Save 33% on your first Native Plastic-Free Deodorant Pack - normally $39, you’ll get it for $26! Click here bit.ly/nativeabbycox6 and use my code ABBYCOX6 #AD Skirt: www.madewell.com/quilted-crinkle-cotton-midi-skirt-99106858936.html Sweater (and all the antique bags that I filmed): Vintage from HelloVintage: instagram.com/hellovintagelovers/?hl=en
Réticule (wee net) was the roman word for hair nets. The first réticules during the Directoire were indeed made of fine mesh netting. The "ridicule" (ridiculous) pun was just so obvious, or even inadvertent as not everyone was versed in latin, and modistes/milliners probably least of all.
Interesting! So the rise of the travelling bag/handbag dates roughly to the time of the expansion of the railways and passenger harbour in my town; a period of rapid change in the movement of the wealthy and the moderately less so. The railway boom meant people were travelling further - away from home for longer - and so needed to be carrying more things.
I'm three weeks late with my comment, but I'd just like to add that the rise of re-usable shopping bags (in Australia) has been great for me, a male, who can now carry one of these useful bags without suffering the ridicule that comes from carrying a bumbag, handbag, or backpack. I also developed Type 1 (genetic) diabetes in 2006, which means that I have to carry my blood-sugar meter, insulin, and emergency sugar wherever I go. Hurray for the handbag! (err, shopping bag. Totally! xD )
I got sick of my husband co-opting my purse and got him a solid, distressed leather cross-body satchel. He warmed to the idea immediately. Next thing ya know, he was also borrowing my leather bucket bag. Like, hey there, Mister!!! Buy your own! When his macho friends took a swipe at him over it, he told them it was a whole lot more grown man than their school kid back packs. LOL!
@@cheryl-lynnmehring8606 Not necessarily! Most straight men think anything other than a camera case, briefcase or backpack would make them look gay. Men are weird.
I was just about to talk about how many of my friends continued to carry backpacks everywhere, well after school! It's fine for a man to carry a backpack, but then there is definitely an age thing at play. Maybe carrying a backpack for long enough will convince them they need a purse badly enough to just carry one, lol!
Nothing wrong with a backpack. That wasn't cool or funny. No need to stoop low when others do. I prefer carrying a backpack because its more ergonomic and more practical. For me anyway. I keep a smaller bag inside for when I don't need to bring the whole thing into a store or something. A leather backpack can be gorgeous and functional... same with a canvas or denim one. Messenger bags/satchels are horrible for your skeletal structure. Handbags easily get left behind and also only sit on a single shoulder or must be carried in a hand that may be needed for something else. Don't mock adults who use backpacks. It's not cool and its ridiculously ableist and gross.
Backpacks aren't limited to specific ages, however specific styles of backpacks can be limited to specific ages. For instance a colorful PJ Masks or teletubbies backpack is targetting kindergarteners, a leather backpack usually not for kids, and kånken style backpacks target everyone between 5-100+ (though they were originally designed for hiking adults and didn't have the fantastic explosion of colors they do these days). Backpacks are about ergonomics, especially the ones that also have straps that connect in the front. My back gets pretty messed up if I wear a cross body bag with any notable amount of weight, while I don't have any issues carrying 20 kg as a backpack all day long, or even 40kg all day long if it also connects in front as well.
It makes me feel a lot better about myself knowing that for centuries women have been accidentally getting lipstick all over the inside of their "handbags" and it's not just me with this big mess 😅
Oohhh!!! I don’t know about you, but I always feel shame, anger and regret twice whenever this happens to me: once for wasting a beautiful lipstick and twice for ruining the handbag. Lol.
Just this past Christmas I gave my husband a black leather messenger bag. One of my latest hobbies is restoring vintage leather bags. He kept saying how jealous he was that women get to carry so many different kinds of bags while he was stuck with an ugly backpack. So I got the most butch looking bag I could find and fixed it up for him. He carries it to work everyday. He works in a metal fabrication factory. It's only been a few weeks since Christmas but more and more of his male coworkers are ditching their backpacks in favor of shoulder bags. Way to go, guys!
I prefer the opposite A shoulder bag is unbalanced, putting too much pressure on one shoulder while also flapping on the opposite hip. A backpack, on the other hand, hangs on both shoulders for even distribution. With a chest strap it’s even better. It doesn’t flip around, can put quite a bit more, and as the kanken’s popularity ha shown, can be very stylish.
I work in the costuming industry and everyone Carries a backpack. You can carry a lot more. Occassionally I'll see a woman with a purse in store but its rare.
@@adorabell4253 If you are carrying enough weight that a shoulder bag is uncomfortable then yes, the backpack is definitely better for you! Most people though are only carrying stuff that isn't heavy but it's cumbersome to carry in one's hands.
YES!!!! Your “man purse” discussion is EXACTLY how I have been explaining it for over a decade. I’ve carried a purse since the early 2000s and have always immediately corrected anyone calling it a “murse” or “man bag” -- it’s not a “lady purse” when women use it, why tf are we gendering a useful accessory!?
My spouse used to ask me to put things in my bag when they didn't fit in his pockets. I finally got fed up with it and told him to get his own bag and - he did. Note that he wears cargo pants and I carry a small backpack (batpack - it has wings,) and all of his stuff STILL doesn't fit in his pockets! A bag is a bag is a bag. It's a useful item and if you make your life harder because you're too insecure to carry a bag, that's your problem. In all of the dresses and skirts I make, I insert pockets large enough for my entire forearm.
wow, just how much stuff has he got? I wear cargo pants from the mens collections so I can fit half of a woodworking shop into my pockets . . . a calculator, something to eat, smartphone keys, . . . .
Agreed! And all humans just need to stop mocking each other for their bag choices. It's sexist and its ableist in many cases too. Often ageist as well. I'm 36 and got called a little girl who needed to grow up because I carried a backpack that day (which is becoming a more common choice for me when venturing alone without a spouse to carry my tote when I'm too unstable and need both hands available or having to do stairs). I was called this by other women around my age or younger. It was SO OFFENSIVE. And I will never mock anyone for carrying a bag and handling their own crap rather than making someone else do it. (My spouse frequently volunteers to carry for me knowing it eases my physical burden and pain.) The amount of backpack hate in the comments is pissing me off actually. I just applaud those people for carrying their own stuff. I also live near 14 universities. Backpacks are just practical for commuting and for educators and students and professionals alike. And way better for your skeleton than a shoulder bag when you're carrying a laptop or anything over a couple pounds.
@@Chaotic_Pixie i'm so sorry people have been such jerks to you. I've worn various backpacks of vastly different types (many of which would never be mistaken for kids' backpacks) all of my life and thankfully that's pretty normal where I live. Even if an adult would choose to wear a kids cartoon backpack that's still no reason for people to stop minding their own business. Being that rude is making their character flaw everyone else's problem.
@@Call-me-Al that’s what’s so. It was a normal colored, basic Jansport backpack. Just happened to be what I had available. Thing is… if it had been a mini loungefly covered in Disney, I doubt anyone would have said boo. People are weird.
