The origin of the handbag, or purse, is buried deeply in the onset of high fashion history and within the increase of global commerce. While it is now a standard item in most women’s and in some men wardrobe, it was originally designed for convenience rather than style.

The Origin of the Handbag

An early form of a purse or wallet was actually a small circular cut piece of fabric with a leather strap sew around its circumference. The drawstring was then pulled tight to form a small leather pouch. Men used this pouch to hold coins and other very small valuables.

The pouch could be tied to a belt for safekeeping, usually near the man’s sword so that he was able to properly protect his valuables. During this time, it was generally considered a man’s item and few women had need or cause to carry one.

Evolution of the Handbag into the Fashion World

The 16th century brought with it larger bags that hung diagonally across the body. Both male and female travelers used these to keep valuable articles nearby during traveling expeditions.

In the 17th century, the bags began to have more variety and very fashionable with men and women. These bags were generally smaller and often made in very complex shapes. As the talent of embroidery became more widespread, bags became more ornate with intricately woven artwork.

It was during the 18th century that the use of a purse, which attached round the body, became unfashionable; women began to carry their handbags, which at that time were called reticules. Suddenly, the reticules became a fashion statement rather than an important accessory. This era recognized the need for a different bag for different occasions, and fashion magazines began to comment on the proper handbag for a specific location or event.

The handbag was elevated to a fashion statement rather than a simple handheld suitcase. The smaller, more fashionable handbags of this era generally held a fan, scent bottle, smelling salts, rouge and face powder.

The Handbag Inspires Important Designer Houses

The actual term “handbag” did not become widespread until the 1900’s and this term was generally used to refer to the traveling bags that men carried. However, this term and the bags that earned the title became inspirational to women’s bags and the term handbag began to refer to a larger bag that became popular for women at the same time.

With the 1920’s can lighter clothing and hemlines that varied in lengths. It was no longer a necessity in fashion for the purse to match the outfit perfectly. The 1940’s brought with it a “war minded fashion phase”, many items used for creating purses were in short supply, such as metal (for the framing of the handbag). Leather, zips, mirrors and other such items.

It was during this time that handbags began to be made out of plastic and wood. The mid-1900’s saw the rise of many important designer houses and the handbag would reach its pinnacle of fashion with these designers.

Handbags are becoming the most popular fashion accessory on the market. The popularity of handbags (especially in the last year) has taken everyone by storm including handbag manufacturers. There are so many styles and trends available on the market right now and the average woman now owns at least 3 purses. You can make the same outfit look completely different just by changing your handbag. If you are interested in handbags and would like to know the latest styles and trends for this summer, fall and winter, keep reading and you will find out everything you need to know.

These are the latest handbag trends and styles:

1. Big - Handbags used to be fairly small and you could barely fit all the things you needed in them but the lately the style is the bigger the better. When I say big handbags I mean handbags that look like overnight bags. Big handbags are not only in style because of the way they look but also because they are very practical and you can fit a large amount of stuff in one bag. You can even fit your lunch it in when you go to work. Big handbags are also available with little handbags to go inside or on their own. The smaller versions are great for bars and parties.

2. Colors - Traditionally blacks, browns and beiges were practically the only color deemed suitable for handbags. Well, that has completely changed over the past few years and handbags are now all about colors. For spring, turquoises and greens are the most popular. For fall it’s all about the oranges and reds and for winter it’s whites and blues. Black is still classic and very much acceptable, but colors add more personality and flare to your outfit.
   Guide - She always had the talent to make quite a cottage industry out of bags from torn blue jeans, or interesting bracelets out of scraps of things she finds around ? that kind of stuff. So it was hardly that surprising when she created a license plate purse out of a custom license plate from some old Corvette.
3. Fruit Prints - If you keep up on the latest trends and styles then you will not be surprised to hear that fruit prints are in high demand right now. Many celebrities like Janet Jackson, Hilary Duff and Christina Milian have been seen sporting these prints and the trend has only seen the first glimpse of what is expected to come. Cherries are the most popular fruit prints on the market however apples, strawberries, peaches and many other forms of fruit have also made their mark on many handbag designs.

4. Multiple Prints - Multiple prints were popular a couple decades ago and are coming back into style as we speak. Multiple prints means a mix of any two (or more) prints, like a zebra print mixed with a leopard print. Individuals who are confident in themselves and who like to be noticed will opt for these types of handbags over all others.

5. Accessories - A handbag is an accessory in itself, however there are many ways to accessorize handbags as well. Handbags with jewels, buckles, zippers and other added details are very popular right now. Diamonds and other metallic detailing are in high demand as well, possibly from the hype which celebrities create over these types of handbags. A handbag can be easily “spruced up” by adding a few cool accessories.

Now that you know the latest trends and styles, picking out a handbag will be easy. Just remember it’s not all about what’s on the inside of the handbag, it’s how the handbag looks on the outside that counts.

Cathy Feldman is an avid purse enthusiast who has more handbags than she can count. She has become complete addicted to name brand bags and enjoys sharing her knowledge as a contributing editor of http://www.designerhandbags101.com - a site that offers information about designer purses, leather purses, coach purses and more.

Tags: mary frances handbags, womens handbags, fossil handbags, liz claiborne handbags, authentic gucci handbags

When you finally decide to dish out a large amount of cash for a handbag, you’ll want to make sure it’s the real thing you are purchasing and not a cheap knock-off. With the popularity of handbags at the present time, its no wonder so many companies are eager to produce knock-off versions of Gucci, Louis Vuitton and other high-fashion handbags. We want to make sure that you know when you are being ripped off so you can spend your well-earned money on something that is truly authentic. Here are some hints which will help you spot a fake designer handbag when you see one:

The Fabric

The fabric used to manufacture top-of-the-line brand name handbags is noticeably different than the material used for fakes. If there is wrong stitching or if the material is flawed in even the slightest manner, chances are it is not a name brand purse. High-fashion handbags will always have real materials, they will not use fake leather or fake animal skin and you will get the real deal 100 percent of the time.

Small Detailing

The great thing about authentic handbags is that they are unique and hours upon hours go into making each one exactly right. Designer handbags will often have extra stitching and detailing such as little diamonds, buckles or zippers which make them truly unique to any other designer. As noted above, the diamonds on name brand handbags will also be real 100 percent of the time.

Study the Celebrities

The best way to determine whether or not a handbag is a fake is by studying the real ones and the best way to do that is through celebrities. Celebrities will always have real name brand designer handbags. Most people recognize the design of Louis Vuitton purses because of Jessica Simpson and the hype she has created for the company. When you constantly see celebrities sporting specific types of handbags you will be more inclined in noticing the difference between real and fake ones.

Brand Name Labels

Many brand name handbag designers will put a custom label or logo on their items which indicate that they are authentic. The names sometimes appear on zippers or pockets and some companies like to put it in the same spot on every handbag to ensure their customers know it’s real.

It is important to know that you are getting what you pay for when it comes to designer handbags. If you’re instincts are telling you that the purse is a fake, chances are you’re probably right and its best to leave the bag where it lies. With the amount of money you are spending on these items, you want to make sure the bag you’re buying is authentic and worth every penny you are spending.

Cathy Feldman is an avid purse enthusiast who has more handbags than she can count. She has become complete addicted to name brand bags and enjoys sharing her knowledge as a contributing editor of http://www.designerhandbags101.com - a site that offers information about designer handbags, designer bags, Louis Vuitton purses and more.

Tags: italian leather handbags, ladies handbag, authentic louis vuitton handbags, liz claiborne handbags, leather handbags