Cover Photo Courtesy of Instagram.com/hermes
Thousands of years ago, bags were invented to carry valuable belongings, and what you might not know is that they were essentially created for men. Behind the bag, as it is today, there’s in fact a long history of evolution and innovation that is worth discovering.
Bags simultaneously evolved with fashion and cultures through time – first being an accessory carried by men. Well, this explains why hieroglyphics from Ancient Egypt depict men carrying pouches around their waists. The 18th century witnessed the rise of the term “handbags” – which referred to men’s hand luggage. Made from animal skins and plant fibers, they were used to carry hunting and gathering tools.
The Middle Ages gave bags a more fashionable nature, as they became a form of self-expression and a testament of their makers’ craftsmanship through their embroidery and bejeweled details. Later on, grooms started giving their bride bags that came embroidered with love stories and poems as wedding gifts up until the 16th and 17th centuries, when fashion saw a dramatic change. The bags that women used to hang on their waist became unpractical with their elaborate dresses, which led to the invention of pockets and thus to a change in men’s fashion. Pockets stripped them of the necessity to carry a purse, and started carrying smaller pouches to hold their money instead – which later evolved into wallets.
When fashion changed once again in the 18th century and sleeker designs took over, women’s dresses became slimmer – not allowing them to carry pouches on their waists. Therefore, the purse was re-invented in slender styles and used to be carried on their wrist. While high-class individuals used to carry sleek bags, lower-class people used bags of a utilitarian nature – such as messenger bags. And as fashion evolved, this accessory not only indicated the social status of its carrier, but also highlighted their freedom to move. So, when women started socializing and traveling at the end of the 19th century, purses became a symbol of their freedom and were used to carry tickets, papers and money. That’s when the likes of Louis Vuitton started designing utilitarian bags in the shape of miniature suitcases with sturdy handles, multiple compartments and snap closure, making bags a beloved accessory that never ceased to evolve since then while reaching its peak in terms of innovation in the 20th century.
Article Written by Mirella Haddad