The types of handbag-like bags that men “could” carry as I was growing up: messenger bags, punky gas mask bags, brief cases, laptop bags, small gym bags and camera bags. Most of these are crossbody bags in specific materials and shapes to differentiate them from purses.
yep, what determines a 'masculine' shape is *very specific* compared to the leather bag abby brought out in the video the straps have to be thicker, hardware bigger, the shape bulkier, the compartments more pronounced. a general 'bulk' and sport or business feel to 'pass' as a Man's item. it almost reminds me of man-spreading, except the design differencs are both comfortable and utilitarian im nonbinary, and i found my bookbag so useful during highschool i just never stopped bringing a bag everywhere. ive always needed a few more things besides just a wallet, phone and keys.
Yes, was going to say the same about messenger bags, which at least in the greater New York/Tri-State area in the late 80s on were acceptable for men to carry (perhaps because there was something inherently macho about bike messengers hurling themselves into NYC traffic...). But they had to be huge, as if you were actually delivering paperwork or architectural plans: the smaller ones that started to be produced once messenger bags got popular still seemed to be avoided by men, if memory serves...
I never really hear about the death of the briefcase, but my dad always carried one to work and I very rarely see anyone with one now, only a couple of the oldest men in my workplace still use briefcases.
"...articles ... I use that term very loosely" Ooo, the shade! I always appreciate the the depth of time and research you put in across multiples sources to create an accurate fashion history video like this. It makes your 24 minute video worth more than the entire Glamour of history fashion series back catalogue put together!
Very interesting video. I live in Norway and in Scandinavia the backpack is the thing everyone uses, going back a long time. It's acceptable in every setting. Work in a bank: backpack. Work in a kindergarten: backpack. Being active and going outdoors: backpack. Men and women alike. The backpack: have your hands free to eat all the snacks😄
@@HosCreates every kind, some use regular fabric/ active type backpacks, some use more high end fabric backpacks, we sell some that cost 100$ and more, leather is also used, but it's more for those that want a more clean aesthetic or a more "sophisticate" look. The thing that matters most it that it fits what you need. Laptop, schoolbooks, notebooks, binders, lunch, hat/mitts/gloves/umbrella... a smaller bag... we also accept runners/snickers/rubber boots for most, it all depends on the whether.
@@HosCreates Leather, or many people just don't worry about being fashionable. The work place is far more casual, even bank workers and salespeople don't wear formal dress. Moreman missionaries stick out and are easy to avoid.
Seriously, though, my purse is essential for going out for any significant amount of time. I carry a cross-body one which is just large enough to fit a small comb, my kindle, my airpods, a small snack, extra hairbands, etc etc. It would SUCK to not be able to use that due to social conventions.
I have been wearing a kilt with a sporran fairly regularly for over a decade now and I find myself wishing I had the bag whenever I'm wearing jeans. There's just something so convenient about the way a sporran hangs that makes it quick and easy to access when you need it and it hangs well out of the way and is secure when you don't need it. There's never a need to put it down like a shoulder bag and it's never in the way like a waist pack is. It's great to get the keys and phone out of your pockets and still have room enough for loads of stuff. We definitely need to normalize the use of bags for everyone.
Shoulder bags don't need to be put down either, I can literally sort of, do a sick hip-check dance move and the bag spins around to right where I need it and I can unzip it without taking it off. That's why they're handy (and they leave your hands free!)
My favorite item of my dad's (he passed in 2020 in his 70s) is his leather crossbody bag that he bought in 2018 in the women's section of a store when we were on a cruise. He also wore women's sunglasses. The man had his own thing going on. Loved that for him.
There's a TH-camr I follow out of curiosity for male fashion, DevanOnDeck, and he is a huge defender of shamelessly going to the women's section to get that cool overcoat that caught your eyes, he got some of his best pieces like that. Meanwhile, I got yelled at by my maternal grandma when she saw me get at the male section of Uniqlo to get some flannel shirts, but they have more choices in designs and colour palettes and the larger cut was something I wanted anyway lol
As a resident of a large Mid-Atlantic city, everyone is carrying something as they walk around going about their business. Lots of folk carry backpacks, reusable shopping bags, messenger bags, purses, or hipbags. People gotta carry stuff. Period.
Same. But the further you go into the suburbs... the more judgement. Usually of the ageist or ableist variety. Like, somehow backpacks are only for students and only up to a certain age. It's really icky.
For most of the 20th century, men carried bags but just stopped calling them purses or pocket books. They were “brief cases,” “book bags,” or “back packs.”. I’ve used gender-nuetral back backs as my everyday handbag sometimes.
Would absolutely love to see a followup video on the history of backpacks! Especially since somehow because it's on your back and not your side it's been more acceptable for folks of all genders to wear and use even while the purse was femme-coded.
Back in the 1960's and 1970's, students did not carry their books and supplies in backpacks. Pens, pencils, erasers and notebook paper was kept in the binder. Books stacked on top of the binder and carried together. Combine that with a musical instrument and a 3-D class project, then ride the bus standing up...in a short skirt no less. THAT took real balance!!! Backpacks were only for hiking. They didn't catch on for school until much later.
@@loisruthstrom8143 I think backpacks caught on in the 1980s, when everyone was carrying a JanSport backpack. But speaking of binders, I can't believe some schools today have banned Trapper Keepers. That was another staple of the 1980s.
Possibly more acceptable, but also much more rude, especially when people keep the backpack on in crowded places like buses. Charming when they turn around and whack you with the backpack, and because it’s behind them they’re oblivious and would NEVER think of apologizing. In my experience it’s mainly men who “accidentally” whack mostly women with their backpacks, coincidence? Hmmm 🤔
My Grandmother always called it a 'pocketbook' b/c when she was a small girl, they were made to carry a book. Then they carried a little purse, maybe like the ones you were showing. She was born in 1900, married at 13 and had her first child at 15, another at 16 and then my Mother when she was 22. She delivered all three by herself at home. Pretty amazing!
About 2003, one of my male, 8th grade classmates got around the rule banning book bags (backpacks, messenger bags, ect all had to stay in lockers) but allowing purses in class by saying his messenger bag was a purse. No one else followed his lead so the teachers never made too much fuss about it.
My great-grandmother was a flapper in the 1920’s (I’ve seen a photo even) and I have her gold glow mesh purse/handbag, in mint condition, in the original box it came in from that time. I love it.
Abby [uses a milk frother as a microphone holder while wearing gold eye patches] explains in great detail why historical research on material culture of objects that get used and worn out easily is hard. My exact mid-30s vibe.
My husband (gen x) started carrying his own bag a few months back totally on his own. He was sick of trying to juggle all the stuff he needed going out and things kept falling out of his pockets. It’s just a small crossbody, black, utilitarian, but he does sometimes use the ‘purse’ word when talking about it. I say ‘bag’ for his and mine regardless of shape.
Tote is my word of preference. Seems to encompass all sizes and utilitarian purposes. My wallet/purse has always gone inside a larger tote/backpack. Always. Life is too short to be stuck in a line without a book/knitting project or to be caught in the rain without an umbrella.
Loved it! Would’ve loved for you to touch on briefcases and messenger bags while discussing the “man bag” section and how that differs from purses and why society has deemed those more acceptable for men to carry. I know my dad had a briefcase with him going to work and church for the first 15 years of my life, so touching on those types of hand bags as well would be informative. Thanks!
Honestly as a man I felt this a lot, I've always wanted to carry around a handbag, hell as a kid I'd mentally label it an "adventurer's satchel" and it would be the coolest thing ever, but of course even now when I recently got a small leather bag to carry things when out, wasn't in the typical shape of a purse or anything, and my mostly progressive friends couldn't help but make the jokes right away though it didn't happen again after but the social pressure to just not is damn immense. I do still carry it out on any extended trip!
