Editing Handbag

{{Short description|Handled bag used to carry personal items}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Original research|date=September 2011}}
[[File:Mi'kmaq porcupine quill purse (40412695490).jpg|thumb|right|Mi'kmaq porcupine quill handbag]]

A '''handbag''', commonly known as a '''purse''' in [[North American English]], is a [[Handle (grip)|handle]]d medium-to-large [[bag]] used to carry personal items. It has also been called a '''pocketbook''' in parts of the U.S.

==Terminology==
The term "purse" originally referred to a small bag for holding coins. In many English-speaking countries, it is still used to refer to a [[coin purse|small money bag]].

A "handbag" is a larger accessory that holds objects beyond currency, such as personal items. American English typically uses the terms purse and handbag interchangeably. The term ''handbag'' began appearing in the early 1900s. Initially, it was most often used to refer to men's hand-luggage. Women's bags grew larger and more complex during this period, and the term was attached to the accessory.<ref>{{cite book|last=Browning|first=Marie|title=Purse Pizzazz|year=2006|publisher=[[Sterling Publishing]]|isbn=978-1-4027-4065-7|page=8}}</ref>

"Pocketbook" is another term for a woman's handbag that was most commonly used in the United States in the mid-twentieth century.<ref>{{cite book | last=Wilcox | first=C. | title=A Century of Bags: Icons of Style in the 20th Century | publisher=Universal International | year=1997 | isbn=978-1-876142-36-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t9UaAAAACAAJ | access-date=March 19, 2024 | page=11}}</ref>

== Origin ==
=== Antiquity ===
During the ancient period bags were utilised to carry various items including flint, tools, supplies, weapons and currency. Early examples of these bags have been uncovered in [[Ancient Egyptian funerary practices|Egyptian burial sites]] ({{circa}} 2686–2160 BCE) and were made of leather with two straps or handles for carrying or suspending from a stick.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-10-27 |title=The History Of Bags |url=https://lux-collector.com/blogs/blog/the-history-of-bags |access-date=2023-07-17 |website=LuxCollector Vintage |language=en}}</ref> The [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greeks]] made use of leather, papyrus and linen purses known as ''byrsa'' to store coins, which is the etymological origin of the English word "purse". The emergence of money further inspired the creation of drawstring purses, most commonly hung from a belt or kept in clothing folds.

A handbag was discovered with the remains of [[Ötzi]], who lived between 3350 and 3105 BC.<ref>{{Cite web |title=From when did humans start carrying handbags? |url=https://htschool.hindustantimes.com/editorsdesk/knowledge-vine/from-when-did-humans-start-carrying-handbags |access-date=2023-07-17 |website=HT School |language=en-US}}</ref> Whilst one of the earliest discoveries of an ornate leather purse came from [[Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain|Anglo-Saxon Britain]], dated circa 625 CE, revealed from the burial site of King Roewald in the mounds of [[Sutton Hoo]] in [[Suffolk]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Practical Uses and Fashions of Handbags and Purses |url=https://dsfantiquejewelry.com/blogs/time-blog/practical-uses-and-fashions-of-handbags-and-purses |access-date=2023-07-17 |website=DSF Antique Jewelry |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Anna |title=Fashions of Handbags and Purses |url=https://www.lovetoknow.com/life/style/fashions-handbags-purses |access-date=2023-07-17 |website=LoveToKnow |language=en}}</ref> Although the leather had deteriorated, its gold ornaments were still intact. Inside the purse was forty gold coins and it was held in place by a gold belt buckle and golden hinged straps.<ref name=":1" /> These features symbolised a display of opulence, making the purse part of a lavish suite of possessions.

