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History of Handbags Timeline

(14th century–Present)

The history of handbags traces how practical pouches evolved into fashionable, cultural, and status-defining accessories. Less

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Ancient origins

Ötzi carries the oldest known purse

3350 BC

A pouch discovered with the remains of Ötzi the Iceman is regarded as the oldest known purse, dating to the period when he lived between 3350 and 3105 BC.

Ötzi’s handbag is discovered

3350 BC - 3105 BC

The remains of Ötzi included a small handbag or pouch, providing evidence of an early personal carrying accessory.

Image source: Ötzi

Ötzi’s handbag is discovered

Egyptian leather bags appear

2686 BCE - 2160 BCE

Early examples of handbag-like bags were uncovered in Egyptian burial sites dating from approximately 2686 to 2160 BCE.

Egyptian bags use leather construction

2686 BCE - 2160 BCE

The Egyptian examples were made of leather, demonstrating the early use of durable animal hide for carrying bags.

Egyptian bags feature two handles

2686 BCE - 2160 BCE

The early Egyptian bags had two straps or handles, allowing them to be carried or suspended from a stick.

Bags are suspended from sticks in Egypt

2686 BCE - 2160 BCE

The construction of the early Egyptian bags enabled them to be carried directly or hung from a stick.

Historical development

Girls learn embroidery for marriage

1600 - 1699

In the seventeenth century, young girls were taught embroidery as a skill considered necessary for marriage.

Embroidery produces ornate handbags

1600 - 1699

Embroidery instruction also enabled girls to create very beautiful handbags, linking decorative needlework with personal accessories.

Men’s trousers incorporate pockets

1700 - 1899

The incorporation of pockets into men’s trousers provided built-in storage for personal possessions and reduced the need for men to carry handbags.

Men’s breeches give way to trousers

1700 - 1899

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, men’s trousers replaced breeches, and pockets were incorporated into their loose, heavy material.

European bags adopt slender silhouettes

1775 - 1799

By the late eighteenth century, European fashions were moving toward slender handbag shapes.

Classical silhouettes inspire handbag fashion

1775 - 1799

The slender forms adopted in late-eighteenth-century Europe were inspired by the silhouettes associated with Ancient Greece and Rome.

Men’s pockets carry everyday possessions

1800 - 1999

Nineteenth- and twentieth-century men’s trousers and coats commonly contained plentiful pockets for possessions such as pipes, matches, and knives.

Wives mend men’s pockets

1800 - 1999

Men’s pockets were frequently mended by their wives, reflecting their regular use and role in everyday clothing.

Samuel Parkinson orders traveling cases

1841

In 1841, Doncaster industrialist and confectionery entrepreneur Samuel Parkinson ordered a set of traveling cases and trunks.

Parkinson requests a larger travel bag

1841

After noticing that his wife’s purse was too small and made from material unsuitable for travel, Parkinson insisted on a traveling case or bag for her personal belongings.

H. J. Cave promotes handbags

1841 - 1865

The traveling-bag commission helped establish the context for H. J. Cave’s promotion and production of handbags in the nineteenth century.

H. J. Cave makes occasional royal handbags

1865 - 2012

Although it focused on trunks after 1865, H. J. Cave continued making occasional handbags for royalty, celebrities, and special occasions.

H. J. Cave stops promoting handbags

1865

After 1865, H. J. Cave ceased actively promoting handbags and concentrated instead on trunks.

Pocketbook becomes a term for handbags

1900 - 1950

Pocketbook became another term for a woman’s handbag and was especially common in the United States during the mid-twentieth century.

H. J. Cave creates a Diamond Jubilee bag

2012

The Queen’s 2012 Diamond Jubilee was identified as the most recent special occasion for which H. J. Cave made one of its occasional handbags.

Cultural significance

Handbags become mainstream

1900 - 1999

As handbags grew into the mainstream during the twentieth century, they became increasingly prominent personal accessories.

Handbags become symbols of social status

1900 - 1999

During the twentieth century, handbags changed from purely practical objects into symbols of their owners’ wealth and worth in society.

Freud interprets purses as sexual symbols

1900 - 1939

In the early twentieth century, Sigmund Freud argued that purses were sexually suggestive because their structure symbolized female genitalia and sexuality.

Image source: Sigmund Freud

Freud interprets purses as sexual symbols

Kissing locks become popular

1900 - 1950

Kissing locks were popular on handbags during the early to mid-twentieth century.

Kissing locks endure in vintage designs

1950 - 2026

Kissing locks remain popular with vintage collectors and continue to appear in retro handbag designs.

Thatcher receives a dark blue handbag

1984

Thatcher’s handbag was made of dark blue leather in mock-croc style and was given to her by friends for her birthday in 1984.

Margaret Thatcher’s handbag gains political symbolism

1984 - 2013

Margaret Thatcher’s handbag became associated with her political authority; Charles Moore later wrote that it became “the sceptre of her rule.”

Image source: Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher’s handbag gains political symbolism

Modern luxury market

H. J. Cave resumes handbag production

2010

H. J. Cave resumed handbag production in 2010 after its long period of concentrating primarily on trunks.

Men’s bag trade reaches $4 billion

2011

As of 2011, the global trade in men’s bags and small leather goods was estimated at $4 billion per year.

Ilene Hochberg Wood’s collection exceeds 3000 bags

2011

Ilene Hochberg Wood owns the largest privately held purse collection, totaling more than 3,000 handbags.

Wood’s collection includes a $110,000 purse

2011

The most expensive handbag in Ilene Hochberg Wood’s collection is valued at $110,000.

Men’s holdall sales increase in North America

2012

As of 2012, sales of men’s accessories, including holdall bags, were increasing in North America.

Christie’s establishes a handbag department

2014

In 2014, the auction house Christie’s started a department dedicated to handbags.

Hermès Birkin sets a Hong Kong auction record

Jun 2015

At a Christie’s handbag sale in Hong Kong in June 2015, a pink crocodile-skin Hermès Birkin bag made in 2014 sold for a then-record £146,000.

Image source: Birkin bag

Hermès Birkin sets a Hong Kong auction record

Diamond Birkin sets a Hong Kong record

May 2017

In May 2017, Christie’s Hong Kong sold a white crocodile-skin Hermès Birkin bag featuring 10.23 carats of diamonds for HK$2.9 million, or £293,000, setting a world record.

Christie’s holds its first dedicated handbag sale

Jun 2017

In June 2017, Christie’s held its first sale devoted exclusively to handbags.

Image source: Christie's

Christie’s holds its first dedicated handbag sale

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Key Facts

  1. Early handbags developed from pouches used by ancient and medieval people to carry coins, tools, and personal items.
  2. During the 18th century, women often carried small drawstring bags called reticules, especially as fashionable clothing became less pocket-friendly.
  3. Industrialization in the 19th century introduced new materials, metal frames, improved fasteners, and mass production techniques.
  4. The rise of rail travel and modern lifestyles encouraged specialized bags such as travel cases, handbags, and structured day bags.
  5. During the 20th and 21st centuries, handbags became major fashion and luxury products, expressing identity, wealth, branding, and social status.

Source

This History of Handbags timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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