75 year old man in my office bought a cross body for the exact reasons you mention, he had to carry hand sanitiser and masks with him. He wondered why he didn't have one ages ago
Gen x-er here. My first job in the late 80s/early 90s was for a company owned and largely staffed by Greek Cypriots; and all the older men carried handbags without embarrassment. The younger ones not so much, though. And I loved your callout of toxic masculinity. People so often seem to think it's calling all men toxic, when it's just pointing out that a lot of society's ideas of what a man should be is hurting everyone.
Large pockets and purses for everyone! Also, I like how many times it was mentioned to put stuff in the large pocket in the back seam. (52 bags in 47 graves -- the purse-girl existed even then.)
Hubs and I both have carried backpacks for years. He's a graphic designer, so no ugly pack for him. I've tried to do prettier back packs but they just don't hold up as well. I love that the back pack is more accepted today and there are many "adult" options that don't look like I'm in high school. Especially taking public transit, holding your lunch bag, or like me, live where plastic bags are banned and you randomly need to run to the store, a larger bag is a must.
The real trick is finding a backpack that has more than one or two huge open pouches (see school bags), that doesn't look like its made for hiking, and is affordable. Usually backpacks that meet all those criteria are also small, which just doesn't cut it. Needing a chest/waist strap on top of that basically limits me to the less flattering sports options.
I rarely carry a purse, unless I'm dressed up, which I rarely am. However, I am a crafter, and often carry my own type of "work bag" - namely, my tote full crochet projeccts and supplies. One day, I took it with me to a friend's house for Thanksgiving, about 40 minutes away from my home. My boyfriend normally would have come with me, but was unable to do so that year. Instead, my friends promised to send me home with a container full of home made ice cream for my boyfriend. Well, I stayed well into the night, and then had my drive home ahead of me. In order to make my load more compact, I stuck the ice cream in my craft tote. I then went inside, dropped everything off in the kitchen and crawled into bed. Later the next day, my boyfriend told me that he checked the freezer, but couldn't find the ice cream. My eyes bugged out in horror and charged into the kitchen looking for my craft bag. Thankly, my project at the time wasn't fancy, but there's was chocolate milk ALL. OVER. IT. Moral of the story: some things just don't belong in your reticule... 😅😅 (Though, I law some of the blame on my ADHD. 😂)
That same disaster happened to my mom, but with a fish. I don't know why my mom put the fish my sister caught into her purse. It was in a plastic bag, but she forgot about it until too late.🐟🦨
Only loosely related but I recently rediscovered backpacks and I don't think I'll ever go back. Unlike the US where I think backpacks are the go-to for school kids up until college, where I live the trend was for girls to carry a large handbag, and it was the least practical thing in the world. Recently I started cycling to my university campus so I had to buy a backpack and I love it ! Being able to carry my stuff while also being hands-free and not having to readjust my bag on my shoulder all the time is a godsend. Long live the backpack. For outings where I don't need as much stuff I opt for a cross-body.
I’ve got no problem with a backpack if someone has a legit reason to use one, like commuting by bike. I have a problem with men wearing their backpacks on crowded buses and constantly whacking me in the face because they can’t be bothered to learn what considerate means, let alone how to spell it 😡😡
LOL…throughout his career my husband carried a briefcase…which totally functioned as his ‘purse’. Yes, it was a hard sided little suitcase…and yeah, all his junk was in that trunk. My son and nephew ( now in their 40’s) prefer either a small cross body bag or backpack. The teardrop shaped ones are the latest pref for them…🤣 Me? I had a utterly perfect little leather backpack that was stolen - I’m still trying to find the perfect replacement for it. Thanks for this awesome video…❤
I use a briefcase daily and yes it is pretty much a purse in purpose. It fits all my work stuff from the laptop, notepads, pens etc, but you are also going to find a multitool and screwdriver set, my headphones, my glasses case and a whole host of other items and accessories all in a nice leather package. Sometimes you just need to carry stuff. Man bags for life.
I just love these "college class" videos that you do! They remind me of being in college when I was doing gender studies towards a history degree. You're one of my favorite TH-cam professors.
I always joke that I'm a terrible 'woman' because I use a mini backpack instead of a purse. I need POCKETS in my purse to organize ALL THE THINGS, and most purses seem like glorified black holes. It was very reassuring to see so many lipstick-stained makeup bags from hundreds of years ago. It made me feel like less of a hot mess. :D
Zippered pouches in different colors and textures help me find what I’m looking for in my backpack even when I’m not able to use my eyes. Also pretty handy for switching bags.
There are purse organizers you can find on amazon that you can put in your purse for more organization for when a mini backpack wouldn't fit the occasion.
There's a reason I'm picky about purses having good sections and other organization details. I've pretty much fixated on one brand that has nice card slots, built-in coin purses, zippered pockets, etc.
Rock your backpack. It's more convenient and more ergonomic. Don't let others judge you or try to convince you otherwise. I'm currently on the hunt for the perfect size backpack to have as my go-to for independent exploring. (I have chronic pain and mobility problems, so often don't get out on my own much anymore.) I need to be able to use my cane AND the hand rail on stairs without a swinging back throwing off my balance. Alas, cute backpacks rarely have outboard pockets for an umbrella and waterbottle. Such a shame.
I always think that pockets are for things you need immediately at hand (your phone, ear buds, maybe a credit card/cash), and a purse is for everything else. But as someone who carries a 30 ounce metal water bottle pretty much everywhere I go, I prefer back packs. I can shove small purchases in there, and it's not all weighted on one shoulder.
I'm a haversack style purse or backpack person generally but I do appreciate a good pocket. I've been opening the bottoms of my jeans pockets recently to sew on extensions. It's so nice to have a pocket that will carry essentials!
I have a lot of chronic pain and other health problems, and I literally need a bag to carry just all my meds and remedies let alone wallet keys phone etc. It's just super handy. Thanks for all your research on the topic, little things like this in history are just incredibly interesting to me. I could listen to stuff like this all day tbh! 👛 👜
My mom has a little case that she puts her lipstick in that she keeps in her purse, and I've never seen another one like it and I have so much admiration for such a thoughtful invention!
I'd put a tampon in that holder too so I could go purseless but it wouldn't be a conversation piece if my tampon stuck out of my too-short women's pockets. It just looked like lipstick.
I always felt the final barrier (in late 20th century+) to make THE BAG something we can all carry regardless of what pronouns we use was the appearance of tech (iPads, laptops, chargers, adapters, batteries and phones that went from flip-type to almost iPad size). Abby is correct, with masks, disinfectant and of course delicious snacks (you are not getting a box of Pocky or mochi into most pockets) the bag is here to stay. One issue which hopefully I have solved is the (overloaded) crossbody bag which makes one incorrectly walk. I have a crossbody w/special straps which can also double as a backpack.
I have giant pockets in most of my clothes now, but yeah, when I try to declutter my purse down to the essentials I'm still carrying: my keys, my inhaler, a phone charge (and spare battery), a lip balm, a comb, my wallet, hand sanitizer, a spare mask, and some tissues. And a snack! And probably something I'm forgetting. But all of those things are items that I'll really miss when I'm out in the world and don't have them. Good luck fitting all of that into my pockets, no matter how big. :)
Loved this! Great job on the research and the details. I feel my husband is moving into the middle area of wanting more bags and doesn't fully realize it yet. He very much enjoys thinking about the use/practicality of his recent travel duffle and gym bags that I have bought him. Because there is nothing wrong with men liking their bags and enjoying to use them!
