HANDBAGS THROUGH THE AGES
Can you believe that the first recorded handbag in history was none other than a ‘man bag’? Well, that’s what we’re told.
Fourteenth century Egyptian hieroglyphics show men carrying crude pouches or pockets made from leaves, animal hide or cloth tied around their waists which they used to carry flint or coins. Several hundred years later and little leather pouches are still in fashion… but we’ve come a long way!
Men may have started the handbag trend – but it was the ladies who recognised it for its form as well as its function! As far back as the 14th and 15th centuries, the women started wearing pouches with more ornate designs whilst the men wore ordinary long pouches attached to a cord from their girdles which they used to carry practical stuff like food for their falcons and hunting equipment.
The drawstring purses of the medieval women were status symbols – as they are today – displaying their status, wealth, fashion and lifestyle. These often had jewelled embellishments and embroidery as a declaration of their relationships, and if they were made from expensive fabrics such as silk, that showed that the wearer was wealthy.
Over the next few centuries, handbag design took a back seat as the clothes that women wore became more voluminous. Bags literally ‘disappeared’ under the skirts. Many aristocrats would carry bags with fragrant herbs and spices or perfumed cotton balls to detract from their lack of personal hygiene while peasants wore large leather or cloth satchels slung across their chests.
As fashions slimmed down towards the end of the 17th century, handbags re-emerged and the fun really started!. The Victorian era saw a massive development in science and industry which revolutionised handbag design as new materials and styles became available. Embellishments and embroidery became more important as the handbag, called a ‘reticule’, became a fashion accessory and a status symbol.
The development of railroads in the 1800s meant more women started to travel, and this led to the name ‘handbag’ which initially referred to hand-held travel bags. Many of today’s leading fashion handbag designers have their roots in the travel bags of old.
And as they say – the rest is history. In the early 1900s, larger handbags, clutches without handles (called pochettes) and briefcases became popular whilst the war years produced more simple, practical shoulder bags with a military bent. Because of the lack of availability of expensive materials such as leather etc during the war years, handbag designers had to come up with alternative designs, which lead to handbags being made in plastic, synthetics and even in wood. British women were even seen to wear handbags that matched their outfits – but that also carried their gas masks!.
After the war, the boom in the 1950s saw handbags reach almost cult status, with a host of new materials coming to the fore such as rayon, canvas, synthetics and imitation reptile skin. A huge variety of different and exciting handbag designs emerged over the next decade from elegant purses for the rock ‘n rollers, dainty clutches for the mini-skirted girls, oversized satchels, romantic shoulder bags for the flower power generation etc. Handbag history also became studded with the big designer handbag names including Prada, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel, Mulberry etc.
And history is still being made. As the ‘man-bag’ continues to find favour among the fashion forward – were those 14th century males onto something good after all?!. They’re there for form and for function, and handbags will never go out of fashion as both a practical and stylish accessory. Handbags have an interesting story to tell and will continue to evolve as social commentators, fashion indicators and individual style icons.