History of Handbags

The history of handbags go back to the 16th century for Europeans.  Many eastern, native american, and african cultures used handbags long before Europeans discovered them.   

Handbags were used for practical reasons during the 16th century.  Thye were made with everyday materials such as leather and a drawstring.  If you can think of what a pouch would look like, so was a handbag.  During this period, cloth bags were used that were made larger and used by travelers and carried diagonally across the body.

The 17th century saw more variety and both fasionable men and women carried small purses with more complex shapes. Young girls were taught embroidery as a very necessary skill to make them marriagable 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 fasionable 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, jewelers 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 minature 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 manufacters 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.

Today, handbags or purses have evolved and are a true fashion statement for its wearer.