Love Handbags for life...

If you have missed the first part of this article - it is here.

In the 16th century bags got a more practical role. Simple bags were made from leather and travellers wore large cloth travel-bags that were worn over the shoulder.

I have divided this article into two parts to keep you suspended about how we end up here and now. Part II will follow tomorrow, so do not worry, the wait is not too long!

The handbag as we know it did not spring into existence until late in the 19th century when the term “handbag” was first coined, but it was already in the 18th century that the bags
carried by ladies contained items of which many are still indispensable today. Among the things found in a ladies bag were rouge, face powder, fans, scent bottles and visiting cards.