The history of the birth of things is always attractive, since this story takes us to the roots of ancient artifacts, to the origins of the birth of civilizations and material evidence of the emergence and development of human culture. It would seem that everything has always been wound up, as we have now. There have always been bags, and they have always been a purely feminine attribute and have always been clearly divided according to their intended purpose:
evening and elegant - for small things and cosmetics;
business and strict - for papers and documents;
practical, economic - for all kinds of purchases;
road - for everything at once.
But not everything is right that we think so. Bags, so necessary and familiar that “without them it’s like without hands,” arose quite recently, about three centuries ago.
When did the modern bag appear?
The history of the modern bag began in the 17th century. But if you look into the depths of centuries, you will find an interesting fact: the bag was a purely masculine item, and not at all feminine. Especially a leather bag, an expensive, rare item, passed down from generation to generation by inheritance - from father to son. Leather has always been a rare and expensive material. Therefore, people used bags not always made of leather. It would never occur to anyone to slaughter their own calf, or cow-nurse, or goat to make a bag or a pair of boots.
The people used cloth bags, which were called differently, while remaining just shopping bags. That's what they were called - the sum. But there was also a kitty, and a pocket, and a pouch, and a bag, and also a katul, a purse, a knapsack, and this is not a complete list of names. It does not take into account the numerous dialectal and regional variants of the word "bag". Why do such different names for one item?
When did the first bag appear? Bag, pouch, kitty.
The history of the birth of the bag is mysterious and not entirely clear. Its roots are lost in hoary antiquity, so distant and archaic that from myths Ancient Greece reeks of youthful innocence. It is only clear that the bag comes from one ancestor, namely, from the money bag. By the way, this is confirmed by linguistics. For example, in English language a handbag and a purse are designated by the same word - "purse".
Even before the ancient Greeks, the Assyrians and Babylonians used to carry money in specially sewn bags, tied with a strap or a strong ribbon.
And this is what the magic bag of the ancient Greek hero Perseus looked like, who, judging by the surviving image on a red-figure vase, using an invisibility helmet and winged sandals, is going to escape from the pursuit of the revenge-hungry sister of Medusa Gorgon.
This bag of magical fabric, which took the size and shape of the object that was in it, was presented to Perseus by sea nymphs, along with an invisibility helmet and sandals with wings.
Suma, kalita, pocket, pouch, knapsack, purse, purse, sack - all these words once meant a leather or cloth lingering bag or pouch in which money was stored and transported and which was hung from a belt or worn over a shoulder by a variety of people - merchants, beggar vagabonds, princes, artisans, nobles and peasants.
In search of the homeland of the bag, going on a trip through dictionaries, we learn that the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan I from the Rurik family received the nickname "Kalita", which meant "bag of money". The nobles who served at the court of this prince received the surname Kalitina. The very word "kalita" is of Turkic origin, from the Turkic "kalta", which also means "money bag, purse".
We learn that the word "pouch", as they call a small bag for storing tobacco, tightened with a cord, also came to us from the Turkic language. The name of this tobacco bag is derived from the Turkic "kisa?" and meant "leather bag". But a pouch in Turkey was called a special expensively made bag for storing gold coins. Usually the Turkish sultan presented pouches with money to his favorites. In Europe during the era of the Crusades, it was known as the "Saracen pouch".
Studying the history of such a familiar and necessary accessory in everyday life as a bag, we learn that the word "swindler" comes from the word "purse" and meant a thief who knew how to deftly cut off the purse tied to his belt. This is what an expensive princely purse looked like.
Moshna according to Dal is "a purse, a bag, a kitty, a bag of money, on a hold or with a string, a private treasury, money, wealth." In Rus', money was very heavy, and the bag had to be very durable, made of high-quality leather. The bag, which contained more than ten rubles, was very weighty - several kilograms. The word moshna in its original meaning has survived to this day. Here are a few sayings collected by Dahl and relevant and used to this day:
Get the money, pay up.
