Dallas Fashion Consultant asks: Whose bag is it, really? Yours, Mine, or His?
Personal Bags have a history for both men and women. Check this out, but don’t rush out to buy anything just yet!
Hand Bag– A Personal Bag, now called a Hand-bag, has been a useful and coveted item for men and women for thousands of years. Can you believe it began with the man-bag?! Hunter- Gatherers used bags of animal skin to bring home their most prized possession of all: Food.
- Eventually Bags were used for all types of specialty work like carrying mail, tools, photography equipment, and medical instruments. These bags often had shoulder-straps and handles and were mostly carried by men, but by the Victorian Age women began to use them more and more. A woman’s shoulder or handbag was used to carry hair care items such as brushes, combs and pins, cosmetics and the proverbial kitchen sink. During this era women’s handbags usually matched the outerwear in color and material. By the beginning of the 1900’s handbags could stand alone or match many different styles and colors of apparel.
Purses– The word Purse actually comes from the old English word Bursa, meaning leather or skin. From it comes the word Imburse, literally meaning to “Put into ones own purse” or “To stock with money.” Reimburse would therefore mean to “Place money into another’s purse!”
- Purses were also mostly carried by men and this traces back to the beginning of recorded history. Carvings in ancient Egypt show Pharaoh carrying a purse and Judas was given a purse with 30 pieces of silver.
- Purses have many names including coin purse, pocket book, misers bag, clutch and clasp. Purses stand apart from handbags because they are generally smaller, have a wrist strap but no shoulder strap or handle. Some may have a draw string closure but most have a metal clasp or latch to keep it closed.
- Men used purses to carry coins, keys or other small or sharp objects. Gold and silver coins used until the early 1900’s were heavy and could easily cut through a pant pocket. You may still see an older gentleman retrieve one of these coin purses from his pocket to give the correct change. In the 1800’s women’s purses were heavily beaded, some having bangles and these were very much works of art.
- Small purses, clutches or wristlets are mostly worn to formal or evening events when larger handbags are cumbersome, unnecessary or distracting. Today antique beaded-bags are coveted by collectors and are manufactured new by top designers. To view some of these classy accessories check out Zappos, Rebecca Minkoff, Dolce Gabbana, or Chanel.
Do you know how to select the perfect bag for you or someone else? We’ll help with that, next time!
As your Dallas Fashion Consultant, it is my mission to help my clients always look fabulous without being a slave to the whimsical ways of fashion trends. I am passionately committed to making sure my clients always look their very best in order to help them achieve their personal and business goals. If you have any questions or are interested in a personal consultation, please give me a call at 214-223-2200.