Classic Handbag History
Instructions: From clutches to shoulder bags, how well do you know the handbags that accessorized decades of fashion?
- 1.
Which structured handbag, named after a royal actress, was created by Hermes and became an icon of 1950s elegance?
ABirkin bagBChanel flap bagCLady DiorDKelly bag - 2.
What type of small, stiff handbag with a clasp opening was the standard daytime purse for women in the 1950s?
AClutchBBox purseCHobo bagDTote bag - 3.
What iconic Chanel handbag, featuring quilted leather and a chain strap, was introduced in 1955?
AChanel Boy BagBChanel GabrielleCChanel 2.55DChanel Classic Flap - 4.
What small, flat handbag without a strap, held in one hand, was the essential evening accessory of the 1940s and 1950s?
AWristletBCosmetic caseCEvening clutchDMinaudiere - 5.
What whimsical handbag trend of the 1950s and 1960s featured purses shaped like animals, fruit, or other novelty items?
ANovelty pursesBArt bagsCStatement bagsDFashion bags - 6.
What transparent, rigid material was used to make trendy see-through handbags in the 1950s?
ACrystalBPlexiglassCLuciteDGlass - 7.
What type of large, soft-sided bag with long straps became popular with young women in the late 1960s and 1970s?
ABucket bagBHobo bagCSatchelDShoulder bag - 8.
What woven natural-fiber bag became associated with hippie fashion and overseas travel in the 1960s and 1970s?
ACanvas toteBStraw basket bagCMacrame bagDBurlap sack - 9.
Which designer's interlocking 'G' logo became a coveted status symbol on handbags in the 1960s and 1970s?
AGucciBGalanosCGianfranco FerreDGivenchy - 10.
What type of small bag, attached to the wrist with a short strap, was popular for going out dancing in the 1940s?
ACoin purseBCompact caseCDance purseDWristlet - 11.
What designer handbag with an 'LV' monogram pattern became a status symbol starting in the 1960s?
ALoeweBLanvinCLongchampDLouis Vuitton - 12.
What beaded or sequined evening bag was a popular formal accessory that women carried to cocktail parties in the 1950s?
ASatin clutchBBeaded evening bagCJeweled minaudiereDMesh purse - 13.
What 1980s fashion trend involved wearing a small bag on a belt around the waist?
AHip bagBWaist walletCBelt pouchDFanny pack - 14.
What was the traditional etiquette rule about matching your handbag to what other accessory in the 1950s?
AYour hatBYour shoesCYour glovesDYour belt - 15.
What type of drawstring leather bag, inspired by Native American designs, was popular with the bohemian crowd in the 1970s?
AFringed leather bagBMedicine bagCDrawstring pouchDBucket bag
Answer Key
The Hermes Kelly bag was renamed after Grace Kelly in 1956, when she was photographed using it to shield her pregnant belly from paparazzi.
Box purses, small structured handbags with a hinged frame and clasp, were the quintessential 1950s daytime accessory, often carried in the crook of the arm.
The Chanel 2.55, named for its February 1955 release date, featured the now-iconic quilted leather and chain strap. It freed women's hands by going over the shoulder.
Evening clutches, slim purses held in the hand without straps, were essential for formal occasions in the 1940s and 1950s, often beaded or jeweled.
Novelty purses shaped like everything from poodles to telephone dials were a fun fashion trend in the 1950s and 1960s, often made of lucite, wood, or wicker.
Lucite purses, made from clear or colored acrylic plastic, were a distinctive 1950s accessory. Companies like Wilardy and Patricia of Miami made popular designs.
Shoulder bags with long straps became the everyday choice in the late 1960s and 1970s, replacing the structured handbags carried on the arm.
Straw basket bags, often purchased at beach resorts or markets, became a casual fashion staple of the 1960s and 1970s bohemian style.
Gucci's interlocking 'GG' logo, first used in the 1960s, became one of the most recognizable luxury brand symbols in fashion history.
Wristlets, small pouches that attached to the wrist with a strap, were practical for dances and evening events when you needed your hands free.
Louis Vuitton's monogram canvas bags, featuring the interlocking LV pattern, became must-have luxury accessories from the 1960s onward.
Hand-beaded evening bags, often imported from Belgium, France, or Hong Kong, were treasured accessories for formal events in the 1950s.
Fanny packs (or belt bags) became an iconic 1980s accessory, worn around the waist for hands-free convenience, often in neon colors.
In the 1950s, the strict fashion rule was that a woman's handbag should match her shoes in color and material -- a rule that began relaxing in the 1960s.
Fringed leather bags, often with tooled or stamped designs, were a signature accessory of the 1970s bohemian and Western-influenced fashion.