=== Medieval period ===
[[File:Bag Mosul Gambier Parry Courtauld Gallery.jpg|thumb|The [[Courtauld bag]], thought to be the world's oldest surviving handbag]]

The [[Courtauld bag]], tentatively believed to have been made at [[Mosul]] in the early 1300s, is thought to be the oldest surviving handbag in the world today.<!-- Brown 2014 --> It likely belonged to an [[Ilkhanate]] noblewoman.<!-- Brown 2014 --><ref name="Brown 2014">{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Mark |title=A handbag? Courtauld Gallery opens up identity of 700-year-old treasure |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/feb/19/handbag-courtauld-gallery-identity-treasure-fashion |access-date=8 February 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=19 February 2014}}</ref>

=== Modern Origin ===
[[File:Woman's muslin dress and straw bonnet c. 1830.jpg|thumb|Women's fashion from 1830, including a ''reticule'' handbag from France<ref>{{cite web |url=http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=159955;type=101 |title=Los Angeles County Museum of Art |publisher=Collectionsonline.lacma.org |access-date=30 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111024071222/http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record |archive-date=24 October 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>]]

Until the late 1700s, both men and women carried bags.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Handbags and Purses {{!}} Encyclopedia.com |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/fashion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/handbags-and-purses |access-date=2023-07-17 |website=www.encyclopedia.com}}</ref> Early modern Europeans wore purses for one sole purpose: to carry coins. Purses were made of soft fabric or [[leather]] and were worn by men as often as ladies; the Scottish [[sporran]] is a survival of this custom. In the 17th century, young girls were taught embroidery as a necessary skill for marriage; this also helped them make very beautiful handbags.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://henriettashandbags.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=4|title=History of Handbags- From the 14th Century to Present Day Handbag Designers|last=Timmons|first=Henrietta|access-date=2017-05-28}}</ref>

By the late 18th century, fashions in Europe were moving towards a slender shape for these accessories, inspired by the silhouettes of Ancient Greece and Rome. Women wanted purses that would not be bulky or untidy in appearance, so [[Reticule (handbag)|''reticules'']] were designed. Reticules were made of fine fabrics like silk and velvet, carried with wrist straps. First becoming popular in France, they crossed over into Britain, where they became known as "indispensables".<ref>{{cite book|last=Hagerty|first=Barbara G. S.|title=Handbags: a peek inside a woman's most trusted accessory|year=2002|publisher=[[Running Press Book Publishers]]|isbn=0-7624-1330-1|pages=14–5}}</ref> Men, however, did not adopt the trend. They used purses and [[pocket]]s, which became popular in men's trousers.<ref name="burman83">{{cite book|editor-last1=Burman |editor-first1=Barbara |editor-first2=Carole |editor-last2=Turbin|title=Material Strategies: Dress and Gender in Historical Perspective|year=2003|publisher=[[Wiley-Blackwell]]|isbn=978-1-4051-0906-2|pages=83–4}}</ref>

The modern purse, clutch, pouch, or handbag came about in England during the [[Industrial Revolution]], in part due to the increase in travel by railway. In 1841 the [[Doncaster]] industrialist and confectionery entrepreneur Samuel Parkinson (of [[butterscotch]] fame) ordered a set of traveling cases and trunks and insisted on a traveling case or bag for his wife's particulars after noticing that her purse was too small and made from a material that would not withstand the journey.

He stipulated that he wanted various handbags for his wife, varying in size for different occasions, and asked that they be made from the same leather that was being used for his cases and trunks to distinguish them from the then-familiar [[carpetbag]] and other travelers' cloth bags used by members of the popular classes. [[H.J. Cave & Sons|H. J. Cave]] (London) obliged and produced the first modern set of luxury handbags, as we would recognize them today, including a clutch and a tote (called a "ladies traveling case").

