Purses

Women around the world consider a purse as a necessity. A purse has a lot more significance and importance than its function, which is carrying money and other items around in it. It is used as a fashion accessory and speaks volumes about the personality of the person carrying it.

In simple terms, a purse is a small and fashionably designed bag, used to hold money, keys, makeup and other items of daily use. Purses are also popularly known as handbags, although some argue that a handbag is larger in size. Purses evolved several centuries ago, and ever since, have been an essential fashion accessory. The first purses can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians and Babylonians, who used small pouches during religious ceremonies. Later, in the 14th century, purses were fastened to the waist with the help of girdles. During those days, purses were used as status symbols and were adorned with jewels and elaborate embroidery.

Through the 16th and 17th century, purses became more practical in design and were made of materials such as leather and cotton. Several purses had drawstring fasteners on the top to keep the contents safe. Embroidery, which became a craze in the 17th century, was used to decorate purses, which resulted in beautiful and unique pieces.

Probably the greatest achievement in the development of purses was the reticule, used in the 18th century. These were miniature purses that had no handles and were carried around in the hand. The reticules further developed into today’s chic purses, more popularly known as ‘clutch’ purses.

With several top companies producing purses in a dazzling array of designs and styles, the purse industry has become a multi-million dollar business. Today, purses vary not only based on their design, but also on the material used in their manufacture. From myriad colors and embroidery to sequins and diamonds, purses have come a long way and have added a substantial style quotient to our lives.

Rent-a-bag…the hottest new trend

I was surfing the net the other day, and came across an article that left me flabbergasted. As you all likely know by now, I am a designer handbag fanatic. There have been months where I have seriously considered bouncing my rent check in order to buy a purse I simply could not do without. Who am I kidding? I have bounced my rent to buy a new handbag! And I would likely do it again.

Well, it appears that my dilemma has come to an end. I was surfing the net the other day, and came across an interesting article. It was about the burgeoning industry of designer handbag rentals! Now I have heard of luxury car rentals and even designer wedding dress rentals, but I never imagined a day when I could rent the latest Chanel purse. Can you picture yourself going into Blockbuster Handbags and renting the purse you have been saving your money for? I know I can!

There is a company called Bag Borrow or Steal that, as far as I can tell, is the first of a kind. They have a wonderful website, and a business model like no other. It is very similar to Netflix or something to that effect, but you rent handbags instead of the latest DVD. Somewhat similar to renting videos, you pay annual subscription fee and you are given access to a collection of beautiful handbags to use on a temporary basis. The type of bag you are allowed to borrow is determined by your membership level. Memberships range from $19.95 to $174.95 per year. You can keep the bag for as long as you like, but it must remain in the condition you received it in. I wonder if they have an insurance plan.

After doing some research, I discovered another company that is offering something similar. They are called From Bags to Riches, and their service are slight different from the company mentioned above. Instead of charging an annual membership fee, this company allows you to rent on a weekly or monthly basis. The price of the rental is determined by the duration and type of bag you want to rent. This site organizes their collections by brand name, and monthly rentals range from $$19.90 to $79.80. They also offer their customers the option to purchase their rented purse, if they cannot bring themselves to return it. They know me so well, don’t they?

That's my bag, baby!

Greetings and salutations, my loyal readers! Let me tell you a little story. I was out shopping with some friends last week (surprise, surprise) and I had the strangest altercation. My friends and I were at Sak's 5th Ave. to check out the latest designer handbags, and we are all raving over this incredible new purse from Coach. If you have read any of my previous work, you would know that I am Coach's biggest fan!

It was a beautiful purse! It had incredible vintage styling, and was constructed from the finest, most supple caramel-colored leather. I was literally drooling over this purse, as were my fellow shoppers. As I was inspecting the bag and admiring the awesome multi-colored liner, I could sense that somebody was peering over my shoulder. I turned around to discover another woman lusting after the very handbag I had in my hands.

At this point, I was both annoyed and afraid. I was annoyed by having a stranger invade my personal space, and scared by the crazed and maniacal look in her eyes. This woman looked like a junkie waiting for her next fix! In the past, I have written about my struggle with being a designer handbag junkie. It was, however, all in good humor and I did employ a certain amount of creative embellishment.

This woman, on the other hand, looked like she was about to attack me! I couldn't believe it. Fortunately, I had some friends with me. Otherwise, I suspect we may have had a catfight on our hands. Needless to say, I made a hasty escape with my new coach handbag. Later that evening, I sat down at my computer to write some new copy for the site and I had a really hard time forgetting about this woman. It got me thinking about the bigger picture, with regards to high end consumer items like designer fashion accessories.

Why are people so strangely obsessed with trivial items? Why do we place such value on inanimate objects? I am generally not one to consider designer handbags and fashion accessories trivial, because I am absolutely in love with them. But in the bigger picture that is reality, these are not important matters. Handbags are simply something I am interested in, and write about for my website. Sure, I have more bags than I could ever possibly put to use. But I am far from being fanatical about them! Well…most of the time.