Get out the purse, shake out the treasury!
Not in the head, not in the moshne.
The purse is dense, so the house is not empty.
And the money was great, but it all came out.
Paying from someone else's money is not a craving.
In someone else's purse - not in your own bowl: you can't figure out where it's thick, where it's empty.
Someone else's purse, that someone else's conscience: darkness.
As already mentioned, the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians wore waist pouches for money. They were carried exclusively by men. The ancient Greeks and Romans wore such pouches on their tunic belts. In the ancient world, they also sewed special large bags or bags for storage. a large number money even before our era, since the first money appeared in the form of bronze, iron coins, since a cloth or knitted bag was quickly rubbed and torn, and this often threatened to lose the entire fortune. The tanned leather was soft and durable.
In medieval Europe, during the era of the Crusades, "Saracen pouches" became widespread. And the larger and more voluminous such a pouch for money was, the richer the person was. Here is the origin of such expression as "money bag". At the court of the Duke of Burgundy, such a leather money bag was an indispensable part of the court toilet of gentlemen and ladies, and it was no longer called a Saracen pouch, but an aumonier.
In late Gothic, whole collections of omoniers of various sizes appeared, which were worn at the waist. European women fastened the pouch to their belt and wore it under their overskirt, which had a special slit (prototype of the modern pocket) to get money. And, of course, it was the women who wore more than just money in their belted aumonieres. This fact laid the foundation for the modern bag, in which today they carry not only a wallet with money, but also much more. European women carried in Saracen bags still necessary small things, such as a small mirror, small keys from caskets, a comb and other small items.
Thus, we can assume that the modern bag originated from the banal Saracen pouch through the efforts of European fashionistas. In the 17th century, women began to continue to wear embroidered, knitted, woven pouches richly decorated with beads and glass beads, although the fashion changed rapidly and radically: the pouches were no longer hidden in pockets under the overskirt. Richly decorated with glass beads and beads, and among aristocrats and precious stones, they were put on display as a symbol of nobility and power. Money and other small things would still be worn in waist bags, if the great French sun king Louis XIV had not invented a pocket. The first pocket in Europe in the modern sense appeared on His Majesty's camisole in the 17th century. Then, later, pockets appeared on vests, and then, with the advent of trousers, on trousers. And yet the bag, as we understand it, has been waiting in the wings for a long time.
So, in the 17th century, men got pockets and stopped wearing belt pouches. At the same time, in Germany and the Scandinavian countries, women's bags began to appear precisely as bags. It was a voluminous flat bag made of fabric or leather, attached to a metal rectangular frame. These bags were voluminous, but were worn in the same way as waist pouches - on the belt. In fact, it was not quite a bag yet, but a modernized waist bag. Such bags were a must married woman and housewives. They are often inherited. In wealthy families, a silver frame and expensive fabrics were used; in poorer houses, they were content with a copper or iron frame and inexpensive cloth or leather. At the same time, special women's bags for prayer books began to appear, with which pious parishioners attended church. Men, on the other hand, almost completely abandoned waist pouches and used exclusively pockets. Only inveterate gamblers and tobacco lovers continued to use small, beautifully decorated pouches in the form of a rectangular frame. decorated, where they kept bones, decks of cards and snuffboxes. But even these belt bags began to look more and more like a cloth bag: expensive fabric was attached to a rectangular frame.
By the time of the French Revolution, the women's handbag appeared in the highest spheres of aristocratic circles. But there she retained the traditional shape of an old belt pouch. The fashion at court for an elegant women's handbag was introduced by the mistress of Louis XV, the Marquise de "Pompadour. It was a handicraft bag made of velvet and lace. It differed from a waist bag in an important difference. It had long ribbon handles and became an accessory that is mandatory for any self-respecting la dame a la mode.A miniature handbag in the form of a bag tightened with a ribbon is still called "pompadour", although it is better known as a reticule, as this handicraft bag, in which threads and needles were stored, was called by contemporaries of the Marquise: reticule, from the Latin reticulum, which translates as "mesh".
