Pocket Book Chat

In the 1930’s during the Art Deco era handbags were already made pretty much the way we know them today They were square or round and made of quilting fabric or leather. In the 1940’s during World War II the shoulder handbag became larger, more square or round and there was a resurgence of the drawstring bag. The purse, or hand bag, had a more military look, a self sufficient look.

As women began to take up careers and began going to work the handbags styles changed to look more businesslike, to where some looked like brief cases. It is interesting to note that bags in Britain were made to accommodate a gas mask and were designed to match a woman’s outfit.

In the post war era of the fifties the big bulky styles were joined in fashion by the small and dainty clutch bag. The designer Christian Dior, emphasized the longer skirt, small waist and small clutch handbags to emphasize femininity and sexuality. This era was followed by the unisex era where again, both men and women could be seen carrying a bag.

Today’s shoulder bag is made in many styles and many fabrics. It can be large or small and made to be elegant for dress wear or casual for daily use.

We have evolved from a point where everyone had to look identical to everyone else, to a point now where we can be individual and show our fashion sense in our own unique way.

There are no strict rules about fashion today, whether it’s clothes, or the handbag – pretty much anything goes. It is still suggested that the contents of women’s (or men’s) shoulder handbags are still a mystery!

Shoulder handbags are not just for Xmas – you should care for them all year round!