Bags and Purses

From its early ancestors in the shape of pouches to carry seeds to the ramps in Milan, bags have been the carrier of the most personal belongings and historically a connotation of secret, power and class. Referred to the Freudian unconscious many a times, a purse holds the paradox of both a revealer, and a concealer.

History of Bags and Purses

• The precursor of handbag and purse is the pouch, which can be dated back to as early as the Bible and the early Egyptians.
• By the turn of the fourteenth and fifteenth century, both men and women started carrying them and girdle pouches became popular.
• During the sixteenth and the seventeenth century of the Elizabethan era, with enormous proportions of women’s skirts, the girdle bags were carried inside the skirt, and the men started having pockets and started taking cross bags made of leather.
• By the eighteenth century, with the French Revolution and the advent of the trains, the dress codes changed and the girdle bags turned into hand bags out of daily necessity.
• By the twentieth century, hand bags became an inevitable part of everyday fashion as an extended part of the dress. Boulevard bags, suitcases and briefcases came in vogue.
• By the World War II, with more opportunities of travel, handless clutches (pochette) became popular. By this time, bags became more practical, larger in size and all the trends of today’s bags and purses were seen to be in its nascent stage.
• By the youthful sixties and seventies, handbags attained a cult status by incorporating chains with small shoulder bags, buckles, zippers, designs emerging from women movements, rock music & satchels and fabrics hailing from India.

Different Types of Handbags and Purses

In today’s world, there is no point in categorizing bags and purses on the basis of its usage by gender, but the loose trends can still be observed:

Men’s Bags

Roughly, seven types of men’s bags are found in the modern day fashion. They are: wallet, briefcase, messenger bag, holdall, camera bag, men’s tote and newspaper bag.

Women’s Bags

The seven most popular versions of women’s bags are: clutches, satchels, hobo bags, cross body bags, women’s totes, accordion bag, baguette bag and pompadour bag.

Backpacks

Backpack bags are used by all, especially by the office goers and the school children. Ideal for a crowded place, backpacks have been the mainstay of the students for long time.

On the basis of materials and the genres mentioned above, Women’s designer bags available are as follows:

• Applique handbags 
• Cane Craft Handbags
• Embroidery Handbags
• Fabric Handbags
• Goat Leather Handbags
• Jute Handbags
• Kantha Embroidery Bags
• Leather Waist Bags
• Zari Bags
• Jholas

Applique Handbags

Applique is a French term meaning applied. In a broader sense, an applique is a small ornamental piece attached to another base or surface of the fabric to form designs. Indian versions of applique handbags incorporate hand stitches and needlework, using embroidery, patchwork, fabric and other ornamental materials. It is a traditional textile in India found in abundance in the Western states of Rajasthan and Gujarat and in the Eastern state of Orissa. Applique work on handbags with a typical ethnic look has become extremely popular in India.

Cane Craft Handbags

Cane craft handbags have been a trendy style especially in the tropical regions. One of the oldest creations of man, cane work is found in different parts of India. Canes are thin sticks usually made by weaving them in a crisscross way and then varnishing it for a glossy look. The different materials with which a cane handbag can be made of are: bamboo, cane, jute, grass and palm leaves.

Jute Handbags

In a lot of places more popular as earth bags, Jute handbags have gained enormous popularity as an eco friendly material as the best alternative to plastics and poly packs. Jute is a thin, long shiny and strong vegetable fibre spun into strong course threads. Next to cotton in abundance, utility and price, jute is being accepted more and more in a world which is nature conscious.

Kantha Embroidery Bags

Coming from the Sanskrit word ‘Raga’, Kantha embroidery bags carry the looks of the traditional heritage of handmade stitches of various shapes and designs especially by women of rural Bengal. Being a mere running stitch, it produces wonderful designs by clever grading and positioning of stitches. Kantha embroidery bangs not only carry the impression of a rural look, but also increases the aesthetic part of the bag design itself. These bags are made by making simple quilts with the stitches.

Zari Bags

An even thread traditionally for ornamental uses made from gold or silver, zari or jari is common in Indian, Pakistani and Persian traditions. Mostly made from silk with intricate and repetitive designs, this trend had set its course as early as the Mughal era.

Zari work can be done on any given material, starting from jute to silk and cotton. But irrespective of the material used as the base, a bag with a zari work would not only highlight the zari, but would also attract people for its wonderful dazzling design.