We seldom refer to our purse as a handbag these days. I realize in fashion genera it is still known as a handbag, but in daily nomenclature, it is just a purse. Handbag is a generic term and birthed from the days of old when a thing was called what it did.
Carrying a bag of personal items in our hand therefore deemed the object a handbag. Fast forward to the 20th and 21st Century and the terms purse, clutch, bag and even satchel are much more common. Nonetheless, a woman will seldom leave the house without her handbag. What is it about our private collection of necessities that is so sacrosanct as to be the death of us if we don’t have it?
For those who don’t know, most of the women in the world carry a few of the same must-have-at-all-times items in their purses. The bare minimalist will carry lipstick, perhaps a comb, tissue, keys, cell, money and or a credit card. However, who of us are bare minimalist? I’ve known women whose handbags have so much in them, including live things, it’s been tempting to call pest control.
Once in a while I go off a deep end and let my imagination soar to heights of unbelievable limits. Like recently when I saw a small news clip featuring million dollar handbags. My jaw dropped at the thought, but then the fun started to set in. My articles are usually so very practical from a lowly mortal who grapples over a $225 bag from the Macy’s counter.