The fashion for handicraft bags instantly spread from high-society salons to philistine living rooms. The demand for reticules has grown. But simultaneously with the mass demand, new, more democratic requirements for a tiny reticule appeared. In an environment where embroidery and sewing were considered the most decent occupation for a woman, the work bag became flat and rectangular. Such bags were made of satin, richly decorated with embroidery, glass beads, tassels and ribbons. The bag showed the ingenuity and skill of the hostess, since most often it was made with her own hands. Such a demonstration acquired particular importance during the wedding, for which the bride prepared a special, wedding bag. Increasing demand for handicraft bags has also created an increased market supply. The luxury industry began to develop actively, when numerous handicraft workshops produced fashionable reticules for sale. Thus appeared, although at first handicraft, but still mass production of ladies' bags for needlework.
In the 19th century, in connection with the greater democratization of aristocratic circles, many other varieties of ladies' bags arose. Handicraft bags faded into the background, but very miniature ones appeared, which were intended specifically for visits. They could not fit anything but business cards. There were also other types of handbags, more functional. For example, a fan and a ballroom notebook (carnet de bal) were invested in luxurious evening bags.
Theater bags contained a fan, lorgnette or theater binoculars. Usually, evening and theater bags were also equipped with a pocket for a perfume bottle and a tiny coin purse for small change. The technique of their manufacture was the most diverse and often such handbags were a real work of art. The most popular handbags were made of satin, brocade or tapestry fabric. Sometimes a fabric with a thematic, genre or landscape pattern was woven by special order, sometimes it was decorated with lace or beaded embroidery. Among the varieties of ancient beads, there were so small that even special needles with a diameter of 0.2-0.3 mm turned out to be too thick for their holes.
The handbag remained such an accessory for ladies of high society, ladies from middle noble and philistine circles until the disappearance of rigid social classes. The democratization of the masses gave rise to a massive demand for bags. In addition, the liberated masses were carried away by tourism and travel, which was previously only available to the rich and aristocrats. The fashion for travel and tourism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries gave rise to the luggage bag. This travel bag has become that integral item of the European wardrobe, which we call a bag. You don't need fancy handbags to travel. The handbag has remained a decorative accessory, a must-have for theatergoers, for example, but it has a dynamic clone in the form of a travel, business and functional bag. The process of women's emancipation also affected this. In 1896, Louis Vuitton introduced the world to the world's first luggage collection bearing its famous LV logo. From that moment on, luggage imperiously invades the sphere of fashion, and a woman's handbag constantly balances on the verge between a purely secular accessory and a bag. In addition to the actual handbag (purse, reticule), a more capacious variety of "handbag" appeared in women's everyday life.
In the modern sense, a bag is a haberdashery product, not only functional, but also emotionally colored, elegant, fashionable accessory. A modern bag is something that adorns a woman along with virtue and a little black dress (as the great Coco Chanel claimed), and something that is pragmatic and useful for men.
The history of the appearance of bags has about six thousand years. Which is not surprising, since at all times people needed to store and carry money and various little things in something. Scientists believe that the first bags were actually pockets, clothes with which appeared in the 17th century. They were decorated with camisoles, vests, and after a while, trousers.
Although long before the appearance of pockets on clothes, coins or other necessary accessories were stored in bags. Women preferred to wear them under a skirt (in our time, ladies continue to hide money in places hidden from prying eyes), and men hung them on their belts. In the Middle Ages, such bags were called "good pockets" or "omoniers". In addition to them, they often carried small leather bags for small coins. They were the decoration of the court toilet.
