Chatelaine bag

Bags

Only the essentials
Small bags that were attached to the waistband with a cord or chain were popular from 1860 to the late nineteenth century. They were aptly named chatelaine bag – a reference to the Medieval chatelaine. Those chatelaine bags were just big enough to store a few essential items, such as money, sewing supplies and a handkerchief. Some examples were provided with a chain or loop to attach a fan. With the rise of the train and hand luggage, it became more and more common to carry the bag in one hand. The start of the 20th century sees the handbag definitively take over the role of the chatelaine bag.

Image: France, 1874. © Collection Museum of Bags and Purses

 

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