Medieval Flint

THE HISTORY OF HANDBAGS

Who would have thought that the first handbag in recorded history was a ‘man’ bag?   That’s what the history books say. 

Hieroglyphics from 14^th Century Egypt depict men carrying pockets or pouches made from animal hide, leaves or cloth and which were tied around their waists as a secure place to carry coins or flint.   

Handbags through the ages have seen many trends come and go – and although it was the male of the species who started it – it was the ladies who really spiced things up !!   Whilst the men of the 14^th and 15^th century used pouches attached to their girdles to hold useful things like food for their falcons and hunting equipment, the women were already looking for more ornate, fancy designs.

Just as it is in modern times, the medieval women were judged by their drawstring purses... using them as symbols of lifestyle, status and fashion.  These purses were often studded with jewels or patterned with embroidery which revealed to onlookers if the wearer was betrothed to someone – plus the materials they were made from (eg silk etc) were indicators of the wearer’s means. 

Handbag design then took a back seat over the next few centuries as the clothes that people wore became bigger.  The bags simply disappeared under the petticoats and skirts.  Another ‘trend’ of the day was for aristocrats to wear perfumed cotton balls or little bags with sweet-smelling spices and herbs to take the attention away from body odour, whilst the peasants wore cloth or leather satchels across their torsos.

Handbags re-emerged when the dresses started to slim down towards the end of the 1th century – and that’s when the fun really began!.  During Victorian times, there were huge advances in science and industry which really changed the way that handbags were designed and made because a whole range of new materials were developed.  The handbag became a definite status symbol and fashion accessory, known as a ;reticule’ and was often heavily adorned, embellished and embroidered.

The name ‘handbag’ was first coined in the 1800s when the advent of rail travel had meant that more women were on the move (literally) – and, dressed to the nines with their smart outfits and elegant fascinators, took hand-held travel bags with them on their travels which were referred to as ‘handbags’.   Many of today’s leading fashion handbag designers have their roots in the travel bags of old.

And as they say – the rest is history.  Larger handbags, briefcases and handle-less clutches or ‘pochettes’ became popular in the early 1900s with more practical shoulder bags with a military look emerged during the frugal war years of the 1940s.  Because of the lack of availability of expensive materials such as leather etc during the war years, handbag designers had to come up with alternative designs, which lead to handbags being made in plastic, synthetics and even in wood.  British women were even seen to wear handbags that matched their outfits – but that also carried their gas masks!.

The post war boom of the fifties saw the development of a whole range of new fabrics and materials which changed the way handbags were made – fake reptile skin, canvas, synthetics, plastic and rayon came to the fore in handbag design.   Some of the new and exciting designs that came through the next decades included dainty little handbags that went with the risqué mini, narrow clutch bags, romantic fashion bags inspired by the flower power movement, large fabric satchels and shoulder bags with an Eastern influence to designer bags with fancy embellishments, zips and studs.  Handbag history also became studded with the big designer handbag names including Prada, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel, Mulberry etc.

And as the saying goes – history tends to repeat itself.  Modern males are following in the footsteps of their 14^th century predecessors with the ‘man bag’ firmly back in vogue.  Handbags are an indispensable part of everyday life and serve a purpose for form as well as for function.  The handbag has a rich and interesting story to tell and will continue to make a name for itself as a social commentator, indicator of fashion and as a statement of individual style.

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