HOW COOL....

Is Your Handbag?

‘No outfit is complete without a pair of shoes and a handbag:’ A saying we are all familiar with, but in today’s society things have taken quite a turn-around and it seems that choosing the style and design of your handbag, is a top priority when it comes to making your mark in the fashion stakes. Only when that all important, ‘on-the-shoulder number’ is firmly in place, is it time to start thinking about your outfit. You must then build it around your handbag.

It is no use making an assumption that a trip to any clothing store, or browsing through your usual pile of ‘meaty’ catalogs will suffice in finding the perfect companion. You need to broaden your horizons, surf the net and look further than the average handbag. It all depends on how individual you want to be, and with bags costing anything up to $4000 – how much you want to spend!

It appears that some women are spending their money on handbags in preference to other luxuries, like holidays. This does not, however, mean that you have to choose a practical bag - that fits your home from home possessions in. Some bags will barely accommodate your credit card! (Not something which suits all of us).

So why not indulge in a Judith Leiber handbag, originally a status symbol amongst the rich and older ‘set,’ but is now attracting younger buyers. Some of her bags are decorated with Swarovski crystals and come in the shape of snowflakes, owls, hearts, seals and an array of other unusual designs.

Lulu Guiness bags, on the other hand, offers the ultimate in attracting attention and providing a talking point, by producing bags in the design of butterflies, pagodas, sweet shops and poppy gardens.

If something a little more solid and sturdy is more for you, then why not plump for one of Timmy Woods’ bags; these are no ordinary bags, some are made of wood and carved into lips, watermelons, Christmas santas and even The Whitehouse!

With so much on offer, it is no wonder that handbags have become the most sought-after accessory and at the same time generating millions of pounds for the companies that produce them. Most of us can admit to owning several bags and some of us to having more bags than shoes!

Sadly the handbag didn’t always have such an easy ride. The earliest recorded handbags were actually small sacks carried by gentlemen, which contained pomanders, flint and money. They were called ‘Pockets’ and were hung by thongs from the back of the girdle – sounds rather painful. Thieves used to cut them away from behind, which gave them their ‘knick-name’ of ‘Cut Purse.’

Thankfully this method of carrying one’s belongings was obviously seen as totally impractical and is probably the reason women took on the main role of carrying handbags, leaving men to fumble around in their trouser pockets, searching for loose change, keys, mobiles and dare we think of what else! Then there is always the option for those with partners to off-load it all into their handbags, leaving them free to worry only about the future whereabouts of their credit cards.

As women’s social status has changed through the centuries, so has the handbag. Hairnets and embroidered handkerchiefs have been replaced by screwed up tissues, credit cards and electronic devices – to name but a few.

If you still find yourself quite happy with your trusty, old companion and don’t care whether it is ‘cool and trendy,’ and it suits your needs, well that’s just fine. If, however, you are now inspired by what is out there, and you find yourself rushing to place an order for that exclusively designed bag, remember, that it doesn’t matter whether it actually goes with anything, you can always worry about that later!

By
Jane Grimshaw

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