It's In The Bag

Do you know how important a purse is to a woman? It is estimated that $497 million dollars was spent on the purchase of purses in 2007.

That's a lot of purses.

If you are a woman reading this, no explanation is necessary, but I will forge ahead anyway.

A purse is a keeper of secrets, a protector of assets and, along with its contents, an object that can tell you exactly what a woman is about.

Purses began as pouches as far back as human memory records. Used to carry seeds and bones, the first incarnation of the modern accessory came in the late 18th century.

According to Farid Chenounne, curator of a purse exhibit at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, “What you put in your bag is very important to you. That makes a bag very personal because in it you have a secret. A secret gives you some sort of power. Traditionally, for a woman, a bag holds the things you need for the day but also your little beauty factory, which is very important to the identity of the woman.”

It's hard to disagree. My ebay picks.

Chanel Evening Purse

Vintage Clear Lucite Purse with Rhinestones

1930s Tapestry & Enamel Purse

Vintage French Tortoise Shell Purse

How to tell if a purse is vintage? If it has a cellphone pocket on the inside, it's NOT vintage.

Seriously.