Day 339

It is said that the purse was first born in ancient times, when a bag full of money was given to a newly married couple by their village after a wedding. The full sack was a symbol for the womb, as it was hoped that it would be full soon as well. And so from the very beginning, the purse was associated with femininity and money.

In actuality, the purse is now kind of a symbol of the history of the female race and their metamorphosis from corset-wearing housewives to the thong-wearing divas of today.

Ok- maybe yoga-pants-and-sports-bra divas is more accurate, but the thongs sounded better...

 In the 1800's, there was no reason for a woman to carry a purse, as all money and things of importance were handled by men. Women had secret pockets in their miles and miles of fabric dresses, but it wasn't until the late 18th century that women actually began to carry small embroidered bags that carried many of the same essentials you see in today's purses- mirrors, powder, perfume, etc. But no money.

Small clutches grew to carpet bags (who's bad idea was that?), and eventually Luis Vuitton began to use leather to form purses and other luggage for the wealthy. Did you know that this line has been around since 1896?!

As the decades passed, the purse has been called many things- handbag, clutch, sack, satchel, etc. The 1920's and flapper girls started the rise of feminine outbreak, with flashy outfits that were skimpy enough not to have pockets to hold their ruby-red lipstick. The clutch was their answer- the sparklier the better, and of course big enough to hold their cigarettes...

The 1930's thru 50's were much more no-nonsense, for times were no-nonsense as well. As The Great Depression faded, purses remained larger and mostly utilitarian, although the materiel they were made of began to inch their way slowly towards designer (alligator, leather, suede, etc).

Enter Coco Chanel. And Christian Dior. And Hermes.These are all names that we have heard of, and got their start in the 50's. Expensive and classic was the rage-it wasn't about how MANY handbags you had, but what TYPE of purse you carried. They were bigger now as well, as women now traveled to groceries and department stores, able to many times spend money that they had earned.

Then the 60's happened, and like everything else in that era- anything goes. Handbags, purses, and shoulder bags were made out of anything and everything, becoming a way to express your artistic freedom- or maybe just be a convenient place to hide your bag of marijuana...

I have always considered the 70's as more of a bridge to the 80's, a gentle quieting of the loud and rebellious 60's but not giving way to complacency. Women made huge strides in the 80's, increasing their place in the workforce exponentially. T Heir purses followed suit- literally. Not only did you need a power suit- you needed a power purse. Many were simple in design, but in bold colors and with logos that boasted their ability to now pay for these items on their own.

I began carrying purses in the 90's, when logos were not as important as form and construction. I loved purses with many different compartments to organize my treasures (imagine that). It was a private place, where not even my parents would look.

 Because there is some unspoken rule about purses- you do not enter unless invited. I don't even feel comfortable looking in my girlfriend's purse if she asks me to grab something for her- it feels....weird.

And nothing is funnier than watching a man try to get something out of a purse. They touch it like it has cooties, using their fingertips to ease open the satchel and poke around inside to find what they need. Some just plain refuse to do it, holding the purse open in front of their female counterpart and even turning their head while she rummages through and rolls her eyes...

But through all of these decades, one thing has remained constant- there is just something awesome about purchasing a new purse. The process of transferring the contents from one bag to the other is almost a ritual, and it takes a little bit of time to decide how to arrange things- wallet goes in this section, sunglasses here. Should I put my powder in the zippered side bag or the pocket on the other side? And where should my cell phone, Advil, band-aids, lip gloss, checkbook, kleenex, hand sanitizer, and kitchen sink go?

This morning I performed this ritual, a little giddy about how my new purse matched my outfit for today perfectly. It is a Black Friday deal that allowed me to only pay $25 for a $100 black leather bag. The design is very "me"- simple but roomy, with enough compartments inside to squelch my need for organization. I added a scarf to the side to liven it up a bit, but I swear I tied it on four different ways before settling on which corner of the purse it looks best.

So much for "simple", I guess...

Tonight's picture celebrates the purse, and all that it symbolizes. I read somewhere that the purse still represents the womb, and therefore putting anything inside of it represents intercourse. Huh. I put a lot of stuff inside my purse this morning....