I was just thinking this! I need an inhaler, epinephrine injectors, rescue meds for migraines, nausea, etc. plus a full day's worth of meds just in case I get stuck somewhere overnight. What else...wrist braces, electrolyte powders, ergonomic pen, lip balm, cooling cloth, hair ties and pins, fold up Chico bags, & my water bottle clips on. I also have mobility issues and use a forearm crutch so use a crossbody bag that can also be used as a hip bag (aka fanny pack) when it starts irritating my neck.
@@flatflo yes I feel ya, I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user that is slowly but surely getting paralyzed (my back is collapsing right above my pelvis). I'm asthmatic as well so I need inhalers and I'm also immunosupressed so hand sanitizer is always with me. If I stay somewhere overnight I bring a backpack because I can't fit everything in my fanny pack. It's ridiculous how much you need as a disabled person and the amount is always increasing. Sigh.
Re 18:19 I think the importance of handbags pops up in complaints from handbag carriers in couples! The one who carrys the handbag often finds their partner using it for storage, yet wont bring their own.
At that point, I just make him carry it! Early in our marriage it was a hard idea for him to adopt, but 13 years in he just shrugs and accepts that if he puts stuff in, he carries it!
one of the nice things about being gay and having a taller wife with broad shoulders (to my tiny spindly weak shoulders) is not only does she carry her own things, but if we're doing a lot of heavy shopping she'll often carry it too. I feel extremely lucky!
There was a point when my son got old enough that I refused to carry his stuff. I told him, "If you want it, you carry it." My husband always had a backpack when he knew he was going to need stuff.
I'm 38, I've heard endless jokes about the man purse. My 19 year old son has carried a "satchel" to college for the last year and from day 1 he has given ZERO shit$ what ANYONE thinks or says! I adore it and am so proud of his confidence in self and lack of being influenced in the least by others opinions of his choices! He too carries snacks, tech, laptop, wallet, ear buds, etc. He loves it and feels prepared! He's also type 1 diabetic and needs his meds on hands at all times.
Entertaining as well as informative! When I was a child my mother had a minaudiere - a tiny little jewel case of a purse that had specific places for a compact, lipstick, and perfume. I loved playing with this beautiful (child-sized) bag and wish it hadn't disappeared in one of mom's many closet purges. Now I'll have to go and hunt one down for myself!
THANK YOU for your tangent at the end about man bags! I'm a manager at a high end luxury reseller and I'm a man and I still get shocked looks when I walk in to my store and I have my Louis Vuitton crossbody Amazone slingbag. It's a beautiful bag! Perfect size for my keys, phone, and wallet and frees my pockets up for other items! And when I went to Disney it made getting on and off rides so quick and painless instead of having to search my pockets to ensure nothing slipped out while I was riding! Handbags should be for everyone!
You did miss one dimension of this-If you are using public transportation, you have to carry everything with you securely. Edit: just thinking this might be part of the "Boston Bag" as Boston (as well as New York) was an early streetcar/subway adopter (Still is very public transit dependent-Current mayor of Boston started with a major campaign on public transit and her campaign email is Wutrain as in Michelle Wu and train.)
This is why you can get backpacks and handbags that are made from more secure and durable material and security design that cant just be outright zipped by some stranger. Needs more effort, which usually discourages most pickpocketers and all of them by the time you notice someone is trying to open your bags.
Yeah, as a Bostonian, you really don't want to drive on our streets. The T is much safer. You might get pickpocketed (maybe. Unlikely.) But you won't get t-boned trying to drive across an unmarked seven-way intersection.
Growing up in Australia with an American dad and an Australian mother, AND with siblings born both here and in the US the term “pocket book” in my mind was a distinctly American term. It was something that I heard used only on American TV shows, or by my older sister. 🙂🐿🌈❤️
Pocketbook, to me, was just the old term for purse, used by my grandmother and great grandmother. Great grandma also called a slip a pettycoat, a girdle a corset. I still have the metal curlers she used, too.
I grew up and still live in Scotland and a purse only ever referred to a small item for carrying coins, banknotes and cards. We never called a handbag a purse. My mum carried a purse, in her handbag. My dad called his a wallet in his briefcase or more often in his pocket, BUT the difference was that Dad’s wallet only held notes and cards - all the coins were loose in his pocket. (If we needed change, check the bottoms of Dad’s wardrobe after shaking his trousers!). My father in law actually did carry a (coin)purse, as well as a folding wallet for notes. My teenage sons now carry bags of various types - one prefers a backpack, the other cross-body. But they are never “man-bags”, they are just called bags. And I have never heard anyone in the UK call anything a pocketbook. That would make me think of a small diary or a notebook to be honest.
Im American and pocketbook is very old fashioned. Like when I hear someone use that I picture a Southern Gentlemen (GoneWithTheWind style) pulling out his pocketbook, wetting his fingers, and slowly counting his folding money to pay the horse driver for the carriage ride... Ok maybe thats an exaggeration but seriously havent heard anyone call a large wallet a 'pocket book' since my Great Grandparents were alive.
:] this video came at the perfect time. I've not had a handbag for quite a few years, being stuck with either a screen printed tote or backpack. Last week I was in a thrift shop in Tokyo and found this perfect little pale pink handbag. It's brought me so much joy already- just big enough to hold what I need without being so big that I feel tempted to overfill it. I love how I feel when I hold it across my body. P.S my man has a black handbag (although I don't think he'd call it that). It's bigger than mine and very helpful. He always has a spare shopping bag in there!
I love that my young dude celebrates pockets to the point that he walked in one day, messenger bag confidently slung over his shoulder, and declared “Guess how many pockets I am wearing right now? I have nineteen pockets right now!” All in use
I ditched my purses years ago and I'm never going back. Little/mini backpacks all the way! I like the little cross body sporty style, or the mini two shoulder/strap leather style. If I have to dress fancy for evening, I use a tiny minimal wristlet/wrist wallet. My husband carries a backpack too, a laptop backpack with a protective sleeve. He had a briefcase years ago before laptops in the workplace were a thing.
Your info just SO validated my costume choices for a late 1700s 'madame' in a colonial port town that I feel absolutely brilliant! Thanks, Abby! My only time in drag and I had so much fun putting it together! I added tassels and small silver filigree buttons to turn a cheap little bag into a perfect archaic reticule! I so enjoy learning from you and your buddies!
Fascinating and fun. Also, I loved the use of an electric whisk to hold your microphone. Finally, as a man I have carried a bag for decades. It's called a briefcase.
Messenger bags, briefcases, and backpacks of varying sizes have been carried by men for ages. They just didn't call them a purse. :) Thank you for a lovely trip through the history of the alternative pocket. :)
My husband and I both started using drop leg bags about a year ago and now he wears his every time he leaves the house. He finds them more accessible than a pocket and he can just leave everything he needs in the bag instead of moving things out of the pocket at the end of the night and potentially forgetting his wallet the next day. I, on the other hand, have transitioned away from the bag entirely with rare exceptions and have a wallet case on my phone. I was forever leaving either my phone or my bag wherever I went, and since getting my wallet case I've not left it anywhere. I think we now live in a time where there's a solution for everyone and many middle stages for those not wanting to carry an extra item around. When I had a bag I would constantly have more than I needed and it just filled with trash. I'm happier without. But I also don't wear makeup. :)
So! Here in Little Rock we have the Esse Purse Museum which claims to be the only museum solely devoted to purses. Their material mainly uses purses as a way to talk about the everyday lives of women over the past hundred years or so, but I think your point at the end about handbags transcending the binary definitely deserves to be addressed there. I’ll pass it on. I’m loving your videos! Take care!
