Purses and Wallets

People always wondered about the origin of wallets, purses and handbags. The history of wallets and purses offers an interesting insight into both men and women developing need to carry different range of personal items with them whenever they traveled away from home or shopping in the market, over the last six hundred years or so.  A wallet or purse is very handy accessory to carry small valuables such as jewelry, money, make up items or any other precious or useful item. Most of the people have money in their wallets, generally ladies use it for carrying jewelry items, comb, mirror or any beauty related item as well as money.

Early History

In earlier wallet or purse was made with the pure leather which was use for carrying coins. These wallets were thought to be very unsafe because they could easily be theft by determined thieves who would cut them loose. So to cope up with this problem 'chatelaine', a chain with keys attached about the waist was introduced which was used by the housekeepers even when simply moving from corner to other corner within the larger houses of England. The chatelaine was revitalized in the 1840s as a gadget for hanging needlework and domestic tools.

16-18th Century

In the 16th century 'sweet' bags for the ladies were introduced, which were little bit similar to lavender bags, made of a variety of available herbs to scent their handkerchiefs. Tobacco wallets have been used from the 17th century. Flat pochette wallets were introduced in the 18th century; these wallets were fabulously embroidered for love letters and bank notes. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries ladies carried fragile little drawstring wallets or purses known as reticules, or 'ridicules'. These wallets were used to carry handkerchief, mirror, fan and dance card, some face powder and perfume but you could not put so much weight in these little purses. Reticules handbags were made of very lighter fabric such as pale colored silk satin, beautifully embroidered, or knitted silk.

Victorian Age

In the Victorian age an astonishing variety of purse and bag types emerged in the market. New fabrics stylish, fashionable, beautifully knitted and highly suitable purses according to the outfit, style of dress were introduced and became popular pretty soon. In the 1830s and 1840s flat square or circular handbags were quite popular. Cotton coin purses also belong to this period and were known as stocking purses, or 'miser' purses.

After 1870s

In decade of 1870 chatelaine wallet were introduced these purses were suspended from the wrist or the belt respectively often made of cotton, silk or a thick velvet pile fabric. The same material was used on the larger holdalls, which were generally used by the women while traveling. There were specialized bags for different social occasions such as an opera bag for opera glasses, and fan, together with mirror, and powder puff. Whole vanity cases emerged with ointment bottles, brushes and mirror, to act as a traveling toilet bag.

Clutch bags were started in the beginning of 1930s and enjoyed considerable popularity from the 1930s to the 1960s for elegant evening soirees.

Shoulder bags were launched during the Second World War and became immense popular in women to carry their personal items.

Purses or wallets can be used according to the weight and nature of the objects placed inside them - Because they can be damaged by various items which are not suitable for that particular purse. For example a needle, hair pin or any pointed item can wear a hole in the purse.

Nowadays, designer handbags are the most popular and very expensive just not because of their quality or durability but because of the designer name and its market value.


Following are some popular Wallets, Purses and Handbags:

Purses:
coach purses, prada purses, chanel purses, louis vuitton purses, vera bradley purses, brighton purses, gucci purses, fossil purses, fendi purses, guess purses, denim purses, coach outlet, channel purses, burberry purses, coach purse, chanel purse, gucci purse, prada purse, louis vuitton purse, brighton purse, fendi purse, designer purses, replica purses, leather purses

Wallets:
leather wallets, mens wallets, louis vuitton wallets, coach wallets, cd wallets, buxton wallets, designer wallets, chain wallets, ladies wallets
 
Handbags:
coach handbags, replica handbags, chanel handbags, gucci handbags, prada handbags, louis vuitton handbags, juicy couture handbags, brighton handbags, fendi handbags, guess handbags, fossil handbags, leather handbags, burberry handbags, channel handbags, baby phat handbags, balenciaga handbags, kooba handbags