Looking back at the history of the handbag, it is not hard to see that not much has changed over the years. While the lives and lifestyles of women today are significantly different than those of the women centuries ago, their basic wardrobe needs are almost the same. The handbag has always been there for women to easily carry personal items and have long been used as a status symbol, expressing the owner’s ability to purchase and carry the finest products available.

Quality Materials

The first handbags may not seem like much to today’s shoppers, but at the time they were constructed from the best materials available. Silk, beading, leather, and metals set women’s handbags apart from one another, allowing those women with the means to purchase higher quality bags than those with a lower social standing.

The same could be said of today’s handbags. While there a cheap knock-off versions that can be found in most retail locations, the top designers produce handbags made from expensive, exotic materials that make them worth more than most cars.

Using a handbag as a way to express social station is nothing new. Women have turned to fashion as an outlet for personal taste ever since the first handbags were commonly used. This infographic shows just how handbags have evolved throughout time, and it shows how women and their accessories are not much different, even centuries later.