On these rainy days in Split probably the best thing to do is stay at home, drink a cup of coffee and read a good book…but what if you need to go out, to your workplace or somewhere else? In that I case I like to go full color! My candy printed rain boots, colorful umbrella and bright yellow handbag are the perfect companions for these grey days – “Give me some colors !!”  is my life moto !

This yellow handbag brings me to the subject of my today’s post – handbags, purses and our love for them! Made by talented, Split-based Arka Design, I usually carry it during the autumn and winter days..its bright colors instantly cheer me up, it is unique…and of course – it has enough space for all the necessities a girl could need!

Jem Jem ring

Wonderful wood and leather handbag by Arka Hand Made

My love for handbags is well known to all of my friends. I really don’t care about fashion brands, but there are some rules for my kind of bags. They have to stand out, be special in shape or pattern, but also have a certain level of quality.

Purses and bags have been essential to daily life for as long as people have had money or precious items to be carried.

Early modern Europeans carried purses for one purpose – to carry coins. Purses were made of soft fabric or leather, and were carried by men as often as by ladies. By the late 18th century, fashions in Europe were moving towards a slender shape, women wanted purses that would be elegant in appearance, so handbags were made of fine fabrics like silk and velvet, with wrist straps. The modern purse, clutch, pouch or handbag came about in England during the Industrial Revolution.

Women’s accessory bags grew larger and more complex during the beginning of 20^th century.

As containers of what is essential and important to women, so the bag is connected to the history of their lives, and what handbags contain is personal and concealed.

Leather handbags have grown in popularity during the 50s. Leather is very durable, and bags make practical gifts, because people don’t have to worry about some clothing article fitting (or not fitting) the other person.

Accessories are big indicators of style – they have the ability to transform more quickly, unlike other clothing investments. Handbags remain, as they have been for the last century, highly significant items in a woman’s wardrobe.

They are influenced by current fashion trends, but they can also become a projection of one’s individual style.

A handbag can have so many faces: it can be a practical friend, an expressive social tool, a work of art or a fashionable status symbol.

It is truly a small, but a very important follower of every woman.

1920s evening bag

1950s divas with their best friends 🙂

1965 Vogue cover with Pucci bags

Top Hat: Isn’t This a Lovely Day (To Be Caught in the Rain)

 

George Baker Selection – Little Green Bag (colour)