In the 15th-16th centuries, the fashion for bags took a step further, they were already made in different sizes - from the smallest to the most capacious. When walking, the coins in them rang, so that by the sound it was possible to determine the viability of their owner. When pockets appeared, the men moved all the contents of their bags into them and felt quite comfortable. Women, on the other hand, did not have enough pockets, so they began to carry bags, handbags, where they put all the necessary little things. Already in those days, such bags were sewn from different fabrics, differing in shape and finish. They were embroidered with beads, decorated with embroidery and glass beads. Woven and knitted reticules appeared. They stopped hiding bags and began to actively demonstrate them as a decoration, an element of a toilet.
In the 18th century, pompadour lace handbags came into fashion, as they were named after the favorite of King Louis XV. They were bags with a round bottom, the neck of which was tightened with braid. Along with the pompadour, hidden pockets that were sewn into skirts come into fashion.
When did this accessory appear in its usual form? The history of the emergence of modern bags begins at the time french revolution(late 18th - early 19th century), when new fashion, according to which women had to keep their pockets-bags in their hands, and men had to keep their hands in their pockets. This innovation has led to the fact that the representatives of the weaker sex no longer need pockets, coins, bags and other similar items. All this was replaced by a small handbag, which they carried in their hand.
At this time there was no large-scale production of bags. They were made by individual craftsmen, usually to order. But the situation has changed over time. So, from the middle to the end of the 19th century, during the reign of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, factories for the production of bags were opened (as an example: Hermès and Louis Vuitton). From this period they began to be produced in large quantities. At the same time, handmade bags continued to be valued above industrial designs, but only very wealthy people could afford them, since the cost was quite high.
In the 19th century, locks began to be made on bags, but the zippers that are common today appeared only in the 20th century. At the same time, the rules of good manners required that the color of the handbag match the other accessories in the suit, so it was quite difficult to choose the right one. Strict bags of regular geometric shapes are considered classics, moreover, they are quite versatile.
The twentieth century finally and unconditionally recognized handbags, as well as trousers in the women's wardrobe, short skirts and haircuts. On October 4th, the UK even celebrates a special holiday - National Bag Day.
The position of a woman in society has changed dramatically, and, perhaps, therefore, given the new needs of women, large bags began to appear. The fashion for this wardrobe item has always changed rapidly - either miniature handbags on a thin strap or chain are popular, or, on the contrary, large ones.
The image of a modern woman consists of many attributes, and the bag is one of them. From its content, you can find out not only the girl's lifestyle, but also draw conclusions regarding her character. But has it always been like this? What did a bag mean for women in the Middle Ages, what functions did it perform in the 90s? I decided to study the history of this accessory in order to trace how bag models changed along with the trends. So, let's begin.
Fashion history: handbag
The bag has been used since the dawn of civilization. Nomads set out on their journey in search of acceptable places to live and they had to take everything they needed with them. The men walked light, carrying only weapons and some tools. And women filled baking bags sewn from animal skins with simple utensils, useful in the household. This example shows why modern women can't leave the house without a bag. This is due to genetic memory and the realization that you need to be prepared for the most unexpected circumstances.
But back to history. Over time, these bags turned into real bags - with a long belt and several compartments. Each nation had its own traditions in the decoration of this accessory. Northern peoples used deer fur for decoration, Indian tribes used beads and porcupine quills. By the way, ethnic motifs in the form of fur applications and beaded embroidery have become a source of inspiration for many fashion designers. For example, in 2015, products decorated with natural fur became the favorites of the podium.
But as time went on, people's needs changed. People no longer needed to carry heavy trunks, as many got houses in which everything they needed was stored. The townspeople had enough small purses, which were attached to the belt. They tried to hide them in the folds of their coats so as not to become the prey of a thief, and in Rus' the ladies hid everything they needed in wide sleeves - just like in the story about the Frog Princess.
In Europe in the 14th-16th century, people began to pay great attention to aesthetics and this was reflected in the bags. They began to decorate with the finest embroidery, precious stones and beads. For tailoring, they used not only leather, but also silk and velvet.
