July 8, 2007
Jane Austen, famous English author of "Pride and Prejudice", use to make
handbags embroidered with her own witticisms to give to members of her
family.
June 9, 2007
Coach has a brand new handbag out that is totally beautiful in brass and
indigo. Check it out: New
Coach handbag.
June 2, 2007
The oldest form of handbags were pouches, used for everything from carrying
bones (used by sorcerers) to money.
May 14, 2007
A recent survery was conducted among wealthly shoppers and it was found
that men are more likely to choose a handbag based on it's brand
name than women.
May 7, 2007
California has a bill pending before the legislature to change
the definition of kangaroos so that certain non-endangered of the species
can be used in the manufacture of handbags and imported legally to this
country. PETA is opposing the bill.
April 27, 2007
Coach handbags have posted a 38% third quarter profit, but, in spite of
this, they have decreased their earnings and sales forcast and closed
their corporate accounts business. Does this sound strange to anyone
but me?
April 14, 2007
"The purse is the master-organ, soul's seat, and true pineal gland of
the body social" - from Sartor Resartus by Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)
Scottish Historian, critic, and sociological writer
April 6, 2007
The most famous handbag by designer Judith Leiber was the Chatelaine in
1967. Ms. Leiber did not realize the value of copyright at the time
and her competitors made a fortune from knocking off this handbag.
March 30, 2007
A lady in South Carolina has developed a full line (no pun intended!)
of handbags for brides made of bras called Bravura.
March 23, 2007
The first company to make recycled handbags was a Swiss company called
Freitag. Their bags are made from old truck tarps, old inner tubes,
and used seat belts.
March 7, 2007
Hermes handbags, which began in 1837, now has over 30,000 varies of leather, colors, and hardware for their bags!
February 23, 2007
Here is a tip to help protect your back if you insist on carrying a heavy handbag - never carry your bag on the same shoulder and, if your strap is long enough, carry your handbag across your body to help distribute the weight.
February 16, 2007
In the 1890's, something called a "finger purse" became popular and it was exactly what the name implies - a tiny purse that was carried on one finger.
February 9, 2007
The most widely seen bags carried by celebrities this season are the Marc Jacobs "Stam" and Yves Saint Laurent "Downtown" handbags.
February 2, 2007
Testing in a lab in Wisconsin showed that 1 in 4 handbags tested had levels of harmful bacteria such as E. Coli and Salmonella.
January 26, 2007
The latest from the Fashion Police is that women over the age of 50 should never carry bulky short handled designer handbags with hardware!
January 19, 2007
Prince William's girlfriend, Kate Middleton, has found a job buying handbags and other accessories for a high fashion chain store called "Jigsaw".
January 12, 2007
According to a recent survey of 3,000 in the UK, women in Wales carry the most expensive handbags!
January 5, 2007
Happy News - For Spring, 2007, word is that the oversized bags so popular right now will be replaced by smaller purses!
December 26, 2006
Judith Leiber's famous Chatelaine bag came about by accident when her
design came back from Italy with a defect. To cover the flaw, Ms. Leiber added rhinestones, thereby creating the first Leiber metal bag!
December 14, 2006
Kelly bags are handmade by skilled workmen and it takes
about 18 hours to complete each individual handbag.
December 7, 2006
The Bolide Bag by Hermes in 1923 was the first bag to
feature a zipper.
November 30, 2006
Belle Époque refers to the period of time from the end of the 19th century to the start of World War I in France.
Handbag styles during this period were very unique and relied heavily on the excess of the Cabaret, including lots of ostrich feathers!
November 24, 2006
I often get asked what is pleather? Pleather is a cheap substitute for leather that is
lighter and made of plastic.
November 16, 2006
An Almoner was an official in the Middle Ages who was responsible for distributing food and money
to the poor. The name of the bag he carried came to be called an "alms-bag" which gave birth
to the term "alms" for the poor.
November 9, 2006
Who says men don't look nice with handbags? Check out this YouTube
video of the All Black's Team:) Men With Bags
November 2, 2006
The "must have" bag of the 1980's was the Chanel bag with it's "Double C" monogram
and gilted shoulder chain. This bag was one of the most famouns designs of Karl Lagerfeld during his
stint at Chanel.
October 27, 2006
One of the most popular handbags in the 1930's was the crocodile bag. The "IT" bag
for this era often had a Bakelite handle and genuine crocodile claw paws!
October 20, 2006
According to consumer experts, popular items this Christmas will be satchels, tote bags,
and handbag accessories such as ipod holders.
October 12, 2006
In the 15th century, privileged men and women carried bags adorned with lace, which
was more expensive than gold.
October 4, 2006
Smith & Wesson, the famous gun manufacturer, has signed a contract with
Wilson Leather Company to make handbags with the Smith & Wesson logo. These bags will be
available Spring, 2007.
