Your Life is Fashion

Purses – More Than Just Bags for Carrying Items

The oldest found purse belonged to Similaun Man who lived around 3,300 BC. It is also known that purses were worn by the Egyptians around the waist during religious ceremonies. Back in the Middle Ages, purses were fastened to the waist by girdles and served as a symbol of social status – the more embroidered the bag and the higher quality of the material, the richer the owner of such purse.

Initially purses were used to carry money. Nowadays, purses are used to carry more than that – keys, makeup, mobile phones and other items of daily use. But a purse is not just a functional item. It is an essential fashion accessory, without which hardly any woman leaves the house. Purses speak volumes about who their owner is. For example, active women, who carry around a lot of stuff and can’t stand being unprepared, prefer big purses. These bags are usually easy to open and close and have a lot of compartments.

Purses are traditionally carried by women, though men sometimes prefer purses to backpacks. Such male handbags are called “murses”, “manbags” or even “man-purses”.
There are various kinds of purses, for different occasions and lifestyles. Baguette handbags have the form of a long rectangle. Clutches are handbags without handles, preserved for evening-wear and usually too small to hold anything more than lipstick, keys and credit card. Hobo style purses are non-molded, casual handbags, usually worn over the shoulder. Satchels are commonly used by students at universities and colleges for carrying books. These rectangular handbags are made of leather or cloth and provided with a shoulder strap. Messenger bags are similar to satchels, only larger. They are inspired by those carried by couriers and postmen. Tote bags are large handheld, perfect for those who like to carry around all their stuff. With such a variety of purses, everybody can find a handbag to one’s taste.