I hope that we continue to move closer to everything just becoming gender neutral. As an aside I would love it if I had a small compact that contained makeup to touch up on the go. RIP the times I have had a pressed powder explode in my purse.
It could be a great way for the beauty world to attempt to adopt more sustainable options as well, sell nice reusable cases for makeup and then instead of buying a whole compact each time you buy eyeshadows, pressed powders or something, you just get refills that slot into the case. Of course to keep it at all sustainable would require businesses to not take advantage of the opportunity to do limited edition releases of different cases which people would feel the need to collect so maybe not the best idea
@EmmaO I saw a make up brand that has that precise idea, you buy a basic case with small sections and then buy the specific eye shadow colors you want. The shadows come in magnetic tins that fit the sections of the case. It is expensive, but I think that's the future
Inglot is a polish professional mua brand that does that system from the start. You can get everything in one palette to carry with You and usually even different brand shadows etc can be put inside the palettes. Inglot itself has everything from blush,powder, contour, concealer trough eyeshadows and liners to lip products in pans that perfectly fit their palette systems. It's not very expensive even in here and the products are really good quality. Valentino beauty has refillable items but it's the opposite of affordable ;)
@@margodphd My grandmother had a refillable compact from the 1950's. Many of the items that went into those lucite handbags were made pretty, because they were meant to be seen. Other items were wrapped in a spare hankie or covered with a spare pair of gloves and kept on the bottom. I still have her handbag, glasses case and several pairs of cotton gloves.
I use a backpack instead of a handbag/purse, mostly cause its easier with heavier things to put it on your back than to strain your arms constantly (shifting from left arm to right arm).
@@HosCreates That and its a great place to store your warmer gear (cap, scarf, gloves) during warmer daylight periods (but get them out when its cold mornings and nights), as well as store a water bottle when you are on the go. If anyone rides a bike, backpacks are essential, even if you have a front or back bike baskets. I can do all my shopping this way without a car, even when I choose to walk to my stores. If you have small kids, backpacks are also great for storing the kids essentials when going out for a walk or at the playground (stroller storage is only good for a few things, and while the kids are young). Backpacks are definitely not just for school :D
Most people in northern Europe carry backpacks, need it to carry an extra layer if it gets cold. The only people that carry hand bags are high maintenance teenagers that are worried about being fashionable.
Can you do a video about the American Girl dolls original outfits compared to the rebrand/redesigned outfits. Your reactions would be interesting and entertaining.
I had no idea there was such a hoopla about men wearing bags! It might be a European thing (if I'm not mistaken, they're also fairly common in some Asian countries as well), but I know that it was usual to see men, especially those working white collar jobs, carrying their personal effects in a sort of clutch. Which makes sense, as stuffing their pockets would ruin the look of their suits! While rarer nowadays, you can still spot them here and there being used by a more dapper gentleman. What was also common, and continues to this day, were small cross-body satchels. They had their start being more casual than the business clutch, and they carried on being popular as a smaller, handier version of a messenger bag. Certainly nobody finds it odd to see a man sporting one of those. I also remember the times when going to the gym became a thing, and you'd see guys carrying their gear in shopper or tote purses. Watching Joey's purse episode back then was really confusing...
A cousin-in-law was a buyer for a suburban Detroit Sears back in the 70s. He went in big for the man bag & it didn't go over well. Not that I noticed him carry one, either 🤷♀️ but he thought it would sell, and it didn't.
When I was a freshman in high school in the 71 /72 school year my English teacher and her husband went to Roam Italy during the summer break . She told us that every evening the people would walk up and down the sidewalk and that the men carried what was called a man clutch.
My dad always carries a bag and has done for as long as I can remember (50 years). It was especially useful when on holiday coz he kept our passports in it. It was considered a 'continental' idea when I was growing up.
omg, I just did my own deep dive into purses because I’ve been trying to dupe a Stella McCartney bag, and it turns out that purse construction is fascinating!! I have plans for a beaded purse in the works too, but that’s super intimidating to me as I’m very new to beading. It’s really cool to see the historical POV!
What always made me mad about bags growing up was that guys could carry satchels and schoolbag type bags. Those were so much more *me* than any purse. And when laptop bags and backpacks became more common for guys to carry, I still couldn't carry those because, well, GIIIIRRRL I found tote bags, preferably ones with pockets, and began practicing filling it for the day I become a carpet bag lady. 😆
As an artist and a nonbinary trans guy, my bag is NECESSARY. Lol. I used to hate carrying "purses" because they were seen as feminine, but as an artist that needs to carry so much (including medical stuff because...chronic stuff) I have learned to love my bag. I have a super cool NASA military style messenger bag that I LOVE. It carries everything I need/want (including snacks lol). I'm planning on making a swiss medic style bag someday based on an artist I adore.
17:45 Those tiny purses with the short handles in 2003- I called them armpit purses, and carried on with my crossbody bag, a style I'd worn since 1986, and continue to do today.
I love pockets, but I also love my purse. It does mean that I won't accidentally leave a pen or sharpie in my pocket the way my husband tends to do, which ruins our clothes when it goes through the washer and dryer. I do add huge pockets to any dress or skirt I make for myself, though.
I enjoyed the video. No mention of the briefcase. I always thought that a briefcase was an acceptable substitute for white-collar men. Many only carried lunch. Blue-collar workers have their lunch boxes. The fear of small shoulder handbags for men is somewhat unique in the US.
I just wanted to take the time to say that I love your videos and have been watching for a while now. They're so informative and entertaining to watch, and I love the subject of historical fashion and how fashion has changed over the years. Keep up the amazing work and I hope you're doing well!
Love this! Thank you, Abby! Also, I feel like the briefcase became a sort of alternative to handbags for men for several decades there. I love a good briefcase, but I'm glad that people of all genders now are starting to feel more comfortable carrying whatever size and style bag that works for them!
I can listen to Abby complain about how hard it is to research things for hours 😭💕💕 I also wanted to say that Japanese men totally rock tote bags and other types of purses. It doesn't seem to be an issue for them like... Making girls carry your stuff?why 😂
Back in the 70s, my Mom made my Dad wear a man purse! He hated it! He finally had enough and threw it in the bin! He was in the construction industry too! I can only imagine what that man went through!
@@AbbyCox yes 1976 my bosses used them too because they worked in the garment industry and a wallet in the pocket spoiled the line of their expensive suits. and no they weren't gay.
On the thumbnail in my recommendations all I could read was "History of the hand---," with the last word blurred out by the video duration time. "Bag", was not where my mind went when readying that.
My husband carries a purse, it's fairly non-descript cross-body leather bag that he got in the women's section. He has way too much he has to carry between personal items and the things he needs for work. It's really not a big deal.