These are now on display in the [[Museum of Bags and Purses]] in Amsterdam. H. J. Cave did continue to sell and advertise the handbags, but many critics said that women did not need them and that bags of such size and heavy material would "break the backs of ladies".  H. J. Cave ceased to promote the bags after 1865, concentrating on trunks instead, although they continued to make the odd handbag for royalty, celebrities or to celebrate special occasions, the Queen's 2012 Diamond Jubilee being the most recent. However, H.J. Cave resumed handbag production in 2010.<ref>{{cite news|first=Philippa |last=Stockley |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/philippa-stockley-yes-the-contents-mean-a-lot-but-its-the-bag-that-matters-most-8100587.html |title=Yes, the contents mean a lot, but it's the bag that matters most |newspaper=The Independent |date=2 September 2012 |access-date=27 September 2015}}</ref>

== 20th century ==
{{Expand section|date=November 2011}}
[[File:SandrineNosbé (cropped).jpg|thumb|Handbag over the shoulder]]
When handbags started to become popular, they were criticized as unfeminine. In the early 20th century, Sigmund Freud argued that purses were sexually suggestive as the structure of the purse symbolized female genitalia and sexuality. Before handbags, pockets were secured inside of a woman's dress which held personal items and retrieving items was done discreetly and modestly. Because handbags are carried in the open, the accessory exposed a woman's personal items. To Freud, a woman retrieving items from her purse was a representation of masturbation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Hiner|first=Susan|date=June 10, 2010|title=Accessories to Modernity: Fashion and the Feminine in Nineteenth-Century France|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt3fhhgk.10|access-date=May 11, 2021|website=JSTOR|publisher=[[University of Pennsylvania Press]]|pages=178–210|jstor=j.ctt3fhhgk.10 }}</ref>

As handbags grew into the mainstream in the 20th century, they began to transform from purely practical items to symbols of the wearer's wealth and worth in society. The styles, materials, prices, and, most importantly, the brand names of purses and handbags became just as (if not more) valuable than the functionality of the bags themselves. Handbags transitioned from being seen as unfeminine, to being seen as specifically feminine and unmasculine. While women's bags served as fashion accessories not meant to hold more than a few personal and beauty items (feminine things), men's bags stayed more in the realm of briefcases: square, hard-edged, plain; containing items pertaining to the "man's world": business-related items, documents, files, stationery and pens. The gendered division between the personal bag and the business bag meets in the middle with the unisex alms purse originating in the Middle Ages meant to carry coins to donate to the church or the poor. The charitable symbolism of the alms purse later carried over to women's handbags in general; a woman carrying a bag was seen as upper class and therefore potentially using the bag to hold her donations.<ref name=":0" />

During the 1940s, the rationing of textiles for World War II led to the manufacturing of handbags made in materials like [[raffia]] or crocheted from yarn.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pedersen |first=Stephanie |url=http://archive.org/details/handbagswhatever0000pede |title=Handbags : what every woman should know |date=2006 |publisher= David & Charles|location=Cincinnati, OH |others=Internet Archive |isbn=978-0-7153-2495-0}}</ref> Some women crocheted their own small handbags from commercial patterns during this period.

== <span class="anchor" id="Man bag"></span> Men's bags ==
{{Redirect|Man purse|the JPEGMafia song|JPEGMafia discography}}
[[File:FreitagBag.jpg|thumb|A casual messenger bag]]

The oldest known purse dates back more than 5000 years, and was a pouch worn by a man, [[Ötzi the Iceman]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Gerval|first=Olivier|title=Studies in Fashion: Fashion Accessories|year=2009|publisher=A & C Black|isbn=978-1-4081-1058-4|page=44}}</ref> Men once carried [[coin purse]]s. In early modern Europe, when women's fashions moved in the direction of using small ornamental purses, which evolved into handbags, men's fashions were moving in another direction. Men's trousers replaced men's [[breeches]] during the course of the 18th and 19th centuries, and pockets were incorporated in the loose, heavy material. This enabled men to continue carrying coins, and then paper currency, in small leather wallets. Men's pockets were plentiful in the 19th century and 20th century trousers and coats, to carry possessions, such as pipes, matches, and knives, and they were an item frequently mended by their wives.<ref name="burman83"/>

Men's purses were revived by designers in the 1970s in Europe.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sarti|first=Giorgio|title=Vespa: 1946-2006: 60 Years of the Vespa|year=2006 |location=St. Paul, Minnesota |publisher=[[Motorbooks]]|isbn=978-0-7603-2577-3|page=117}}</ref> Since the 1990s, designers have marketed a more diverse range of accessory bags for men. The names '''man bag''', '''man-purse''' and '''murse''', '''mini bag''' have been used. The designs common in the U.S. are typically variations on backpacks or [[messenger bag]]s, and have either a masculine or a more unisex appearance, although they are often more streamlined than a [[backpack]] and less bulky than a briefcase. These bags are often called [[messenger bag]]s or organizer bags. In many other countries, it is common for men to carry small rectangular shoulder bags, often made of leather. The leather [[satchel]] is also common. Men's designer bags are produced by well-known companies such as [[Prada]], [[Louis Vuitton]], [[Coach, Inc.|Coach]], and [[Bottega Veneta]] in a variety of shapes and sizes. The global men's bag and small leather goods trade is a $4-billion-a-year industry.<ref>{{cite book|last=Standard & Poor's|title=Standard & Poor's 500 Guide|year=2011|publisher=[[McGraw-Hill]]|location=Coach Inc.|isbn=978-0-07-175491-0}}</ref>  Sales of men's accessories including "holdall" bags are increasing in North America.<ref>{{cite news |last=Clifford |first=Stephanie |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/20/business/men-are-buying-fashion-accessories-after-slow-recession-sales.html |title=Men Step Out of the Recession, Bag on Hip, Bracelet on Wrist |newspaper=The New York Times |date=19 February 2012}}</ref>

== Types ==
[[File:Handbags diagram.svg|thumb|Varieties of handbags (proportional)]]

* [[Baguette (bag)|Baguette]]: a small, narrow, rectangular shape purse, resembling a French loaf of bread ([[baguette]])
* Bowling bag: a popular 1990s "retro" style for younger women, modeled after American bags used to carry bowling balls; sturdy design with arched top and sides and a zipper closure with two carrying handles, may or may not have feet,  usually no strap, no drawstring, no top flap
* Barrel bag: a cylindrical shape akin to a barrel, larger than a baguette bag, with two short handles, has no flap, and usually does not have shoulder straps.
* Bucket bag: a cylindrical bag, shaped like a bucket, medium-size or large, with one or two large handles, often shoulder strap(s), and a drawstring closure
* Clutch: a small firm handbag with a top flap and without handles, often rectangular in shape (soft versions sometimes are shaped like sections of an orange), often an evening bag but used during the day as well; some will feature a strap that can be worn over the shoulder but many will not<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-11-01|title=Similar But Differents: Clutch vs Wristlet|url=https://theluxonomist.es/2015/11/02/similar-but-differents-clutch-vs-wristlet/abel-hernandez|access-date=2021-01-26|website=The Luxonomist|language=es}}</ref>
* Crossbody bag: a bag worn across the body from shoulder to hip; this is as opposed to a smaller hand carried bag such as a clutch as well as opposed to a larger bag such as a tote or bowling bag; a baguette, for example, may be worn crossbody, as can a half-moon or a messenger bag, but a tote cannot be worn this way nor can a hobo (some bucket bags are worn crossbody)
* Doctor's bag: also known as a [[Gladstone bag]], modeled after a Victorian-era doctor's bag for making house calls, medium to large, has two sturdy handles but no straps and no top flap; resembles a bowling bag but may have a different closure, traditionally always in black leather
* Half-moon bag: shaped like a half-moon, usually smaller and feminine, worn hanging from the shoulder, may or may not have a handle<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bobila|first=Maria|title=18 Half-Moon Handbags for When You're Tired of Your Bucket Bag|url=https://fashionista.com/2019/04/shop-half-moon-handbags|access-date=2021-01-26|website=Fashionista|date=9 April 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Hobo bag]]: a soft-sided medium-sized crescent-shaped bag with a shoulder- or crossbody-length strap with no handle, no feet, and a top zipper closure with no top flap; a modern, casual silhouette
* [[Messenger bag]]: technically a variety of satchel (see below), square or rectangular (wider than tall) with one long strap worn across the body and large flap covering the top opening with no feet; inspired by bags worn by urban messengers to deliver business mail; meant to be carried against the lower back and usually made out of waterproof canvas rather than leather, with a secure front closure
* [[Minaudière]]: a variety of clutch, usually rigid-bodied with a hinge at the bottom, sometimes with a soft fabric lining, with no handles, straps, or feet, often encrusted with jewels and worn as evening wear
* [[Reticule (handbag)|Reticule]]: also known as a ''ridicule'' or ''indispensable'', is an obscure type of small [[drawstring]] handbag or purse, similar to a modern evening bag, used mainly from 1795 to 1820
* [[Saddlebag]]: a small to medium size bag shaped like an equestrian saddle bag, always with a top flap and curved sides and bottom along with a shoulder strap but no top handle(s), no drawstring, and no feet. The [[Dior Saddle bag]], introduced in 1999 by designer [[John Galliano]], is a well-known contemporary example of this style
* [[Satchel]]: a larger soft-sided case usually of leather, often with a pair of top handles and a shoulder strap, usually has a front flap, similar to a doctor's bag or tote in shape but smaller, worn across the body and resting on the opposite hip; a satchel made of canvas is usually considered a messenger bag
* Shoulder bag: a bag worn hanging off the shoulder, as opposed to a crossbody bag or a handheld bag; has a shorter strap than a crossbody, but otherwise is not usually distinguished; both shoulder bags and crossbody bags are larger than most clutches or wristlets, but smaller than totes or bucket bags; they may have a top flap, a handle, and feet, or none of these; a hobo bag is a variety of shoulder bag, but because of its distinct shape, it is usually referred to as a hobo specifically
* Top handle bag: a medium-sized bag with one or two top handles, may or may not have a flap, often rectangular with four feet, may also have a strap; many satchels are also top-handle bags, and some of these may be worn as crossbody bags or as shoulder bags if they also have a strap
* [[Tote bag|Tote]]: a medium to large bag with two longer straps and an open top (no flap, no zipper closure), similar to a bucket bag but usually less cylindrical and more square, with no feet; the Hermes [[Birkin bag]] is a tote
* Wristlet: a small rectangular handbag with a short carrying strap resembling a bracelet that can be worn around the wrist. Similar to a clutch in design, but with the added wrist strap

== Hardware ==
[[File:Woman%27s Handbag LACMA M.85.85.27.jpg|thumb|1860 Woman's handbag with frame and kissing lock (LACMA)]]

A distinction can also be made between soft-body handbags or frame handbags, where a metal frame supports the textile or leather of the bag. Frame bags often use a [[Lock and key|kissing lock]] closure, with two interlocking metal beads set on the top of the frame. Kissing locks were popular on handbags during the early- to mid-20th century, and remain popular with vintage collectors and in "retro" designs. These locks are still seen on smaller [[coin purse]]s.

== Coinage as a verb ==
[[File:President George H. W. Bush, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and NATO Secretary General Manfred Woerner make statements to the press regarding Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.jpg|thumb|President George H. W. Bush, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and NATO Secretary General Manfred Woerner make statements to the press regarding Iraq's invasion of Kuwait; Thatcher holds her famous handbag]]

