Vuitton purse? Several years back, an auction at Doyle New York featured a black crocodile Hermes Birkin customized purse with a clasp and lock featuring 14 carats of pave diamonds that sold for $64,800.

Believe it or not ... this price seems like a drop in the bucket these days! Here is a Forbes article highlighting some of the most expensive purses in 2007.

http://www.forbes.com/2007/03/26/handbags-extravagant-expensive-forbeslife-cx_hp_0327handbags.html

How did we get into purses? (A brief history part 1)

Men and women have used purses for as long as human memories have been recorded. We needed some way to carry basic belongings once we began to hunt, travel far distances, use tools, and believe in a power higher than ourselves.  

The first purses were in fact pouches made of leather, cloth, or some form of weaved mesh which hung at the end of a stick or was fastened at the waist. It was used to carry the bare essentials for survival such as flint stones, morsels of food, seeds, and bones or trinkets as protective charms. 

The use of a pouch varied by culture and status. Peasants used them to carry seeds. African priests used them to carry their magical items. A normal African man would not dare open a priest's bag in fear of the supernatural forces that lay within. This reminds me how men these days won't dare to open a woman's purse out of fear of what will happen to them!

High society woman never carried money since purchases and financial matters were handled by the man of the household. They also never carried any household items related to maintaining a home since those tasks were delegated to servants or slaves.   

The first appearance of a pouch is on an Egyptian hieroglyph. The next documented appearance is on a 14th century European embroidery. Purses often showed social status based on the quality of the bag and it's ornate embroidery.

Purses were worn equally by men and women. According to "Carried Away", men used to give women purses as a traditional wedding gift in the 15th century. These bags were typically embroidered and much fancier than a pouch. Men would typically carry their purse/pouch attached to the waist band and women typically carries them under their skirts (attached to a waist band or the corset). 

One article I read described how both men and women carried large knit bags in Papua New Guinea. These bags are decorated with feathers, seashells, and other ornaments. The people who wear them are not living on the seashore, the live on the mountains.  The more seashells you have the more important person you are because you have a lot of social relationships and all your friends are willing to give shells to you! 

 ..... to be continued 

Ah ..... Purses!

Let's face it! The purse is an extension of our body, like a little mobile home for our mobile lives. It is in fact a woman's most faithful companion.

It's the first thing we grab on our way out of the house, we constantly keep it close to us, and we go crazy when it's misplaced or lost! It's a mobile container for what we deem is indispensable in order to run our daily lives: a portable vanity for our lipsticks, makeup, hair accessories, and kleenexes; a portable office for our cheque books, half opened mail, day timers, and telephone; a portable bank for our cash and credit cards; and a portable miscellaneous drawer with who knows what else we've managed to put into it. The exterior may be simple or elaborate, inexpensive or designer, but the interior is intimate and personal. It is the woman's last secret hiding cache, and secures our secrets once snapped shut.

Purses are mostly seen as a practical accessory but they are also a statement in personal style and often provide the finishing touch to an outfit. There are purses for all occasions and tastes: small, large, enormous, soft, hard, off the rack, designer, natural tones, coloured, shiny, matte, or embellished. It's no wonder that it takes us to long to select the 'right' one when it comes to our everyday purse. And lets not forget ... We all remember the first time we bought 'the' purse and not just any purse ... that special purse for that special occasion or the expensive purse we saved up for. Talk about putting a smile on your face!