Whether you have a small or a large handbag. Admit it:a handbag is like a treasure chest, we women put all kinds of things in it. From necessities to things that men are likely to shrug their shoulders at. Wondering why on earth we carry that in our bag.
We never really stop to think about it. Not that surprising really, because a handbag is indispensable and so common that we don't think about how it actually came about.
Initially, there were actually no bags at all. That was true for both men and women. Any money that had to be taken was simply put in a money bag. The somewhat heavier or larger items went in an ordinary bag, box, suitcase and the like.
In Roman times, your personal belongings or important documents were transported in a glass jar with a cord or a handle. Actually a separate predecessor of the handbag. Moreover, very trendy if you compare this with the transparent handbags that are completely hot every now and then.
Later (in the Middle Ages) people used bags over the shoulder or on the belt when traveling. And it was precisely during that period that the predecessors of the modern handbag, made by bag makers, arose.
Around the end of the 15th century, these predecessors were replaced by larger closable pouches. However, these stood out because of their size, so there was a much greater chance that you would lose them by a thief. That was why a more manageable version was released that was carried in the hand and made of fabric.
After this, the development of the handbag went quickly. In the 17th century, cloth bags embroidered with silver or gold were fashionable. A little later in the 18th century it was suddenly completely trendy to take a box on a chain.
In the 19th century, women carried a capelin box. This was a box containing a sponge and some scented water. It was used when a woman was in danger of passing out because of a corset that was laced too tightly. This box was fashion dependent and disappeared from view when corsages went out of style.
Then the switch was made to what we would call a small wallet. This one was handy for money, but too small to carry other things. During the 1st World War it was important that you had a bag that was mainly easy and not so much elegant.
In the 1920s when people discovered the film industry, make-up suddenly became an important item for every woman. And suddenly bags became elegant accessories that matched the fashion of the time. All this resulted in a powder box with tassels at the bottom. In the box there was plenty of space for taking make-up items.
The 2nd World War ensured that the bag completely disappeared from view as a fashion accessory. After this, however, the development of the bag as an accessory went very fast. Nowadays there are so many bags that you often can't see the forest for the trees. So something for everyone.
Bags must meet our requirements. If you are a woman looking for a different bag, it must meet a number of requirements:
To know whether the layout and space is enough, we must first look at what should be in our bag. For most women, these are things she needs on a daily basis. Think of things like:keys, wallet, telephone (luckily there are smartphones, otherwise you would have to take a pen, paper, agenda, address book, camera, etc.), sanitary pads, because hey, you never know and make up. These are necessary things. But usually there is much more in a handbag. Something men will probably never understand.
What are you putting in it? I once emptied my own bag to look at the contents in my bag. People always say that I have a whole household in my bag and if someone needs something they come to me;-).
Here is my list:keys, wallet, 1x smartphone, pens, some sheets of paper (just in case…), handkerchiefs, pocket knife (always handy), make-up and my personal papers. In addition, I always take the Rabobank scanner with me and I also have a nail clipper with me. In my bag you will also find some anti-allergy tablets, sanitary towels and paracetamol. When the children were smaller, I always had a small first aid box with me containing, among other things, plasters. It's great, isn't it? Only important stuff or not? And all that in a pretty small handy black bag (fits anywhere and anytime)!
A bag is a personal thing. The shape, color and content say a lot about a person's character. Yes, especially men will see our handbag as a treasure chest and understand nothing of our contents. Because why do we carry all these things with us? I'm not going to explain it. In fact:if you want something from my bag, just ask me. I don't like rummaging in my bag. And yes, I may be carrying more around than you are, but it always comes in handy. Because we women are prepared for anything 😉
What's in your bag?