Thank you for the history lesson. I love these vids. As a wheely my bags are designated as panniers. Handbag on one side has all my "stuff" and is big enough to hold my tablet computer, note book, purse, tissues etc. The other side is my yarn project bag. Its specifically designed for knitters and crocheters on the go. drapes over the arm leaving hands free for their project. perfect size to drape over the arm rest of my chair and not get in the way of my wheels. My phone and other important stuff are in the generous sized inside pockets of my denim jacket. Which actually came with them I didn't have to add. Think I'm going to pattern and make a yarn project bag to hold my stuff instead of my handbags as its a good size and clears the wheels and somehow put decent sized inside pockets in all my jackets for the important stuff.
I am really enjoying these history of… videos you are doing, I hope it turns into a series. Your humour is so good and I loved the bloopers at the end. 😊😂
I love your videos! I always learn cool fashion history and find sewing inspiration. Thank you for always making sure to churn out quality content with your personal twist. I know it's a lot of work, and I really appreciate you and your support team.
Im a backpack and bumbag fan. Keeps your hands free😊...is very gender nutral/gender friendly. And i can cary my big shopping bag😁. This was a fun one to watch😊...and yes your quilted purple skirt is realy nice and looks realy cozy 💖
This was an amazing video essay as usual! Your last comment that, “purses are obviously here to stay,” made me think about pieces of fashion that are on decline or generally considered outdated now, like…I don’t know, slips, pantyhose, stuff like that. Like your essay on hats I suppose-I just love your cultural and practical analysis of the rise and fall of things, and I think it’s interesting to apply those same ideas of switching out the old-fashioned pockets for réticules to our society. That was incredibly rambling and I have no idea if that makes any sense, but I’m gonna post it anyway because, hey, engagement 😂😅
Fitting in with your observations in the pocket video, the rise in use of reticules in 1790s, I'm sure was related to the increased use of muslin fabrics, which was very fine and almost see through. There was also more of a neoclassical look, which was much less structured than the fashions either before or after. So you see the pocket become less common before it returns in the Victorian Era as more sturdy fabrics and structured silhouettes made adding pockets easy again.
I had to pause at 0:00:56, that you called "bags with metal frames" - were men-only (we found them only in man graves). Women wore different kind of purses (different shape). And of course those leather bags in next frame are not completely historic (some parts of them, including leather "checkers", are). My words based on funeral archeology, of course, it is possible that women just didn't get them in graves.
As a person who happens to live in a city in a third world country I have to be honest I felt a lot of envy watching you carry so much stuff in your bag at the beginning.😅 I use a big empty bag just in case someone tries to steal me when I'm on the street and only carry keys and money in my pocket 😥
Yep, we cannot have nice things because is like putting a big target on ourselves. I also carry the most important things in my pockets and use a discreet backpack to avoid attracting unwanted attention
As much as I envy men’s pockets, I do often wonder, is that really enough space for everything? When I go out I have a phone, wallet, keys, headphones for playing music on my phone, a handheld electric fan if it’s summertime (NY subway heat is brutal), and lactaid pills so I can eat cheese on the go. And that doesn’t even include a paperback or proper ereader, though my phone functions as one.
Your take on the reticule as more or less a generational/youth change made me think of this great description of pockets in a scene from Maria Edgeworth's novel Belinda (1801/1810s): "- That you shall now immediately, said Mrs Delacour, rummaging ans rustling for a considerable time amongst a heap of letters, which she has pulles out of the largest pockets that ever woman wore, even in the last century." For context, the pocket-bearer is an old lady speaking to a young woman of 19.
Also, I use a full on Jansport backpack have since I was a kid. (I'm gonna be 41 soon.) I take care of a lot of people therefore I have a lot of paperwork I need to keep track of, on hand, or nearby. It's like a mini traveling office. Also my youngest son (19) has a silver handbag that to be honest looks like it belongs matched with a prom dress but he likes the thing and uses it religiously. Whatever works for you is what you ought to use. Oh for me specifically I have a little flat insert that fits basically my Id, bank card, and insurance card in my back pocket. It's all I need. And my front jean pockets seem to work well for the most part for my cell and keys. But again, that's just me. May not work for others. I think it's interesting how things progress through time.
Until about 15 years ago, my father carried a handbag everywhere at all times. It was a rectangular thing, but at some point, my mother even had a similar model. So I grew up thinking it was totally normal, and it must have been somewhere as he's no eccentric... I think the main reason he stopped is that he also stopped wearing fitted clothing, and now wears a jacket with large pockets everywhere (even when it's hot) so he can fit what little he needs. Everyone talks about men's pants pockets, but what about jackets? I've bought a 2nd hand tweed jacket (that still had chalk inside the inner pocket lol) and you can put SO MUCH in these pockets. Also he goes out wayyy less now that he's retired anyway.
So interesting! I’ve had a thing against handbags for a while, bc I felt like they were forced on me, but this has shifted my view a little. (I wish you had included fanny packs. 😆)
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Skirt: www.madewell.com/quilted-crinkle-cotton-midi-skirt-99106858936.html
Sweater (and all the antique bags that I filmed): Vintage from HelloVintage: instagram.com/hellovintagelovers/?hl=en
Réticule (wee net) was the roman word for hair nets. The first réticules during the Directoire were indeed made of fine mesh netting. The "ridicule" (ridiculous) pun was just so obvious, or even inadvertent as not everyone was versed in latin, and modistes/milliners probably least of all.
only American men have a thing about carrying a bag. the rest of the world doesn't care and carry them. for a very long time.
I LOVE that sweater!!!
Interesting! So the rise of the travelling bag/handbag dates roughly to the time of the expansion of the railways and passenger harbour in my town; a period of rapid change in the movement of the wealthy and the moderately less so. The railway boom meant people were travelling further - away from home for longer - and so needed to be carrying more things.
I'm three weeks late with my comment, but I'd just like to add that the rise of re-usable shopping bags (in Australia) has been great for me, a male, who can now carry one of these useful bags without suffering the ridicule that comes from carrying a bumbag, handbag, or backpack. I also developed Type 1 (genetic) diabetes in 2006, which means that I have to carry my blood-sugar meter, insulin, and emergency sugar wherever I go. Hurray for the handbag! (err, shopping bag. Totally! xD )
I got sick of my husband co-opting my purse and got him a solid, distressed leather cross-body satchel. He warmed to the idea immediately. Next thing ya know, he was also borrowing my leather bucket bag. Like, hey there, Mister!!! Buy your own! When his macho friends took a swipe at him over it, he told them it was a whole lot more grown man than their school kid back packs. LOL!
Yeah, there is nothing wrong with a satchel or saddle bag. If we call it that the men will be more accepting.
@@cheryl-lynnmehring8606 Not necessarily! Most straight men think anything other than a camera case, briefcase or backpack would make them look gay. Men are weird.
I was just about to talk about how many of my friends continued to carry backpacks everywhere, well after school! It's fine for a man to carry a backpack, but then there is definitely an age thing at play.
Maybe carrying a backpack for long enough will convince them they need a purse badly enough to just carry one, lol!
Nothing wrong with a backpack. That wasn't cool or funny. No need to stoop low when others do. I prefer carrying a backpack because its more ergonomic and more practical. For me anyway. I keep a smaller bag inside for when I don't need to bring the whole thing into a store or something. A leather backpack can be gorgeous and functional... same with a canvas or denim one. Messenger bags/satchels are horrible for your skeletal structure. Handbags easily get left behind and also only sit on a single shoulder or must be carried in a hand that may be needed for something else.
Don't mock adults who use backpacks. It's not cool and its ridiculously ableist and gross.
