Fashion is in the Bag

Fashion Is in the Bag

Purses, pouches, or bags have been used since humans have needed to carry precious items & have historically been both the carriers of secrets & the signifiers of power, status, & beauty. As keepers of daily life equipment, handbags have been strongly influenced by technological & societal changes. In the 14th & 15th centuries, both men and women would attach pouches to their girdles. Because pockets would not be invented for several hundred more years, wearers would also attach other valuables to their girdle, such as a rosary, pomanders (scented oranges), & even daggers. Stinky aristocrats in the sixteenth century would carry what was called “swete bagges” - bags that were filled with powder from sweet-smelling herbs & spices, such as lavender, or with perfumed balls of cotton. Both men & women in the seventeenth century preferred to hang long embroidered drawstring purses under their skirts and & often used as conspicuous decorative containers for gifts, such as money, perfume, or jewels. Women spent an enormous amount of time embroidering them to show off for potential husbands. Handbags are currently made in an array of styles & materials, such as waterproof canvas, space age synthetics, & faux reptile skins. And handbags, which for so long had been associated with the feminine are now becoming more popular with men. Its variety & adaptability highlight the handbag’s extraordinary potency & staying power.