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Why Women Carry Handbags

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From as far back as 430 B.C, women have always carried handbags. The reasons for this, though, are both complex and surprising. In fact, it is both genetically and culturally determined that a woman should, if not must, bear a handbag. Here, although I don't have the space to go in depth, I will try to reveal at least a few of the reasons behind it.

Besides just being a way to carry things, purses (including handbags) have always been important. From the modern classy lady with her Prada handbag, to the ancient witch-doctor and his medicine bundle, there are similarities between every form of bag-carrying.

The first thing, of course, is fairly obvious, Specifically, that a bag allows you to carry things. Everyone needs to carry things at some point in their life, some more often then others, but still you don't see men carrying purses. Ever wondered why this is? Why they only need a tiny wallet? The answer, speaking genetically, is that woman are the traditional caregivers. It is the women who were responsible for making sure that all the family had what they needed.

Most importantly, the women were responsible for raising children, and so they had to keep everything they might need on hand, and so required a handbag to carry it. Additionally, women are also the traditional organizers. Say you wanted to throw a party, would you rather have a man or a woman arrange it? A woman, of course. And it is this same, almost obsessional organization that leads a woman to carry a purse.

The second part, is the role of mystery and power. The inside of a bag, any bag, is hidden, and mystery drives imagination. The bag of the doctor, the wizard, or the medicine man is filled with strange and mysterious items, that only they can understand. This gives the holder of the bag an air of mystique, as if they alone (because of this understanding) are a people apart.

Your average woman, of course, is hardly an ancient and mysterious sage. Her handbag is, usually, not filled with particularly strange items (although many men would disagree), and so it may seem somewhat ridiculous to apply the same mechanism of mystery to her, as to a medicine man or doctor. And yet, her purse does conceal its contents, and it does serve to surround her - at least a little bit - with an air of mystery.

So the hidden contents of her bag sets the women apart, and surrounds them with a strange attraction, as well as giving immediate access to whatever she might have need for at the moment. There are two reasons for you, and I'm sure you can guess the third.

Handbags are fashionable. That's right, as simple as this. A woman's handbag is the most obvious sign of her place in the world. Whether it be plain and simple, or covered in shimmering diamonds, the appearance of her handbag makes it clear where she stands socially.

For instance, consider for a moment Margaret Thatcher. Remember, if you can, what her handbag looked like. You may not have noticed this, but it is astonishingly similar to the one carried by the queen mother at that time. Of course, this could just be a simple case of chance, but I find that unlikely. More probably, their similarity of circumstance (both strong, powerful leaders) encouraged them to choose a similar handbag to reflect the similarities in their social position.

To conclude, then, let me say that handbags have an incredible amount of significance. Far more then you might expect, a handbag is intensely linked to everything that is female. Allowing a woman to stay organized, while endowing her with an attractive sense of mystery, it also shows clearly her social standing. This is the reason for handbags.