For The Love Of Designer Handbags

Chanel, Fendi, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Chloe, Marc Jacobs, and Louis Vuitton. They’re the designer handbags that you worship. You have a deep appreciation for the artistic beauty behind each bag, but do you know where designer handbags originated? Do you know what inspired these designers or what the trends were over the years? Did you know that the first handbags were seen in Egyptian hieroglyphs? Handbags originated as pouches that were attached to girdles around the waist. They were used a symbol of social status depending on how elaborate the bags were decorated with jewels and embroidery. Little did they know back then that a handbag frenzy would erupt and those little bags would be worth so much more than a simple pouch.

During the 16th century, handbags were mainly used for practicality and were made with everyday materials, such as leather and cloth. They were larger, simpler bags, used by travelers who carried them diagonally across their bodies, similar to modern day satchels. It was during the 17th and 18th centuries that men and women started to carry smaller purses made from expensive fabrics such as silk or velvet. Bag designs become more intricate in design and were carried rather than worn because fashionable women believed that wearing a purse would detract from the look of their clothing. In a typical bag, you could find face powder, a fan, rouge, smelling salts, and a scent bottle to mask revolting smells which had permeated the air around them. While there were not designer handbags back in the day, bags were used as a way to make a statement and were a symbol of social standing as with the Egyptians.

It wasn’t until the early 1900′s that people starting using the term “handbag”, which referred to hand-held luggage carried by men. Locks, internal compartments, and fasteners were introduced with these hand-bags and have been used on bags every since! The 1920′s brought about a fashion revolution where styles became edgier, lighter, hemlines began to vary and matching handbags to outfits was no longer the trend. Prior to this time, clothes were seen as confining so this revolution was liberating for women everywhere. One of fashion’s greatest icons emerged from the 1920′s as Coco Chanel wore trousers, cut her hair and rejected her corset. Now, her empire thrives with her clothing lines, designer handbags, jewelry, perfumes, and makeup. Little did she know the impact she would make in the fashion industry nearly a century later.

The 1940′s brought about a new austerity in handbags. World War II caused a shortage of leather, metal frames, zippers, and mirrors so people resorted to using plastic and wood for their designer handbags. The construction of the handbag is not the only thing that changed with time, but also the contents of what a woman’s purse. For instance, in 1940, a woman would carry a lipstick or two, mad money, a change purse, a hairnet, a compact, a fountain pen, a supermarket shopping list, and a freshly laundered handkerchief. Up until 1947, the Paris fashion houses were shut down but upon their reopening, top designers such as Christian Dior, Hermes, Cristobal Balenciaga, and Louis Vuitton made their big debut with their fashion forward designs that forever changed the fashion industry.

Over the centuries, we have seen the evolution of handbags and have grown to need and love them for their unique qualities. We can choose from a wide variety of designer handbags that we can use an accessory or for utility or both. We can choose a bag to fit our mood and outfits. We are not limited to one certain type of bag. We can choose from tote bags, messenger bags, beach bags, hobo bags, shoulder bags, and purses. There’s cloth, leather, pleather, starburst wrappers, duct tape, and bags with designs- the infamous Dooney and Burke or Louis Vuitton. Handbags not only symbolize individuality but also mark changing times. Think about what is in your hand bag. Now, think about what was in a bag in the 17th and 18th centuries. In any given bag in today’s society, you might find a wallet containing credit and debit cards, a checkbook, a cell phone, an electronic organizer, multiple lipsticks/lip glosses, a makeup bag, hand sanitizer, pens, gum, mints, a brush, hairspray, tissues, and receipts that date back a year ago. We’ve become dependent on our handbags and feel naked without them. Fortunately, designers continue to amaze us with each new handbag that is released. Our obsession with handbags cannot be cured and Madonna hit the nail on the head when she said “We are living in a material world, and I am a material girl.” So, let’s make the most of it. Shop on.

Want to find out more about designer handbags, then visit Miche Bag’s site on how to choose the best designer handbag for your needs.