A handbag is so much more than a mere fashion accessory. Before clothes were equipped with pockets, valuables were transported in various kinds of leather pouches, muffs or even in the sleeves. At the turn of the 17th century, pockets were sewn into men’s clothing in which money, personal documents and amulets could be kept. Women’s pouches sometimes hung from precious chains on the waist, or they were hidden into the folds of clothing.
The discovery of Pompeii impacted fashion. The waistline of the empire dress rose to just below the bust, and the waistband was no longer embedded into the dress. From then on, small items were carried in separate bags. This was the birth of the woman’s handbag. Railways united Europe in the 19th century and new types of bags were needed to facilitate travel. Actual bag fashion emerged in the 20th century. It was influenced by art, trends, new materials and social changes, such as the increased employment of women, all at an ever-increasing pace.
CARRY ME – 100 YEARS OF HANDBAGS tells the centenary story of the handbag. If the bag was once simply a practical tool, today it can be used to tell a lot about oneself. As society changes, so do handbags. Pop culture, music and celebrities have a huge impact on fashion. Bag trends come and go, while some bags become luxury items sought by the masses. Classics are often born thanks to their famous users, such as Grace Kelly, Jacqueline Kennedy, Princess Diana and Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie Bradshaw – Sex and the City).
“I consider it indispensable to have at least one handbag for the following ten social events: very formal, less formal, just a little formal, informal, but not completely informal, every day, every other day, day trips, overnight trips. Theatre visits and affairs.”
– Miss Piggy
The development of the handbag from prehistory up to the 1920’s
– In prehistoric times, herbs roots and berries were collected into different kinds of pouches.
– Before pockets, men and women carried their valuables in different kinds of pouches, muffs and even in their sleeves.
– In the Middle Ages, before handbags were invented, it was a belt bag used to carry personal gifts and groceries. This pouch was attached to the belt and was usually made of leather, silk or metal. In the Renaissance the use of bags became less common (trouser pockets). In that time bags/pouches were used to present wealth and to overpower body odors. They were of precious metals and linen and richly set with pearls and jewels. Filled with flowers, herbs and sweet soothing spices.
– Women strung their pouches into chains at the waist, which were also used to hold keys and scissors. Waist chains were in use until the end of the 1800.
– Women’s pouches could also be concealed into the folds of loose clothing.
– As the Empire style emerged, bags began to be carried by hand.
– Women usually made and embroidered their mesh – like bags themselves.
– In the 1800s, railways unified Europe and travelers needed new kinds of bags. Industrialization and the railroad created the need for study and travel bags. However, with the boom in trade and a rapidly expanding society, a new generation of middle-class managers needed something to carry their papers, back and forth around the office. Thanks to advances in the design, textile and metal industries, the briefcase as well as the traveling suitcase were born.
– In the 1920s, the handbag becomes every woman’s trendy accessory.