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Why Women Carry Handbags

By: Handbag Addict For all of history, women have carried handbags, but have you ever wondered why? The answer is surprisingly complex, and is tied to everything that, well, makes a woman a woman. We have records of purses and women's handbags dating back as far as 430 B.C.

Besides just being a way to carry things, purses (including handbags) have always been important. From the modern classy lady with her Prada handbag, to the ancient witch-doctor and his medicine bundle, there are similarities between every form of bag-carrying.

The first thing, of course, is fairly obvious, Specifically, that a bag allows you to carry things. Everyone needs to carry things at some point in their life, some more often then others, but still you don't see men carrying purses. Ever wondered why this is? Why they only need a tiny wallet? The answer, speaking genetically, is that woman are the traditional caregivers. It is the women who were responsible for making sure that all the family had what they needed.

Most importantly, the women were responsible for raising children, and so they had to keep everything they might need on hand, and so required a handbag to carry it. Additionally, women are also the traditional organizers. Say you wanted to throw a party, would you rather have a man or a woman arrange it? A woman, of course. And it is this same, almost obsessional organization that leads a woman to carry a purse.

The next part of the reason, is the role that the bag plays- one of surprising mystery and power. Because the contents of a bag are concealed, it is left to the imagination to come up with a description of what's in there. Be it the bag of a wizard or a doctor, still, it is filled with items of mysterious and peculiar significance and power, and it endows the holder of the bag with an aura of mystery. They know what the bag contains, and how it works, and we don't.

Most women, of course, are not doctors or wizards, and do not fill their bags with strange and mysterious items. However, the contents are still hidden, and so the bag lends her the same air of mystery that surrounds the medicine man. And let us not forget, that mystery is highly attractive.

Thus the personal and intimate mysteries of the handbag set apart the women who carry them, making them strangely attractive besides providing instant access to whatever she might need at any given time. These two are the less obvious reasons. The third and final, though, I'm sure you have already guessed.

A handbag is a fashionable item to carry. It is actually that simple. A woman's handbag is an excellent indicator of her fashion preferences, and as such, shows clearly her place, or perhaps rather her perception of her place, in the social order. I'm sure you can immediately see that a woman with a small, plain handbag, is clearly in a different position to one with a large ornate one.

Take, for example, Margaret Thatcher. Notice how closely her handbags resembled that of the Queen Mothers. Was this coincidence, or was there some deeper connection? Maybe both of these women chose the same style, because of their similar positions. Both leaders, with a great deal of power, and most importantly both female, it should come as no surprise that they both would choose similar handbags.

To conclude, then, let me say that handbags have an incredible amount of significance. Far more then you might expect, a handbag is intensely linked to everything that is female. Allowing a woman to stay organized, while endowing her with an attractive sense of mystery, it also shows clearly her social standing. This is the reason for handbags.