The verb "to handbag"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/handbag|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191005223112/https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/handbag|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 October 2019|title=Handbag &#124; Definition of Handbag by Lexico|website=Lexico Dictionaries &#124; English}}</ref> and its humorous usage was inspired in the 1980s by UK prime minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] having "weaponized" the handbag in the opinion of British biographer and historian [[Sir David Cannadine|David Cannadine]].<ref name="CannadineProps">{{cite web| first=David |last=Cannadine |title=''Prime Ministers' Props, Series 2, Margaret Thatcher's Handbag''|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bgg1d0 |publisher=BBC Radio 4, 2018-08-29 |access-date=2018-08-29}}</ref> As "her most visible symbol of her power to command" the bag became an emphatic prop that she produced at meetings to show she meant business. She would invariably bring out of the bag a crucial document from which she would quote, her speech notes often being cut to size to fit inside. Because Thatcher was Britain's first female prime minister, former [[Daily Telegraph]] editor [[Charles Moore (journalist)|Charles Moore]] wrote in his authorised biography of 2013, "her handbag became the sceptre of her rule".<ref>Charles Moore (2013). ''Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography, Volume One: Not For Turning''. Allen Lane: London. {{ISBN|978-0-7139-9288-5}}.</ref>

The verb's more general meaning of "treating ruthlessly" came to symbolize Thatcher's whole style of government. Victims of her handbaggings, from political leaders to journalists, have testified<ref>{{cite news|title=''I was handbagged by Mrs Thatcher'' |work=BBC News |date=11 October 2010 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-11518330 |access-date=17 June 2014}}</ref> to what the German chancellor [[Helmut Kohl]] perceived as her "ice-cold pursuit of her interests". US secretary of state [[James Baker]] recalled her standby ploy: "When negotiations stall, get out the handbag! The solution is always there."

[[Julian Critchley]], one of her biggest [[Tory]] backbench critics, once said, "Margaret Thatcher and her handbag is the same as [[Winston Churchill]] and his cigar."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/8521433/Margaret-Thatcher-style-Aquascutum-and-the-original-power-dresser.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/8521433/Margaret-Thatcher-style-Aquascutum-and-the-original-power-dresser.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live | work=Daily Telegraph | first=Hilary | last= Alexander | title=''Margaret Thatcher: style, Aquascutum and the original power dresser''| date=12 April 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Thatcher's bag was almost as newsworthy an item as she was herself and on the day she died, one of her handbag-makers saw a sharp rise in sales of her favorite structured design. The original bag Thatcher asserts on a signed card was the one "used every day in my time at Downing Street"<ref name="CannadineProps"/> is archived at [[Churchill College, Cambridge]]. Made of dark blue leather "in mock-croc style", it was a gift from friends on her birthday in 1984.

== Handbag collecting ==
Handbag collecting has become increasingly popular in the 2000s.

In 2014, the auction house [[Christie's]] started a handbag department, which now has several staff, headed by an "international head of handbags". In June 2017, Christie's had its first sale devoted exclusively to handbags.<ref name="theguardian1">{{cite web |author=Rupert Neate |date=1970-01-01 |title=What am I bid? Prices go through the roof at Christie's handbag auction &#124; Fashion |url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2017/jun/02/what-am-i-bid-prices-go-through-the-roof-at-christies-handbag-auction |accessdate=2017-06-02 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>

According to ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', the most sought-after and valuable brand is [[Hermès]], followed by others including [[Celine (brand)|Céline]], [[Chanel]] and [[Louis Vuitton]].<ref name="telegraph1">{{cite web |author=Ellie Pithers |date=2015-06-05 |title=How handbags became a worthy investment |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/brands/handbags-auction-investment/ |accessdate=2017-06-02 |publisher=Telegraph.co.uk}}</ref>

=== World records ===
In June 2015, a Christie's handbag sale in Hong Kong saw a pink crocodile skin [[Hermès]] [[Birkin bag]] made only in 2014, sell for a then world record £146,000.<ref name="telegraph1" />

In May 2017, Christie's Hong Kong sold a white crocodile skin Hermès Birkin bag with 10.23 carats of diamonds for a world record HK$2.9&nbsp;million (£293,000).<ref name="theguardian1" />

=== Museums ===
The [[Museum of Bags and Purses]] is in [[Amsterdam]], the Netherlands; the [[Simone Handbag Museum]] is in [[Seoul]], South Korea; and the [[ESSE Purse Museum]] is in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]].