During the time of Elizabeth I of England, bags decorated with gold threads became fashionable. Only aristocrats could afford them, as they were very expensive and were sewn to order.
Years passed and noble women needed to carry even more beauty items with them. More spacious bags began to appear, capable of accommodating a powder box, a mirror, a bottle of perfume and a wallet. A real sensation was made by the style of the bag, invented by Madame de Pompadour. It was an elegant model made of velvet, tied with a thin cord. The French called it "reticule" and this name has survived to this day. Today, such handbags can be seen as an addition to a wedding or evening dress.
At the end of the 19th century, handbags began to come into fashion. In 1986, the legendary brand Lui Vuitton launched a collection of women's handbags, decorated with patent leather inserts and metal elements. 1986 can be considered the date when capacious bags finally came into fashion.
In parallel with the bag, the bag in the style of Mary Poppins became fashionable. It had a rectangular shape and two short handles, allowing it to be carried on the shoulder.
In 1960, the bag was invented, which became a real fashion legend. It was developed by Hermes specifically for the singer Jane Birkin. It was a classic monochromatic bag made from the skin of exotic animals. Since then, the Birkin bag has become so popular that every other Hollywood celebrity has one in their wardrobe.
Another striking manifestation of that era was the minaudière bag, made in the form of plaster with a rich finish.
A bag, like a suit and shoes, with which it appeared at about the same time, has its own interesting and diverse history, rooted in the depths of centuries.
Since the appearance of man, there has also been a need to carry various objects with you, so much so that your hands are free at the same time. And first ancient man who came up with tie to a stick animal skin bag to carry food and flint in it, obviously did not suspect that he was becoming the founder of such a brilliant and necessary invention
For many hundreds of years, the appearance of bags did not differ much from its ancestor, and until now, simple forms and designs of bags made of different materials exist as an accessory to the folk, national style.
With the development of society and the emergence of commodity-money relations and money, which is better to always have with you, there appeared coin pouches. Men wore them on the belt, and women under the skirt. Probably, such bags later became the prototype of modern wallets. Here is one of these bags - an Egyptian belt purse
Another "branch" of the development of bags - the so-called "sums of change", mentions of which are found in old Russian epics. Apparently, their purpose corresponded to the purpose of modern shopping bags and suitcases. Every nation has a history of such a bag, and their design has evolved from the most primitive to complex, skillfully finished and decorated.
And yet, some researchers believe that the prototype of the modern bag was pocket which first appeared in Ancient Rome. He hid in the folds of his toga and was called sinus. The Romans put money and other little things there. Unfortunately, the pocket was forgotten for several centuries and reappeared in Europe only in the 17th century.
AT Ancient Greece women used small bags resembling pouches, and which later, in the 19th century, during the era of the craze for antique costume, served as the prototype for a women's handbag. In general, bags in the form of pouches have been popular for a very long time.
In Europe, bags are beginning to be used from the 11th century. They were small purse bags, attached to the belt, in which noble ladies and gentlemen put small change coins for the distribution of alms. These bags are called laumoniere (coiner) .
Only in the 13th century bags appeared, a bit reminiscent of modern ones. These were mainly flat, rectangular cases for prayer books, embroidered with gold and silver threads and decorated with tassels. And the belt purse becomes an attribute, mainly, of merchants and money changers.
About in the 14th-15th century the bag is gaining popularity not only as a functional item, but also becomes a costume decoration, and there is also a division into women's and men's bags. Their types are becoming more diverse: soft purses embroidered with silk of various shapes and sizes, suspended on a long cord or chain to the belt, sewn from velvet, trimmed with other valuable stones. For the courtiers, the money bag was an indispensable accessory of the toilet, as were the keys attached to the belt, small folding knives and perfume bottles.
The decoration of the handbag was an indicator of the social status of the lady - the richer the woman was, the more skillfully her handbag was decorated.
