Is there a ‘pathology’ of the purse? Any luxury bag designer given half a chance will swath you with intricate details of how their handcrafted hobo reaches our fair hands (often with less than fair prices); each one lovingly hand-crafted for 24 long days and nights! Hear their passionate pleas of how ‘ its’ a science’ not just ‘art’ that goes into each and every design!
The very origins of the purse reflect the evolution of mankind (and womankind in particular); our uprising; our freedom and our expression. Today, “handbag mania” breaks all the rules, knows no bounds, and spreads like a rash leaving ladies clambering for that latest hot edition, and it all began a long time ago…
Once upon a time men and women lead simple lives: men were predators in search of a kill, while women tended fields, collected berries and bore children. Survival was about food, heat, shelter and reproduction. As such, high heels, the iPhone and Louis Vuitton were neither wanted nor needed – so they weren’t created.
Men created the first ‘manbag’ in the 14th century to carry flint using little pouches (not pooches) around their waists. Later on women too started to follow suit dispensing with the flint and decorating the bags in jewellery and embroidery. Paintings of the hoi polloi showed them clad with handbags!
By the 17th century people carried their pouches underneath their clothes. By the 18th century with the arrival of close-fitting dresses, leather and embroidered handbags came back with vengeance and women began to have different handbags to match different outfits.
We first used the term ‘handbag’ in the 1900s for describing satchels and briefcases carried again, by men. Designers began to make feminine versions with compartments for fans, gloves and make-up. It was only after World War One with more freedom and independence for women that handbags became indispensable accessories. At the turn of the century the “hobble skirt “ came into fashion – making it impossible to have a pocket – and the handbag’s future was secure.
In the 1950’s handbag designers such as Louis Vuitton emerged. Today, there are no rules as all range of materials, colours, shapes and sizes fit the model of wardrobe fare. And, (after all), all is fair in love and war-drobe-war!
With such a choice of size, shape and colour what do our bags say about us? Do we chose our bags or do they chose us? Can women wean themselves away? Would we want to?
Our bags are a constant line of communication about how we feel, what we need and who we are. Every bag has its contents –each combination unique to each woman. Sure, many of us carry a phone, make-up, wallet, perfume, tissues and keys. But, no two handbags’ insides are the same! No two women carry the same make-up bag or contents, or key ring holder or brand of wallet. No two women pack their bags (or not as the case may be) with the same intent. Most women drive a car but do we all pick the same colour, brand and engine size? No! So why not? What drives us (forgive the pun) to pick one car (or bag) over another?
What if we chose our bags like we chose our men? If we do, is there psychology to our purpose and passion? May be it goes something like this:-
- First comes the ‘name’: Versace, Gucci, Prada – the essence of exotic and out of reach!
- Next comes the ‘look’: Birkin, Boogie, Ebury – classic, timeless and sophisticated !
- Moving next to ‘touch’ and ‘scent’: snake skin, suede, plastic –Banderas, Clooney, Depp!
- And, ‘Emotionally connected’ – organic, eco-friendly, affordable – Goldsmith , Pitt, the next door neighbour!
Given this hypothesis; a handbag is a love affair! Finding ‘your bag’ that ‘Mr Right’ is a bitter-sweet affair: perfect in the beginning; then the creases begin to show; bits fall off, they lose their shape and so you smuggle in a ‘newer model’ – and hide it under the bed for a while!
Like love – we can’t live without it and we can’t always live with it! Yet, still we crave it! Handbags are the same. It doesn’t matter how many you own, in how many colours or at what cost, there’s always a need for more! When romance fades, love letters fade, or your man stops craving your touch, we turn to Hermes, Chanel, Fendi, or Guess for that next fond embrace!
Can a women wean herself away? Why would she? The handbag is so full of promise – a safe haven of privacy and seclusion – a right to flaunt and tease – to dare to look inside and all will be revealed. Make no mistake our bags are the living embodiment of how we want to be, of how we are, and of who we are becoming! Any man trying to get in the way of that – will have to be a very big one or go by the name of Brad Pitt!