=== Notable collectors ===
[[File:Queen_Elizabeth_II_2015_HO1.jpg|thumb|Queen Elizabeth II with a [[Launer London]] bag in 2015]]

[[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] owned over 200 [[Launer London]] bags, and kept all of her mother's Launer bags.<ref name="Town & Country">{{cite news |last1=Foussianes |first1=Chloe |date=9 January 2019 |title=Queen Elizabeth Has Carried the Same Three Launer Bags for Years, Because Like Her They Improve with Age |work=Town & Country magazine |url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/fashion-trends/a25833775/queen-elizabeth-favorite-handbag-launer-traviata-royale/ |accessdate=22 December 2019}}</ref>

Other notable collectors include [[Victoria Beckham]], who has over 100 [[Birkin bag]]s, [[Katie Holmes]], [[Rita Ora]] and [[Kelly Brook]].<ref name="theguardian1" /> [[Cara Delevingne]], [[Miranda Kerr]], [[Lauren Conrad]], [[Rosie Huntington-Whiteley]], [[Beyoncé]], [[Mary-Kate Olsen]], [[Ashley Olsen]], [[Lady Gaga]], [[Olivia Palermo]], and [[Rihanna]] are also collectors.<ref name="whowhatwear">{{cite web |title=Which Celebrity Has the Best Designer Handbags? |url=http://www.whowhatwear.co.uk/best-celebrity-designer-handbags |accessdate=2017-08-01 |website=WhoWhatWear UK |archive-date=21 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021235054/http://www.whowhatwear.co.uk/best-celebrity-designer-handbags |url-status=dead }}</ref> Others include [[Kim Chiu]], [[KC Concepcion]], [[Kris Aquino]], [[Heart Evangelista]], [[Marian Rivera]], [[Bea Alonzo]], [[Kathryn Bernardo]], [[Lovi Poe]], [[Megan Young]], [[Gretchen Barretto]], [[Camille Prats]], [[Sarah Lahbati]], and [[Jeffree Star]].<ref>{{cite web |date=2016-07-01 |title=IN PHOTOS: 13 celebrities and their designer handbag collection &#124; Showbiz News &#124; GMA Entertainment - Online Home of Kapuso Shows and Stars - Photo |url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/entertainment/gma/photos/2015-07-25/3782/40748/Bea-Alonzo |accessdate=2017-06-02 |publisher=Gmanetwork.com}}</ref>

== Gallery ==
=== Popular silhouettes ===
<gallery>
File:Photo of My Animal Print Bag.jpg|Bucket bag with drawstring closure
File:Vintage clutch (847652012).jpg|Clutch with fold-over closure, made of red [[snakeskin]]
File:S.Oliver Bag Logomania grau.jpg|Hobo bag with top zipper, shoulder strap, and characteristic slouch in the middle
File:Barxes, Gata de Gorgos.JPG|Collection of kiondo style handbags
File:Tasche Lkw Plane2.jpg|Messenger bag from old truck tarp with seat belt as strap, made by Freitag, Switzerland (2008)
File:Vintage pocketbook.jpg|Vintage pocketbook
File:Rachel's New Purse.jpg|Saddle shape, with [[Equestrianism|equestrian]] hardware detail
File:Eel skin clutch.JPG|Clutch made from eel skin
File:Pearl beaded evening bag.jpg|Vintage evening minaudière, made of ivory satin encrusted with faux pearls and glass bugle beads
File:Handtas (ST656 4 01) - Kostuum Accessoire - MoMu Antwerp.jpg|White leather baguette bag
</gallery>

