Tote, satchel, clutch and messenger bag, oh my!

    

A variety of small handbags, since donated to charity.

    Styles change, habits evolve, and, of course, many women (and men) do carry purses.

    I'm with many other women when it comes to buying and choosing purses. There was a time -- not long ago -- when I carried a small purse that matched my outfit, especially when my husband and I went on dates. I had a variety of colors to match whatever I wore, and I regularly switched out the contents, left and right.

    Back in the day, of course, I had a "Mom" purse, and that was basically a huge bag that held diapers and other necessities for a new mother.

    That evolved to a "one-purse" at a time, except when the occasion called for a switch-out.

    The practice of carrying a bag has a long history. The oldest known purse dates back more than 5,000 years and was a pouch, carried by a man.

    Early Europeans used purses solely to carry coins, according to an account on Wikipedia. They were carried by both men and women, and made of leather or soft cloth. Women wanted purses which were not bulky in nature, so reticules were designed. The modern purse came about in the 18th century because of the Industrial Revolution and the increase in train travel.

    There actually is a museum for purses: It is the Museum of Bags and Purses and can be found in Amsterdam.

    Handbags became mainstream in the 20th Century and famous people were never seen without one -- including the late Queen Elizabeth II.

    Types of purses are interesting as well: Tote, clutch, bucket bag, hobo bag, satchel, messenger bag and saddle bag. I think I've owned every single one of those styles!

    These days I stick with tried-and-true brands such as Baggallini. Most recently I invested in a cross-body bag by Lululemon, which I first spotted worn by our 20-year-old grand-daughter.

    The times, they are a'changing.

The trendy new cross-body shoulder bag.