16th century marked the beginning of a new era in the development of the bag. Appeared frame lock, the design of which has survived to this day. But fanny packs still exist.
In the 17th century reappears in Europe pocket, and men no longer need to attach bags to their belts. It is believed that the first pocket appeared on the pants Louis XIV , and he was the first to replace the bag with a pocket. And women also did not stand aside and "revenge" men with even greater variety and sophistication of their handbags. In those days, the ability to embroider was considered one of the keys to a successful marriage, so young girls competed in decorating not only clothes, but also bags.
Coming 18 century- the heyday of neoclassical fashion. The rejection of corsets, lightness in clothing, antique forms of dresses - all this did not include the wearing of waist bags. It was then that the reticule appeared (from the French reticule - a lady's bag or mesh). It was a small richly decorated soft bag in the form of a drawstring bag, worn in the hand on a chain or silk cord. Her invention is credited marquise de pompadour . The year of birth of the bag to be carried in the hand is considered to be 1790. This accessory has become an obligatory companion of any self-respecting fashionista of that time. What ladies didn’t keep in their reticules: powder, blush, perfume, smelling salts, and, of course, love notes. Everything, like modern women.
By the 19th century corsets are back in fashion, and then the crinoline appears. It would seem why not return to waist bags. But the bags on the belt did not become popular - the ladies fell in love with the reticule so much that they did not refuse it. Now the reticule has increased in size and taken on a variety of forms: an envelope, a pouch on a long cord, a small elegant bag, etc.
The functional features of the reticule also differed. So, there were special bags for visits, they were tiny and could only fit business cards. Slightly larger handbags were supplemented with a pocket for perfume and a mirror, a purse for small change, as well as a compartment for a powder box. With such a bag, you can safely go for a walk. A luxurious evening bag, which contained a fan and ballroom books, was taken by ladies for going out. And theater bags had a special compartment for binoculars or lorgnette. The materials from which such accessories were sewn were also diverse: satin, tapestry, brocade. And they were decorated with beads, ribbons and tassels.
In addition to the development of the reticule, in the 19th century there is such a kind of handbag as travel bag. Needlework was very popular at that time, and the travel bag was a repository of all kinds of things necessary for this. Today, a travel bag is just a travel bag.
Late 19th century became a turning point in the history of the reticule. People began to travel a lot and there was a need for convenient, functional and comfortable travel bags. Bags migrated from the female waist and wrist to the hand, and soon to the shoulder. Such bags were less refined, but much more practical.
In 1896 year Louis Vuitton released the first collection of travel bags, and from that time on, a handbag has become not only and not so much a secular accessory, but a very convenient container for a mass of things a woman needs - and not only on the road. There is also a new designation - handbag.
20th century. An age of great change. And the heyday of the bag. The world has never seen such a variety of shapes, sizes, textures and varieties. Life has changed, and bags have changed with it. Already in the first decade there were bags for work, parties, walks, dances and even for funerals.
The First World War gives birth to huge bags for gas masks, and in contrast to this, a wide variety of theatrical bags of the most original shapes and styles. Later, towards the end of the second decade, bags-bags, tightened with braid and decorated with fringe and lush hanging tassels, are reborn again.
Around this time, fashion houses begin to appear that do not ignore this accessory. Designers bring to life their bright and original ideas, creating unique collections of bags. And if you think that the handbag-car was born at the end of the 20th century, then you are mistaken. Already in the 1920s handbags appeared in the form of cars, airplanes and steamships.
BUT in the 1930s Simple in form, but voluminous and durable leather bags are in vogue, and the word “reticule” takes on an ironic connotation. Bags are playing an increasingly functional role. On the other hand, with the advent and development of fashion houses great importance the name of the manufacturer, that is, the brand, begins to play. A branded bag even today is not only a guarantee of quality, but also an indicator of a certain status of its owner...