September 21, 2006
Handbags can be a great "time capsule" of past lifestyles. Handbag collector Mark Walsh purchased a 1930's Cartier bag
belonging to a former showgirl and found a bottle of perfume and a pair of pink satin tap dancing pants!
September 14, 2006
China has set up a national hotline in 50 cities across the country
to take complaints about fake handbags being sold!
August 31, 2006
Every Judith Leiber handbag has it's genuine Swarovsky crystals applied by hand!
August 24, 2006
There are rumors that Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice") is pregnant
with her 4th child because she has been holding a large Burberry Manor handbag in front of her stomach
when she is in public!
August 16, 2006
In the 1980s, Hermes introduced the "Birkin" handbag after Jane Birkin told the marketing director that
the "Kelly" bag was too difficult to open.
August 10, 2006
When Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisioned in the Tower of London, she spent
most of her time embroidering handbags as gifts for her captors.
August 3, 2006
If you are thinking about purchasing a vintage Lucite 50's bag, before buying smell the inside. If there is a strong
chemical smell do not buy because this means that it is in the process of deteriorating.
July 28, 2006
Coco Chanel, designer of the Chanel handbag, loved pockets and would use this
as a starting point for her handbag designs.
July 14, 2006
In Victorian times, most people (men and women) carried a crocheted purse that hung from their belts. This
was called a "misers" purse because the opening was only a tiny slit so money could only be gotten very slowly.
July 6, 2006
Instead of logos on their handbags, the elite had their family crest either embroidered
or painted on their bags in the 15th and 16th century in Europe.
June 29, 2006
Towards the end of the 1990's, there was a downturn in the economy as well as
the threat of AIDS which caused a backlash to the hedonism of the 1980's. Logos on handbags
were once again more discrete and it was not "cool" to flaunt your money on an obvious designer handbag.
June 21, 2006
In 1922, there was an exposition in Paris that introduced
a strong African influence in handbag design. Exotic fabrics with
abstract designs became the rage both in Paris and the USA.
June 14, 2006
Bill Amberg, popular handbag designer in England who
specializes in leather, was comissioned to make the harness for
Tom Cruise in the famous scene where Tom drops from the ceiling
in the "Mission Impossible" movie.
June 9, 2006
Did you know that right after World War II, Gucci was
forced into using cane handles on his handbags because of the
shortage of leather?
June 2, 2006
During the First World War, women began to leave home
in order to help with the war effort and their handbags reflected
their new working status. Bag became more utilitarian such as
messenger style handbags and cartridge bags that could be slung
over the shoulder when traveling to work.
May 25, 2006
During the 1920's, beaded bags with abstract designs
became very popular. These bags usually were attached to celluloid
frames and were made in Germany or Czechoslovakia.
May 18, 2006
Fendi handbags date back 3 generations to a heritage
of very strong and independent women. The first of the Fendi line
was Adele Fendi who had 5 daughters. As babies, these children
slept in a handbag drawer at her shop!
May 11, 2006
Sometimes it is difficult to accurately date a vintage
beaded bag because newer bags are sometimes made with older beads.
The only way to really tell the worth of your beaded bag is if
the bag is signed and dated by it's maker.
May 5, 2006
Genuine Pucci handbags are always signed; check the bag
for "Emilio" which is written in a black script signature.
April 27, 2006
Are you a fan of horseracing AND handbags? Then you are
in luck because a New York company has created a line of handbags
featuring Triple Crown winners Secretariat and Affirmed. The bags
will retail for around $275.00 and feature jockey-style silks
and light weight aluminum horseshoes for handles. The bags will
be available online and in selected stores.
April 18, 2006
Did you know that one of the most popular purses of the
1920's and 1930's was the Mandalian Bag? These beautiful little
mesh bags were introduced to the USA by a Turkish immigrant by
the name of Shatiel Mandalia and usually consisted of Art Deco
designs.
March 21, 2006
The "Miser's Purse" was carried by both males and females
in the 1800's. This type of bag had a central opening and 2 metal
sliders at each end. These were worn either on a belt or kept
in a larger bag - the purpose was to carry change.
March 16, 2006
In the Victorian era, it was fashionable to use steel
beads cut from metal rods to decorate handbags. These beads could
be embroidered in beautiful and intricate patterns to make bags
very individualist.
March 10, 2006
The most famous handbag from Hermes was originally designed
in 1892 to hold a saddle! This bag was called the Haut a Courroies,
a name derived from it's long straps and tall shape.
March 7, 2006
Did you know that handbag counterfeiters are nothing
new? As far back as 1896 handbag designer Louis Vuitton had his
logos hand painted on the canvas of his bags to help thwart those
who wanted to copy him.
March 2, 2006
Some interesting stats to think about! In 2004, an estimated
5 billion was spent in the United States for handbags. 44% of
women age 13 and over say they bought a handbag in 2004 - this
is up from 26% just 5 years ago!
