It’s a tale as old as time…purses have been around for so long that they could be traced back to the earliest stages of civilizations. Only back then, they weren’t called “purses”, nor “handbags”. They were simply known as pieces of perishable cloths, used by women and men and deemed necessary to carry money and other personal items. It appears that bags were worn attached to the belt, conveniently used as what we know today as pockets.
Fast forward to the 17th century where pockets were introduced to everyday clothing and purses were slowly disappearing from men’s dictionary. The trend lingered on with women, making bags an exclusively female accessory. The 19th century came with a revolution of materials introducing iron and polished steel; all of which were used to create new designs for bags and purses. But perhaps the most important era in the history of purses was the 20th century, as the emancipation of women emphasized their need for bigger handbags. The result? Infinite types of bags, from daytime purses to minaudières and whatnot…oh, and a special closet just for our curated selection of bags!
Cindy Menassa
