For all of history, women have carried handbags, but have you ever wondered why? The answer is surprisingly complex, and is tied to everything that, well, makes a woman a woman. We have records of purses and women's handbags dating back as far as 430 B.C.
Not merely a way of carrying things, handbags and purses in generally have always played a significant part in society. From the with-doctors medicine bag, to the society ladies handbag, there are a lot of links that tie together all the different uses to which bags and purses have been put.
The first part of the reason, is simple and obvious, namely that you need a bag to carry things. Of course, everyone needs to carry things on occasion, but you don't see men carrying a purse. Or at least, not often. The reason for this is that women have, evolutionarily speaking, been the caregivers of the family and were responsible for making sure that everyone had what they needed.
More important then this, the woman were responsible for raising children, and so needed ready access to anything their child might require at a moments notice. Then, again, women are the traditional organizers, and often have an obsession with keeping things neatly ordered.
The second part, is the role of mystery and power. The inside of a bag, any bag, is hidden, and mystery drives imagination. The bag of the doctor, the wizard, or the medicine man is filled with strange and mysterious items, that only they can understand. This gives the holder of the bag an air of mystique, as if they alone (because of this understanding) are a people apart.
The average woman, of course, is not a mysterious wizard. However, the mystery of her bag does set her apart. Just like the wizard, at least as far as most men are concerned, a woman's handbag is filled with strange and mysterious items that only she understands. And let us not forget, an air of mystery is extremely attractive.
So a handbag rants the woman carrying it a mysterious aura, besides allowing her to have everything she might need for the day at hand, and neatly organized. This covers two of the reasons that women carry handbags, and I'm sure that you can guess what the third is going to be.
A handbag is fashionable. Yes, it is really that simple. Women like to be fashionable, and particularly in today's society, that means they must accessorize. More then that, a handbag gives a clear and straightforward indication of the women's place in the world, and her social standing. I'm sure you could immediately gather that the woman with the drab brown handbag is at a rather different place in society then the one whose handbag is covered in glittering diamonds.
Take, for example, Margaret Thatcher. Notice how closely her handbags resembled that of the Queen Mothers. Was this coincidence, or was there some deeper connection? Maybe both of these women chose the same style, because of their similar positions. Both leaders, with a great deal of power, and most importantly both female, it should come as no surprise that they both would choose similar handbags.
To sum up, handbags have a great deal of significance, and are intensely tied to everything that is female. A handbag allows a woman to stay organized, with everything she needs at hand, while at the same time both showing clearly her social standing and generating an attractive aura of mystery about her.
Not merely a way of carrying things, handbags and purses in generally have always played a significant part in society. From the with-doctors medicine bag, to the society ladies handbag, there are a lot of links that tie together all the different uses to which bags and purses have been put.
The first part of the reason, is simple and obvious, namely that you need a bag to carry things. Of course, everyone needs to carry things on occasion, but you don't see men carrying a purse. Or at least, not often. The reason for this is that women have, evolutionarily speaking, been the caregivers of the family and were responsible for making sure that everyone had what they needed.
More important then this, the woman were responsible for raising children, and so needed ready access to anything their child might require at a moments notice. Then, again, women are the traditional organizers, and often have an obsession with keeping things neatly ordered.
The second part, is the role of mystery and power. The inside of a bag, any bag, is hidden, and mystery drives imagination. The bag of the doctor, the wizard, or the medicine man is filled with strange and mysterious items, that only they can understand. This gives the holder of the bag an air of mystique, as if they alone (because of this understanding) are a people apart.
The average woman, of course, is not a mysterious wizard. However, the mystery of her bag does set her apart. Just like the wizard, at least as far as most men are concerned, a woman's handbag is filled with strange and mysterious items that only she understands. And let us not forget, an air of mystery is extremely attractive.
So a handbag rants the woman carrying it a mysterious aura, besides allowing her to have everything she might need for the day at hand, and neatly organized. This covers two of the reasons that women carry handbags, and I'm sure that you can guess what the third is going to be.
A handbag is fashionable. Yes, it is really that simple. Women like to be fashionable, and particularly in today's society, that means they must accessorize. More then that, a handbag gives a clear and straightforward indication of the women's place in the world, and her social standing. I'm sure you could immediately gather that the woman with the drab brown handbag is at a rather different place in society then the one whose handbag is covered in glittering diamonds.
Take, for example, Margaret Thatcher. Notice how closely her handbags resembled that of the Queen Mothers. Was this coincidence, or was there some deeper connection? Maybe both of these women chose the same style, because of their similar positions. Both leaders, with a great deal of power, and most importantly both female, it should come as no surprise that they both would choose similar handbags.
To sum up, handbags have a great deal of significance, and are intensely tied to everything that is female. A handbag allows a woman to stay organized, with everything she needs at hand, while at the same time both showing clearly her social standing and generating an attractive aura of mystery about her.