Handbag History

History and Evolution of Handbags

• A handbag is a handled medium-to-large bag used to carry personal items.
• The term "purse" originally referred to a small bag for holding coins.
• Women's bags grew larger and more complex in the 1900s, and the term handbag was attached to the accessory.
• The modern purse, clutch, pouch, or handbag came about in England during the Industrial Revolution.
• Handbags transitioned from being seen as unfeminine to being seen as specifically feminine and unmasculine in the 20th century.
• Men's purses were revived by designers in the 1970s in Europe.
• Since the 1990s, designers have marketed a more diverse range of accessory bags for men.
• A distinction can be made between soft-body handbags or frame handbags, where a metal frame supports the textile or leather of the bag.
• The verb "to handbag" and its humorous usage was inspired in the 1980s by UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher having “weaponized” the handbag.
• Handbag collecting has become increasingly popular in the 2000s.
• The Museum of Bags and Purses is in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
• Queen Elizabeth II owned over 200 Launer London bags.