Be it make, meaning or mayhem, reach inside your own handbag, and you’ll find a mirror to the struggle for success in many areas of life and many eras. For the slim rectangle containing a shrewdly concealed sausage nestled inside the pouch worn by an ancient Roman woman has much in common with the lustrous reptile clutch carried by a 20th-century milliner in pursuit of bejewelled cuffs at the catwalk show of a couturier. For hundreds of years, up to the advent of the Western world, the handbag of the girl, young woman or man (all sexes had them) emulated a tube of hooves whose opening mirrored a yawning womb, while its defining association was social. Conceived as a means to ease the burden of hauling jars and pottery during hunting trips, toting loaves or milking mares, it gradually evolved into a perfect perch for babies; so much so that when the Romans colonised Britain, we find themselves hosting a clutch of Caledonian girls equipped with little more than their pouches either more redolent of sacks than merely bags or, alternatively, isolating cases of larger eggs. The etymological beginnings of the term bag are still mired in a mire of ambiguity, but fancy designs were not remotely on the itinerary. Meant as utilitarian entities, their basic construction consisted of cords, skins or hooves stitched together with leather lacing, before being loaded with odds and ends.
The History of Handbags
Handbags have an extensive history. They have been used for many centuries by men and ladies alike Arnold, engraving by J H Brown from Picturesque illustrations of Costumes and Characters of Fashion, 1801. The Costume Institute Collection at The Met Museum Ancient Egyptians are depicted in hieroglyphs carrying pouches around the waist or shoulder for storage.
Small drawstring bags for carrying coins and other personal items became known as ‘tasques’ in the Middle Ages in Europe, and ornamental purses were created from high-end luxury materials such as silk and velvet during the Renaissance.
However, it was only in the 19th century that women began to carry handbags regularly, which now became more common as women ventured out into public spaces, often even without a companion. Along with this development came a greater variety of stylish reticules to match with the ever-changing fashion trends. Industrialisation and changes in social roles of women brought even more development to the world of handbags, thus preparing the way for these redesigned household necessities to become must-have fashion articles in today’s world.
Handbags as a Symbol of Status and Power
Handbags have often been much more than just the convenient accessories we use to transport our goods, they act as emblems of status and power, standing as message-bearers for the person who carries them. The pouches worn around the waist by women in pre-historic Lascaux were clear stratification markers, evidence that their owners were wealthy enough not to need to rummage around for pens and money. Today’s designer handbags command huge prices too – their status indicators remain obvious.
A handbag is more than just a functional accessory – it can be used to convey social status, taste and personality. Not only does the style of bag you use speak volumes without uttering a word, an expensive designer handbag exudes confidence and sophistication, and requires minimal effort to enhance an outfit and make a statement. Owning or gifting an expensive new bag is seen as a rite of passage for complete success in many cultures.
From the ladylike elegance of a Chanel flap bag to the badass cool of a Balenciaga motorcycle bag, a handbag tells a distinctive tale. The premium or faux leather, the positioning of the brand logo, or the meticulous mechanics all reflect the message that a bag sends – even if someone is only half-aware of it.
The Rise of Designer Handbags
In modern times, a designer handbag has become much more than a practical accessory to carry things. A designer handbag brands a woman as a paragon of luxury, style and sophistication. Designer handbags have been synonymous with high fashion, beginning with several of the more iconic fashion houses such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Gucci.
The purse not only represents the creativity and care that goes in to its creation, but is also made out of premium materials like leather, suede and exotic skins, combined with intricate details. By contrast, most mass-produced handbags are simply bulk-produced.
More and more, celebrities and influencers customarily pose with these highly-coveted bags on the red carpet or, more recently, on their social media account, which in turn has led to more people adding to their shopping list. Nowadays, carrying a designer handbag has widely become a measure of one’s taste level and wealth.
Because of the rise of the designer handbag, fashion houses have begun to collaborate with celebrities or artists, resulting in limited editions of bags that sell out within minutes of going on sale. These methods of production draw on creativity from different industries to make objects that stretch beyond the boundaries of what a handbag is traditionally supposed to look like.
Handbag Trends Throughout the Decades
From kid leather vanity cases of the 1920s to sleek top-handle bags of the 1950s, the fickle fashions of handbags over the decades are explored in our exclusive new illustrated guide. The best thing is, the bags we’ve chosen feel strangely timeless. For they are the silhouettes still showing up on our favourite styles today.
Designs became more colourful and elaborate with the psychedelic dresses and fringing of the swinging ’60s and especially the boho ’70s, which saw oversized shoulder bags used for fashionable and practical purposes by the flamboyant free spirits of that decade.
The ‘90s minimalist aesthetic featured slim leather backpacks and minaudières, while the early aughts proved to be a time of logo mania, with designer brands coating everything from totes to clutches in screen prints.
Now, handbag trends continue in this vein, combining concerns for sustainability with versatility and individuality for consumers looking for striking, standout pieces that make a personal statement.
The Influence of Social Media on Handbag Culture
The age of handbag edifying has been driven by the prevalence of social media, and in this respect Instagram and TikTok have become the virtual runways where fashionistas have showcased their most recent designer bag conquests. Instagram influencers have also become a vital cog in a system that has catapulted certain designer handbags to the status of objet d’art. Despicable Me 5, anyone? 6.
Social media has fuelled this trend for ever faster turnarounds of limited edition releases and exclusive collaborations, which means queues for certain pieces and inflated prices. Today, many handbag brands use social media to address their specific clientele directly, from giving them a preview of an upcoming collection to showing them behind-the-scenes elements of the creation process.
And perhaps most importantly, social media has democratised our collective and public access to the styles and expressions of others, making us all contributors to the ongoing, worldwide discussion of style and accessories. From unboxing videos to flat lays showing off handbag collections and inspirations, social media is integral to the formation of contemporary handbag fashion and aspirations.
Sustainable and Ethical Practices in the Handbag Industry
Thanks to growing consumer awareness about the ecological and social implications of them, producers are also urging their customers to opt for socially and environmentally sound forms of luxury: many designers are focusing on the use of eco-friendly fibres (as in organic cotton, recycled plastics or vegan leather), processes that reduce waste and damage to flora and fauna.
Along with materials, ethical standards are applied to the production process. Responsible brands make serious efforts to know their supply chain comprehensively, ensuring fair pay to workers and nonexploitative terms of service. By buying handbags from those brands, consumers endorse ethical standards in the fashion industry, and therefore should have a positive feeling about what they have bought.
It’s not just a fad, but a real move towards a greener future for the fashion industry at large. As more people become aware of the impact of climate change, as well as the treatment of animals, demand for more ethically-made handbags could continue to grow.
Conclusion: The Future of Handbags and What They Say About Us
Handbags are also likely to maintain their identity-based cultivation in the future: handbags that are handbags, not just purses. They are increasingly objects of exchange that convey status and communicate significant styles. Identity is multi-layered, and so should be our analysis of handbags.
Nevertheless, we can be confident that handbags will continue to evolve to suit new trends in fashion. And since the industry is paying closer attention to matters of sustainability and ethics, we are likely to see much greater use of biodegradable and cruelty-free materials in the production of handbags in the future.
What that tells us about ourselves is one of the great psychodramas of fashion. So is the fact that whenever we buy into the perennial power of the accessory ‘it bag’ – a shout in the darkness, in other words – we’re choosing to proclaim our identity to the world. In this case, you wear your heart, or your need of reassurance, on your shoulder.