The history of the bag is mysterious and confusing, we do not know the names of the inventors and the first "designers", we will never see some masterpieces of their work, but today we must be grateful to our ancestors for this ingenious invention, which not only creates certain conveniences for us, but also makes our image is original and unique.
July 21, 2011, 13:18Recently, this wardrobe item caused serious battles on Gossip. But the fact remains - the bag is a piece of clothing! Therefore, I propose to talk a little about the history of the bag. 
According to historians, a woman's handbag began with a pocket. The first pockets appeared on the camisole of Louis XIV. And later they settled down on vests and trousers. 
In the past, coins were carried in pouches. Men - on the belt, and women - under the skirt. The novelty in clothes in the form of pockets suited men quite well, and they began to be content with them. Women, taking the idea of a pocket as a basis, began to invent handbags. At first, women wore small pouches to store small items in them. But even then, these handbags had different shapes and decorations, and were made of various materials. In Burgundy, at the court, bags were part of the court toilet and were called "aumoniers". 
In those distant times, entire collections of handbags-bags were created. And since they were attached to the belt with a cord, walking was accompanied by the sound of coins. 
In the 17th century, women began to decorate handbags with beads and glass beads. Restless in fiction, women decorated bags with embroidery, knitted or wove pouches-pouches (reticules). By changing the look of pouches, women no longer hide them under a skirt or in pockets. they wanted to show their beautiful handbags to the whole world. So the history of fashion for handbags has changed. 
In the next century, handbags made of fabric, decorated with lace, appeared. They were called "pompadour" in memory of the mistress of the French king - Louis XV. Rich ladies competed in making the brightest and most catchy handbag. In the same 18th century, secret pockets appeared, sewn into the side seams of skirts and trousers. When tight and long skirts appeared, the place for pockets disappeared. And then there were a variety of bags. On a long handle so that you can hang it on your shoulder. Big size to put more in it. And so on. 
This is how handbags appeared, which are the prototype of our modern bags. 
How men joke Lady's bag- this is an analogue of a men's garage (some people manage to lose the most unexpected things in their bag, as often happens with men in the garage). Naturally, women could not limit themselves to a small pouch under their skirt, if you can have a more capacious and practical bag. 
The legendary Birkin bag According to legend, the history of the creation of the iconic bag began in the cabin of an aircraft. By a lucky chance, the model, actress and singer Jane Birkin had a neighbor on the plane with the head of Hermes. Jane complained to her neighbor that she couldn't find a comfortable bag for herself. “I will make you a bag that you will never part with,” the neighbor promised her. So in 1984 the legendary Birkin bag was born. According to another (less romantic) version, the sketch of the bag was invented and sketched by the actress herself. She accidentally dropped the sketches and a Hermes representative helped her pick them up. He suggested that the actress make a bag and give her the name Birkin. Why is this bag so famous? It is made of calf or crocodile leather, resistant to scratches, but soft and pleasant to the touch. Accessories are made of gold or palladium. This bag has a lock that can be locked with a key. The bag itself is very expensive, worth a fortune. The average price of a Birkin bag reaches $27,000. However, those who want to get it can wait their turn for two to five years. 
Such a high price means not only the impeccable quality of the bag. By buying this bag, people are buying a legend. The appearance of the envelope bag dates back to the 20s of the 20th century. And by the beginning of the Second World War, there was a wide variety of bags for the car, suitcases and briefcases, originating from the usual travel bag. After the war they began to carry bags big size and mainly on the belt. The famous designer Christian Dior, along with feminine forms of clothing, also offered bags of a different kind - with draperies and all kinds of other decorations. 
emergence youth fashion dramatically changed the style of bags. Now the bags have acquired the features of a sporty style. Now fashion offers a very large selection of bags of different shapes, sizes and for various purposes. 
Such a variety is understandable - bags should fit into the general style of clothing, and be comfortable for people with a wide variety of tastes, and there are a great many of them. Well, just a photo of bags, good and different :) 
Thanks to all!