Backpacks aren't limited to specific ages, however specific styles of backpacks can be limited to specific ages. For instance a colorful PJ Masks or teletubbies backpack is targetting kindergarteners, a leather backpack usually not for kids, and kånken style backpacks target everyone between 5-100+ (though they were originally designed for hiking adults and didn't have the fantastic explosion of colors they do these days). Backpacks are about ergonomics, especially the ones that also have straps that connect in the front. My back gets pretty messed up if I wear a cross body bag with any notable amount of weight, while I don't have any issues carrying 20 kg as a backpack all day long, or even 40kg all day long if it also connects in front as well.
It makes me feel a lot better about myself knowing that for centuries women have been accidentally getting lipstick all over the inside of their "handbags" and it's not just me with this big mess 😅
The way I laughed when I pulled the lining out of those bags and saw the brutal lipstick stains lol
@@AbbyCox Same! #relatable 🤣
Ahh, so that is why my grandma had a lipstick case...
There's nothing like melting a new chapstick in the dryer. That's one way a bag is better than a pocket.
Oohhh!!! I don’t know about you, but I always feel shame, anger and regret twice whenever this happens to me: once for wasting a beautiful lipstick and twice for ruining the handbag. Lol.
Just this past Christmas I gave my husband a black leather messenger bag. One of my latest hobbies is restoring vintage leather bags. He kept saying how jealous he was that women get to carry so many different kinds of bags while he was stuck with an ugly backpack. So I got the most butch looking bag I could find and fixed it up for him. He carries it to work everyday. He works in a metal fabrication factory. It's only been a few weeks since Christmas but more and more of his male coworkers are ditching their backpacks in favor of shoulder bags. Way to go, guys!
Well played, madam! Well played indeed!
I prefer the opposite A shoulder bag is unbalanced, putting too much pressure on one shoulder while also flapping on the opposite hip. A backpack, on the other hand, hangs on both shoulders for even distribution. With a chest strap it’s even better. It doesn’t flip around, can put quite a bit more, and as the kanken’s popularity ha shown, can be very stylish.
I love that!
I work in the costuming industry and everyone Carries a backpack.
You can carry a lot more.
Occassionally I'll see a woman with a purse in store but its rare.
@@adorabell4253 If you are carrying enough weight that a shoulder bag is uncomfortable then yes, the backpack is definitely better for you! Most people though are only carrying stuff that isn't heavy but it's cumbersome to carry in one's hands.
YES!!!! Your “man purse” discussion is EXACTLY how I have been explaining it for over a decade. I’ve carried a purse since the early 2000s and have always immediately corrected anyone calling it a “murse” or “man bag” -- it’s not a “lady purse” when women use it, why tf are we gendering a useful accessory!?
Feels like the reverse version of female nerd or girl gamer
My spouse used to ask me to put things in my bag when they didn't fit in his pockets. I finally got fed up with it and told him to get his own bag and - he did. Note that he wears cargo pants and I carry a small backpack (batpack - it has wings,) and all of his stuff STILL doesn't fit in his pockets! A bag is a bag is a bag. It's a useful item and if you make your life harder because you're too insecure to carry a bag, that's your problem.
In all of the dresses and skirts I make, I insert pockets large enough for my entire forearm.
I love that you have a batpack! That makes my quickly little heart sing in whimsy!
wow, just how much stuff has he got?
I wear cargo pants from the mens collections so I can fit half of a woodworking shop into my pockets . . . a calculator, something to eat, smartphone keys, . . . .
Agreed! And all humans just need to stop mocking each other for their bag choices. It's sexist and its ableist in many cases too. Often ageist as well. I'm 36 and got called a little girl who needed to grow up because I carried a backpack that day (which is becoming a more common choice for me when venturing alone without a spouse to carry my tote when I'm too unstable and need both hands available or having to do stairs). I was called this by other women around my age or younger. It was SO OFFENSIVE. And I will never mock anyone for carrying a bag and handling their own crap rather than making someone else do it. (My spouse frequently volunteers to carry for me knowing it eases my physical burden and pain.)
The amount of backpack hate in the comments is pissing me off actually. I just applaud those people for carrying their own stuff. I also live near 14 universities. Backpacks are just practical for commuting and for educators and students and professionals alike. And way better for your skeleton than a shoulder bag when you're carrying a laptop or anything over a couple pounds.
@@Chaotic_Pixie i'm so sorry people have been such jerks to you. I've worn various backpacks of vastly different types (many of which would never be mistaken for kids' backpacks) all of my life and thankfully that's pretty normal where I live. Even if an adult would choose to wear a kids cartoon backpack that's still no reason for people to stop minding their own business. Being that rude is making their character flaw everyone else's problem.
@@Call-me-Al that’s what’s so. It was a normal colored, basic Jansport backpack. Just happened to be what I had available. Thing is… if it had been a mini loungefly covered in Disney, I doubt anyone would have said boo.
People are weird.
The types of handbag-like bags that men “could” carry as I was growing up: messenger bags, punky gas mask bags, brief cases, laptop bags, small gym bags and camera bags. Most of these are crossbody bags in specific materials and shapes to differentiate them from purses.
Not the GAS MASK BAGS you sent me back to the Stone Age
yep, what determines a 'masculine' shape is *very specific* compared to the leather bag abby brought out in the video
the straps have to be thicker, hardware bigger, the shape bulkier, the compartments more pronounced. a general 'bulk' and sport or business feel to 'pass' as a Man's item. it almost reminds me of man-spreading, except the design differencs are both comfortable and utilitarian
im nonbinary, and i found my bookbag so useful during highschool i just never stopped bringing a bag everywhere. ive always needed a few more things besides just a wallet, phone and keys.
You are just the best!😊
Yes, was going to say the same about messenger bags, which at least in the greater New York/Tri-State area in the late 80s on were acceptable for men to carry (perhaps because there was something inherently macho about bike messengers hurling themselves into NYC traffic...). But they had to be huge, as if you were actually delivering paperwork or architectural plans: the smaller ones that started to be produced once messenger bags got popular still seemed to be avoided by men, if memory serves...
I never really hear about the death of the briefcase, but my dad always carried one to work and I very rarely see anyone with one now, only a couple of the oldest men in my workplace still use briefcases.
"...articles ... I use that term very loosely" Ooo, the shade! I always appreciate the the depth of time and research you put in across multiples sources to create an accurate fashion history video like this. It makes your 24 minute video worth more than the entire Glamour of history fashion series back catalogue put together!
Your content is so good.
I never saw Glamour as a reliable source of history.
Very interesting video. I live in Norway and in Scandinavia the backpack is the thing everyone uses, going back a long time. It's acceptable in every setting. Work in a bank: backpack. Work in a kindergarten: backpack. Being active and going outdoors: backpack. Men and women alike. The backpack: have your hands free to eat all the snacks😄
For more dressy office type places what are backpacks made of?
@@HosCreates every kind, some use regular fabric/ active type backpacks, some use more high end fabric backpacks, we sell some that cost 100$ and more, leather is also used, but it's more for those that want a more clean aesthetic or a more "sophisticate" look. The thing that matters most it that it fits what you need. Laptop, schoolbooks, notebooks, binders, lunch, hat/mitts/gloves/umbrella... a smaller bag... we also accept runners/snickers/rubber boots for most, it all depends on the whether.
I see backpacks everywhere on everyone.
