In my opinion, the modern handbag was actually first born in Paris in 1790. Up until this time, women worn "pockets" which were, in reality, decorative small pouches that were tied around the waist beneath petticoats.
Woman really liked this new found freedom to carry around their personal possessions and were not ready to give this up when fashion changed to the empire style dress. This sheer and relatively non-bulky outfit did not lend itself to a pocket wore around the waist - it ruined the lines of the dress!
Improvisation is a great thing and women of the day were no slouches in the intellect department. This lead to the formerly "tied around the waist" pocket acquiring a handle and being carried in the hand, which is actually the most logical next step.
These bags were called "reticules" and were promptly made fun of in the French press. As the saying goes, "you can't keep a good woman down" and fortunately for us, ladies ignored the ridicule and choose the freedom of a handbag over the flack from accepted standards of the day. We owe these brave women a debt of gratitude for their persistence in the face of opposition!
No comments:
Post a Comment