=== Traditional types ===
<gallery>
File:PNG Bilum Bag QM r.jpg|A [[bilum]] bag, used in [[Papua New Guinea]]. Bilums are made of "bush rope", [[cuscus]] fur or wool, and expand in size
File:Baobab bag.jpg|A shoulder bag made of [[baobab]] tree fibres, [[Zimbabwe]], 1995
File:The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis - Bandolier bag - overall.jpg|[[Ojibwa]] bag with decorative beadwork; this particular bag was probably made for a child
File:Early 20th century Yoruba peoples Diviner's bag.jpg|Early 20th century [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]] Diviner's bag, from the Oyo region, [[Nigeria]]
File:Duodji handväska med tennbroderi.JPG|A Scandinavian [[Sami people|Sámi]] purse (handbag) with shoulder strap
File:Betal bag, West Timor, 1921 - Staatlichen Museums für Völkerkunde München - DSC08346.JPG|A [[Betel]] bag from [[West Timor]], made around 1921. Called an ''aluk'', such bags are still made
File:Hakka-style floral print fabric tote bag.jpg|A modern handbag in a traditional [[Hakka people|Hakka Chinese]]-style floral fabric design
File:Sac en peau de lézard.jpg|[[North African]] bag with [[lizard]] head and paws
File:Bags and pouches of Sioux.jpg|19th century bags and pouches of the [[Sioux]]
File:Bags - Yunnan Nationalities Museum - DSC04149.JPG|Bags exhibited in the [[Yunnan Nationalities Museum]], Kunming, Yunnan, China
File:Purse MET 56.137.508 view1 CP4.jpg|An early 19th-century Mexican handbag featuring a lamb and crown motif in traditional needlework and a silk dress lining.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/156689?&searchField=All&sortBy=Relevance&deptids=8&when=A.D.+1800-1900&ft=purse&offset=40&rpp=20&amp;pos=52|title=Purse {{!}} Mexican {{!}} The Met|website=The Metropolitan Museum of Art}}</ref>
</gallery>

=== Contemporary types ===
<gallery>
File:Burberry_handbag.jpg|Ladies' [[Burberry]] tote (2005)
File:Eva_Tote_braided_caramel1.jpg|[[Tanner Krolle]] ''Eva'' hobo bag (2006)
File:Longchampbag.jpg|[[Longchamp (company)|Longchamp]] tote bag
File:Ted_Noten_Grandma%27s_Bag_Revisited_2009.jpg|[[Ted Noten]] top handle bag (2009)
File:Chanel_2.55.jpg|[[Chanel 2.55]] satchel
File:Tote handbag Etienne Aigner.JPG|A satchel from French designer [[Etienne Aigner]]
File:Bushandtasche - edit (fcm).jpg|Tote shaped like vintage Volkswagen bus (2007)
File:Crocheted bucket handbag.JPG|Crocheted bucket-style handbag by Sak.com
File:LeatherLuxe Handbag.jpg|alt=Large Handbag|Large Handbag
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{Portal|fashion}}
* [[Belen Echandia]]
* [[Hervé Chapelier]]
* [[Chuspas (bag)|Chuspas]]
* [[ESSE Purse Museum]] in Little Rock, Arkansas
* [[Fanny pack]]
* [[Hunting bag]]
* [[Museum of Bags and Purses]] in Amsterdam, Netherlands
* [[Party plan]]
* [[Purse hook]]
* [[Purse organizer]]
* [[Shell purse]]
* [[Simone Handbag Museum]] in Seoul, South Korea

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite book |last=Pedersen |first=Stephanie |year=2006 |title=Handbags: What Every Woman Should Know |url=https://archive.org/details/handbagswhatever0000pede |url-access=registration |location=Cincinnati, OH |publisher=David & Charles |isbn=9780715324950}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote|Handbag|Handbags}}
* {{Commons category inline|Handbags}}

{{Bags}}
{{Clothing}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bags (fashion)| ]]
[[Category:Domestic implements]]
[[Category:Fashion accessories]]