The origin of the handbag

The handbag is an essential accessory for almost every woman. It is probably the most practical clothing invention ever created. Whether you fit most of your belongings in a clutch bag or carry your entire life in a tote bag , there is a bag that suits every woman's lifestyle .

A fashion accessory with very distant origins...

Bags have been essential to the daily life of humans since they have something valuable to carry with them. Its origin dates back to around 38,000 BC and was used by both men and women. The bag was therefore unisex from its origin.

Humans used them to store and transport food, tools, and various objects. Until the 16th century, everyone had a bag to carry money and personal items when traveling since clothes did not yet have pockets.

From functional bag to real fashion accessory

In the past, women's bags were essentially pockets worn under skirts and close to the skin. They were then considered underwear. In the 16th century, women's clothing fashion underwent a major change, particularly with dresses with slimmer silhouettes. Because of this new style, wearing bulky pockets under the dress ruined the appearance of these clothes and quickly became a serious fashion faux pas. This is how the first true " handbag " was invented, a container carried by hand on a rope or chain.

Women quickly began carrying her new handbags when they went out, and they had a different bag for each occasion. Inside, they carried lipstick, face powder, a fan, a bottle of perfume, a business card case, and smelling salts. In the 17th and 18th centuries, these women's handbags were referred to in France as "reticules."

The handbag in the middle of a real storm between fashion scandals and feminist struggle

With the death of women's pockets came the birth of the women's bag. So when women's bags became popular, many considered them vulgar or daring. In fact, this fashion trend is one of the first examples of underwear being worn as outerwear. To many, this idea was simply absurd, since the mere fact of a woman parading her belongings in a visible pocket was tantamount to lifting up her skirts and publicly revealing her underwear.

Besides the scandal of parading one's underwear for all to see, some women considered handbags to be a poor alternative to pockets.

Early American feminists, in particular, fought against the loss of pockets for women. They believed that purses would never be as practical as pockets and advocated for the incorporation of functional pockets into women's clothing, as men's pockets were. For these women, men's pockets and women's purses became symbols of gender inequality and the fight for women's equal rights, much like what later feminists would consider the brassiere.

The dress code revolution

With the rise of department stores as a respectable meeting place for women outside their homes, it became possible for them to stay away from home much longer than before. With this newfound freedom came the need to carry more than could fit into a practically small reticule.

The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century greatly promoted the development of the handbag with new manufacturing methods and materials that could be incorporated into its design.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, much more functional handbags with multiple internal compartments began to replace the reticule. These changes in the bag itself also marked a change in the idea of ​​the women's handbag : it became something that was entirely unique to each woman. With this new fashion, jewelers got to work offering handbags with special compartments for opera glasses, cosmetics and fans.

The handbag, the first sign of women's independence?

The handbag continued to develop and transform in the 20th century, influenced by rapidly changing fashion trends, as well as the increasing freedom of women in society. Over time, women entered the workforce in greater numbers and thus became much more mobile and independent. Their bags therefore had to be designed to fit this new lifestyle .

From the 1950s onwards, handbags began to gain cult status . Handbags were becoming true fashion accessories , rather than just a utilitarian item. The 50s were marked by strict style rules, one of which was that a handbag should perfectly match an outfit . This is why handbags began to be considered a fashion trend in their own right.

The ultimate finishing touch for your outfits

The handbag continues to be a necessary element in a woman's wardrobe in our time. Although designers are starting to add larger pockets to women's clothing, today the handbag is an iconic piece that undoubtedly gives the finishing touch to every woman's outfit .