purse

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Model at New York Fashion Week showing a Louis Vuitton handbag.

In American English, a purse is a small bag, also called a handbag or a pocketbook.

In British English, a purse is a small money container similar to a wallet, but typically used by women and including a compartment for coins, with a handbag being considerably larger; indeed, a purse is often kept in a handbag.

A purse or handbag is often fashionably designed, typically used by women, and is used to hold items such as wallet, keys, tissues, makeup, a hairbrush, cellular device or personal digital assistant, feminine hygiene products, or other items^{[clarification needed]}.

History

Purses, such as this one by Burberry, can be a Fashion accessory with a function.

The comical cane toad purse

The oldest known purse was found with Ötzi the Iceman^[1] who lived around 3,300 BCE. Another early example is found in Egyptian art, which show pouches worn around the waist. The next appearance is in 14th century Europe. In Europe, people often showed social status based on the embroidery and quality of the bag. At this time the purses were for women mainly and were therefore attached to their girdle.

In the 15th century, both men and women wore purses. They were often finely embroidered or ornamented with gold. It was also customary for men to give their new brides purses embroidered with an illustration of a love story. Later in the century, women, now wearing finer dresses, preferred to wear their pouches under their skirts (which is currently a new fashion trend in the United States of America^{[citation needed]}).

In the 16th century, handbags were made out of common materials. They were leather and fastened with drawstring on top. Large cloth bags were introduced and worn by travelers diagonally across the body.

In the 17th century, bags became more complex and elaborate. Girls were taught skills, such as embroidery and needlework, that could assist them in finding a husband. These skills gave rise to stitched artwork on purses. Around the year 1670, men's breeches were made with built-in pockets, which caused them to stop carrying purses. They did however carry little netted purses in their pocket to carry money.

In the 18th century, as neo-classical clothing came into fashion, women started carrying their handbags as not to ruin their outfits. They named these bags reticules. Most women had more than one, so that they could use a certain one for each occasion. Contents of these bags might include rouge, face powder, a fan, a scent bottle, visiting cards, a card case, and smelling salts.

In the early 1900s people began calling their bags "handbags". This term referred to luggage that men carried. They then inspired women, who began carrying bags with complicated fasteners, internal compartments, and locks. In the 1920s, it became popular that bags no longer had to match your outfit. In the 1940s, with WWII, women's purses were made out of wood or plastic since metal was being saved for supplies. In the 1950s, popular handbag designers included Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes. Today these three brands are still popular, along with Gucci, Christian Dior, Fendi, Prada, Kate Spade, and Lockheart among many others.

Luxurious small handbags or clutches were considered a necessary accessory of formal female attire, but this is frequently ignored, especially by younger women who often consider it old-fashioned and stuffy.

Variations

An antique Indian female purse

The word purse is derived from the Latin bursa, from the Greek βύρσα, býrsa, oxhide.^[2]

Purses are usually carried by women, though men sometimes carry one as a smaller alternative to a backpack; such a purse is sometimes termed a murse or manbag (portmanteaus "man" with "purse" and "handbag" respectively). It can also be called a man-purse. Such bags usually have straps rather than being carried in the hand. In the US and Canada they are often similar or identical to messenger bags. In Europe men may have shoulder bags that are much smaller; not much larger than a wallet. Smaller children also use purses, but usually just for show. Kiefer Sutherland, of 24 fame, brought the man-purse into the main stream through his character, Jack Bauer. Jack frequently prominently carried his messenger bag with him in the 5th Season.

Coin purses are small purses, just large enough to hold paper money, cards and coins

A medium-to-small-sized purse with a short handle, designed to be carried (clutched) in one's hand is often called a clutch.

A larger purse with two handles is often called a tote.

A pocketbook is similar to a purse, but smaller.

Vintage pocketbook.

A security bag protects the carrier from travel theft. The purse includes an invisible stainless steel strap sewn into the fabric and a protectant on the main zipper.

Types of handbags

Crocodile skin handbags in a conservation exhibit at Bristol Zoo, England

• Clutch: Small, yet long (rectangular), evening bag without a handle.

• Satchel: large bag with small handle that is carried on the arm rather than on the shoulder.

• Duffel: A large bag usually used for travel or sports.

• Tote: A medium to large bag with two straps.

• Messenger bag : A bag with a long strap to be worn across the body.

• Sling bag : A bag with a long strap (similar to a messenger bag), yet smaller.

Trivia

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• In the Oscar Wilde play The Importance of Being Earnest, the protagonist, Jack Worthing, was found in a handbag in the cloakroom at Victoria Station as a baby, prompting Lady Bracknell's famous exclamation "A handbag?"
• A survey of shoppers at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex, England, found that the average 30-year-old woman owns 21 handbags and buys a new one every three months, adding up to 111 over the course of a lifetime.^[3]

See also

Look up purse in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Purses

• Birkin Bag
• Coach (company)
• It Bag
• Louis Vuitton
• Prada
• RUEHL No.925
• Hansengross
• Vera Bradley
• Kooba
• Purse hook
• Purse organizer
• Purse party
• English Retreads

References

Further reading

• Pedersen, Stephanie. Handbags - What Every Woman Should Know. Cincinnati: David & Charles. pp. 128 pages. ISBN 13 978-0-7153-295-0.