If you’re like most women, and some men, you never leave your house without your purse or handbag. With so many styles of bags (tote, satchel, clutch, shoulder strap, hobo) to name a few, and many colors and designers to choose from, purse and handbag lovers could carry a different bag everyday of the year and never use the same bag.
For most of us, even the deepest of purse adorers, we do carry the same bag frequently. Fashion lovers tend to, well, fall in love with their handbags, and for good reason. A rocking purse or handbag can spruce up an outfit much the same way as a sensational pair of shoes!
For this particular blog post, I am going to concentrate on the ever popular tote bag:
A handbag or purse is often fashionably designed and used to carry personal items. A “tote” is a large double handed bag with an open top and an open main compartment. The straps of tote bags tend to be parallel and large enough to sling the bag over your shoulder, and the bag itself is often large and boxy.
Tote Bag Fun Fact: The archetypal tote is made of sturdy cloth, perhaps with thick leather at its handles or bottom; leather versions often have a pebbled surface. Common fabrics used for totes include heavy canvas (often dyed and treated to resist moisture and mold), jute, nylon, easy care synthetics and natural fibers.
The term ‘tote’ means “to carry,” and can be traced back to the 17th century, but wasn’t used to describe handbags until 1900. The major tote bag craze in the United States began in the 1940s with the release of L.L. Bean’s Boat Bag in 1944. Because they were easier and less cumbersome than carrying luggage, most people opted for using tote bags.
During the 1950s, tote bags began to enter mainstream culture. Come the 1960s, the tote bag began to embrace personal style (as many practical items do that get crossed over into fashion), at which time Bonnie Cashin released her own line of tote bags called Cashin Carry Tote Bags, which combined style and functionality.
And…the tote as a fashion staple purse was born! To be carried, adorned and worn!
In the 1990s, Kate Spade ultimately transformed how American culture embraced tote bags when she began carrying them as fashion bags. Today, style lovers and consumers can find tote bags in a variety of decorations and themes.
Canvas Tote Bag Fun Fact: Canvas tote bags have been sold as a more eco-friendly replacement for disposable plastic bags given how they can be used multiple times over. Many stores offer inexpensive or even free tote bags at the register, and they have become a common marketing tool stamped with logos and used by nonprofit businesses as promotional gifts.
Many people prefer carrying tote bags not only for their stylish appeal, but also for the size. For those of you who carry many items with them, totes are both pleasing to look at and practical. Let’s face it…you can stuff many, many “can’t leave the house without them” items in a tote bag!
But, for those of you that occasionally want to strut with a different type of bag, you have many fabulous styles to choose from!
Various Types of Hot Handbags and Purses:
- Tote
- Shopper
- Duffel
- Hobo
- Satchel (My personal favorite style of bag!)
- Bucket Bag
- Beach Bag
- Bowling Bag
- Backpack
- Coin Purse
- Clutch
Fabulous totes that will float your boat!
Purse and Handbag Fun Fact: Early modern Europeans wore purses for one sole purpose: to carry coins. Purses were made of soft fabric or leather and were worn by men as often as women. The modern purse, clutch, pouch or handbag came about in England during the Industrial Revolution, in part due to the increase in travel by railway.
With so many colors, fabrics and designs available to spice up your tote bag, all fashion lovers that select the tote to hold in their hot hand have it “in the bag!”
“If you’re up for a swap, I’ll trade you my satchel bag for the tote in your hand.”
“I can’t accept your offer. Although your satchel bag is lovely, my tote is simply grand.”
“Would you be willing to let me try your tote for merely a day?”
“It would be a wise investment for you if you purchased a tote, I dare say.”
“I’m used to carrying a smaller purse. Perhaps your tote is too large for me.”
“There’s only one way to find out. Buy a tote, carry the bag, then you will clearly see.”
There’s no tote bag that’s too big for me. Try a terrific tote and hooked you will be!
Nancy Mangano is an American fashion journalist and author of the Natalie North murder mystery book series, A Passion for Prying and Murder Can Be Messy. Visit Nancy on her author website http://www.nancymangano.com, Twitter @https://twitter.com/nancymangano, her fashion magazine Strutting in Style! at http://www.struttinginstyle.com, and her Facebook fan page Nancy Mangano https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nancy-Mangano/362187023895846
Watch for Nancy’s next book, Deadly Decisions – A Natalie North Novel, coming to bookstores in early 2017.
STRUTTING IN STYLE! NANCY MANGANO'S FASHION/STYLE/BEAUTY BONANZA 