The handbag is the basic accessory in women's fashion, and this richly illustrated volume explores the styles decade by decade. Examples of the main trends are shown in over 500 color photos, along with samples of the eras' most remarkable and unusual high-quality pieces. Significant manufacturers and designers also discussed, and a price guide is provided.

An exploration of the role of the handbag in the history of culture, fashion, and material production

From the earliest practical containers to the star handbags of today, this book is a comprehensive gallimaufry of the handbag through the ages.

This book will identify, by chapter, purse styles over a 100-year span, from 1880 to 1980. Any female who loves or is fascinated with handbags must own this book. More than 320 photos showcase creative, stylish, flamboyant, prestigious, and conventional purses. You will learn that the handbag creates a mystery about the owner. Discussed are purses of all types: beaded, evening, Lucite, pearl, straw, reptile, tapestry, and bags from the 1940s to the 1960s. There is also a chapter on German silver, compacts, and accessories. This book is truly a delight for purse lovers of all ages. 2005 values.

According to Carmel Allen, the beauty editor of Vogue magazine, the key to assessing a modern girl is the handbag. With over 150 colour photographs, this book offers a celebration of the handbag. An indispensable accessory as well as a key fashion statement, the handbag is portable boudoir, office, bank and emergency kit for women. With chapters on the history of the handbag, a Who's Who of style-shapers, a look at the contents women carry and an A-Z of international designers and brands, this book is suitable for handbag lovers. From the classics - the Chanel quilted bag, the Hermès Kelly, Gucci's bamboo-handled, snaffle designs, and Louis Vuitton's monogram, to artistic creations from Judith Leiber and Nathalie Hambro and celebrity favorites Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch, and Balenciaga, the A-Z section profiles the most coveted and iconic designs ever.

For centuries, fashionistas have coveted bags, handbags, purses, clutches, pocketbooks, bags with logos, bags with sequins, and even bags with feathers. Functional and beautiful, handbags come in a breathtaking assortment of designs, colors, materials, and styles. Discover some of the world's most iconic pieces in Bags to Love, a stylish pop-upbook for grown-ups.* It's in the bag! This unique fashion book includes five stunning pop-ups, showcasing iconic handbags.* Bags to Love is a witty and fascinating homage to one of the most essential elements of a woman's wardrobe: the handbag.* From its fashion-forward cover featuring a die-cut bag with embossed alligator, through its elegantly designed spreads filled with exotic images of bags throughout history, Bags toLove offers eye candy galore.* Learn all about the history of bags, from fourteenth-century adorned pouches to the status symbol statement bags of the twenty-first century, and discover the designers who created them, including Christian Dior and Lulu Guinness.* Tr�s chic! Filled with fun quotations, lively text, and gorgeous photography, Bags to Love is this season's musthave accessory for fashionistas everywhere!* Pop up designs include Marc Jacobs, Lulu Guiness, Herm�s, a vintage travel case, an evening bag, and more.* Includes a FREE bag hook!

Whether it's the tiny hand-held jewel that holds only a lipstick or the trendy Prada backpack, handbags are our most essential accessory. The ultimate status symbol, bags also speak volumes about our approach to style. This gorgeous book presents the best of contemporary design from the world's leading firms. Ranging from the status bags of Gucci and Hermès to the exquisite beaded purses of Jamin Puech and Nathalie Hambro, and laden with color photos and sketches, Bags: A Lexicon of Style is a must for fashion lovers and those with a sense of bags as art. Valerie Steele is Chief Curator of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Among her books are The Corset: A Cultural History, Paris Fashion, Fetish, and Fifty Years of Fashion. Laird Borrelli, a fashion historian, also works at The Museum at F.I.T.