Many women utilize some sort of handbag every day of their lives, but where do they come from? 

Handbags - The Beginning

Although today handbags are often a fashion statement and chosen for style, to begin with they were purely designed for convenience.  Early handbags were basically a pouch.  A small circular piece of fabric had a leather strap sewn round the circumference.  When the drawstring was tugged tight, a pouch was formed.

It’s interesting to note that these early variations of the handbag were almost exclusively used by men.  They used them to transport small valuables and coins, and these items were kept safe by tying the bag to the man’s belt.  Mostly they were tied near the sword, so that he could protect his valuables easily. 

The Development of the Handbag

By around the 16th century, bags had increased in size.  At this point they were generally big bags worn diagonally across the body.  They were popular with both men and women, and particularly with travelers who wanted to keep their valuables handy. 

As the 17th century progressed, the bags evolved from simple items of plain materials to something a little more stylish.  A broader variety of materials were used, and they became a little smaller again.  Various, more complex shapes were adopted.  It also became commonplace to embroider the bags, decorating them with intricately woven pieces of art.

In the 18th century women ceased carrying a bag around the body, and instead began to carry them in their hand or tied over their wrist.  They became known as reticules, and the era of a bag as a fashion statement had started.  Reticules were carried because of the fashionable appearance they gave the owner, rather than just because they were useful.  Women with money would have a reticule to match every outfit, or at least a range of designs, each one for a specific entertainment.  Fashion magazines began recommending the type of handbag that was appropriate for a specific event or location.  Although they were often small, reticules were still used to carry a fan, rouge, face powder, scent bottle and smelling salts.

Modern Times

By the 1900’s the name “handbag” became more common, although to begin with it referred generally to the traveling bags used by men.  Over time, though, the term expanded to include larger bags that were used by women.  Fashions moved on throughout the century, from the fashionable decoration of the 1920’s, through the war years when the supplies for bags were hard to acquire and other materials were utilized, and on to the latter part of the century when fashion designers started becoming interested in handbags and added them in their collections.

If you want to discover more about the story of the handbag, check out this helpful site: