Handbags Choices

If you ever wondered where did cavewomen keep their lipstick and spare change, you’ve came to the right place. In this article we will go through the history of handbags.

Handbags, in one form or another, have been a part of human lives since the ancient times. Egyptian hieroglyphs show men that carried pouches around their waists.

Early handbags were not a fashion statement, they had a functional meaning. They were simple pouches made from leaves and animal hide and people use them for carrying stuff.

Romans made their handbags from leather, hides, linen, with bronze rings and connectors that were both functional and ornamental. By the 1400’s both men and women used handbags.

By the 17th century handbags have been more or less replaced by pockets, but when in the 18th century fashion changed and pockets disappeared, they reemerged. Embroidered handbags became extremely popular and fashionable ladies had a different bag, called reticules, for every occasion.

The term handbag was originally coined in the early 1900’s and was used for the leather bags carried by men.

At the early 20th century, when clothes became skimpier and more lightweight, handbags became a practical accessory that no woman could do without. The handbags, much like we know them today, were borned.

The 1950s brought the rise of important designer companies such as Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Chanel. To this day they remain one of the most successful brands in the world.

Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, there is a handbag for every occasion you can imagine. The variety of handbags and the speed of changing trends, shows how they evolved from purely functional carriers.