What is a Handbag?

A handbag is an accessory bag used for carrying personal items such as cash, keys and credit cards. Traditionally, the term has been applied to bags made of leather or other fabrics but they can also be constructed from plastic, vinyl and precious metals. The bags are usually worn over the shoulder and have a closure such as a zipper or drawstring. They are available in a wide variety of styles, sizes and colors, with some displaying the logos or designs of fashion houses and brands.

The bags are generally marketed through the manufacturers’ own branded stores, any of a number of retail departments and specialty shops as well as via catalogs and the Internet. In the United States, department stores account for 30 percent of handbag sales. Specialty stores and mass merchants each take 20 percent of the market.

The industry grew rapidly at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century as labor laws changed and women entered the workforce in increasing numbers. The word “handbag” first appeared about this time to describe leather bags that resembled small suitcases; they had sturdy handles and a large vacuous space inside lined with various compartments for storage of items. The term was soon applied to other types of bags such as women’s reticules. Once pockets were introduced into men’s clothing, however, the use of bags for carrying personal items dwindled.