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
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