@@HosCreates Leather, or many people just don't worry about being fashionable. The work place is far more casual, even bank workers and salespeople don't wear formal dress. Moreman missionaries stick out and are easy to avoid.
@@shinnam Oh, those poor LDS missionaries! I don't mind talking to them. They're really nice people!
I saw someone talk about purses as having extra inventory slots and I can't stop thinking about them like that. A purse is for going on adventures
😍 INVENTORY SLOTS!!! 😍 That's genius! lol
Seriously, though, my purse is essential for going out for any significant amount of time. I carry a cross-body one which is just large enough to fit a small comb, my kindle, my airpods, a small snack, extra hairbands, etc etc. It would SUCK to not be able to use that due to social conventions.
The men in my wedding party all wore kilts and sporrans. They sure where excited that they could fit all kinds of stuff in that little bag.😂
thats so cute!! im sure they all looked and felt great 😎😎
Sporans are fantastic !
I have been wearing a kilt with a sporran fairly regularly for over a decade now and I find myself wishing I had the bag whenever I'm wearing jeans. There's just something so convenient about the way a sporran hangs that makes it quick and easy to access when you need it and it hangs well out of the way and is secure when you don't need it. There's never a need to put it down like a shoulder bag and it's never in the way like a waist pack is. It's great to get the keys and phone out of your pockets and still have room enough for loads of stuff. We definitely need to normalize the use of bags for everyone.
Wear your sporan with the jeans! Doo it 😈
My Scot-descendant heart is all warm and fuzzy!
NOTHING Sexier than a man in a kilt !
Shoulder bags don't need to be put down either, I can literally sort of, do a sick hip-check dance move and the bag spins around to right where I need it and I can unzip it without taking it off. That's why they're handy (and they leave your hands free!)
Sporran with jeans sounds like a great fashion choice to me !
My favorite item of my dad's (he passed in 2020 in his 70s) is his leather crossbody bag that he bought in 2018 in the women's section of a store when we were on a cruise. He also wore women's sunglasses. The man had his own thing going on. Loved that for him.
That reminds me of that Frazier episode when his dad chose a woman's frame for his new glasses.
There's a TH-camr I follow out of curiosity for male fashion, DevanOnDeck, and he is a huge defender of shamelessly going to the women's section to get that cool overcoat that caught your eyes, he got some of his best pieces like that. Meanwhile, I got yelled at by my maternal grandma when she saw me get at the male section of Uniqlo to get some flannel shirts, but they have more choices in designs and colour palettes and the larger cut was something I wanted anyway lol
As a resident of a large Mid-Atlantic city, everyone is carrying something as they walk around going about their business. Lots of folk carry backpacks, reusable shopping bags, messenger bags, purses, or hipbags. People gotta carry stuff. Period.
Same. But the further you go into the suburbs... the more judgement. Usually of the ageist or ableist variety. Like, somehow backpacks are only for students and only up to a certain age. It's really icky.
Abby teaching us dress history while talking into a milk frother is the energy I want for 2023. 💯
And it was a stirring spoon in the pockets video before this!
For most of the 20th century, men carried bags but just stopped calling them purses or pocket books. They were “brief cases,” “book bags,” or “back packs.”. I’ve used gender-nuetral back backs as my everyday handbag sometimes.
Would absolutely love to see a followup video on the history of backpacks! Especially since somehow because it's on your back and not your side it's been more acceptable for folks of all genders to wear and use even while the purse was femme-coded.
Back in the 1960's and 1970's, students did not carry their books and supplies in backpacks. Pens, pencils, erasers and notebook paper was kept in the binder. Books stacked on top of the binder and carried together. Combine that with a musical instrument and a 3-D class project, then ride the bus standing up...in a short skirt no less. THAT took real balance!!! Backpacks were only for hiking. They didn't catch on for school until much later.
@@loisruthstrom8143 I think backpacks caught on in the 1980s, when everyone was carrying a JanSport backpack.
But speaking of binders, I can't believe some schools today have banned Trapper Keepers. That was another staple of the 1980s.
Possibly more acceptable, but also much more rude, especially when people keep the backpack on in crowded places like buses. Charming when they turn around and whack you with the backpack, and because it’s behind them they’re oblivious and would NEVER think of apologizing. In my experience it’s mainly men who “accidentally” whack mostly women with their backpacks, coincidence? Hmmm 🤔
My Grandmother always called it a 'pocketbook' b/c when she was a small girl, they were made to carry a book. Then they carried a little purse, maybe like the ones you were showing. She was born in 1900, married at 13 and had her first child at 15, another at 16 and then my Mother when she was 22. She delivered all three by herself at home. Pretty amazing!
About 2003, one of my male, 8th grade classmates got around the rule banning book bags (backpacks, messenger bags, ect all had to stay in lockers) but allowing purses in class by saying his messenger bag was a purse. No one else followed his lead so the teachers never made too much fuss about it.
My great-grandmother was a flapper in the 1920’s (I’ve seen a photo even) and I have her gold glow mesh purse/handbag, in mint condition, in the original box it came in from that time. I love it.
Abby [uses a milk frother as a microphone holder while wearing gold eye patches] explains in great detail why historical research on material culture of objects that get used and worn out easily is hard. My exact mid-30s vibe.
Is that what it was?
My husband (gen x) started carrying his own bag a few months back totally on his own. He was sick of trying to juggle all the stuff he needed going out and things kept falling out of his pockets. It’s just a small crossbody, black, utilitarian, but he does sometimes use the ‘purse’ word when talking about it. I say ‘bag’ for his and mine regardless of shape.
Tote is my word of preference. Seems to encompass all sizes and utilitarian purposes. My wallet/purse has always gone inside a larger tote/backpack. Always. Life is too short to be stuck in a line without a book/knitting project or to be caught in the rain without an umbrella.
Loved it! Would’ve loved for you to touch on briefcases and messenger bags while discussing the “man bag” section and how that differs from purses and why society has deemed those more acceptable for men to carry.
I know my dad had a briefcase with him going to work and church for the first 15 years of my life, so touching on those types of hand bags as well would be informative. Thanks!
Honestly as a man I felt this a lot, I've always wanted to carry around a handbag, hell as a kid I'd mentally label it an "adventurer's satchel" and it would be the coolest thing ever, but of course even now when I recently got a small leather bag to carry things when out, wasn't in the typical shape of a purse or anything, and my mostly progressive friends couldn't help but make the jokes right away though it didn't happen again after
but the social pressure to just not is damn immense.
I do still carry it out on any extended trip!
75 year old man in my office bought a cross body for the exact reasons you mention, he had to carry hand sanitiser and masks with him. He wondered why he didn't have one ages ago
Gen x-er here. My first job in the late 80s/early 90s was for a company owned and largely staffed by Greek Cypriots; and all the older men carried handbags without embarrassment. The younger ones not so much, though.
And I loved your callout of toxic masculinity. People so often seem to think it's calling all men toxic, when it's just pointing out that a lot of society's ideas of what a man should be is hurting everyone.
Large pockets and purses for everyone! Also, I like how many times it was mentioned to put stuff in the large pocket in the back seam.
(52 bags in 47 graves -- the purse-girl existed even then.)
Hubs and I both have carried backpacks for years. He's a graphic designer, so no ugly pack for him. I've tried to do prettier back packs but they just don't hold up as well. I love that the back pack is more accepted today and there are many "adult" options that don't look like I'm in high school. Especially taking public transit, holding your lunch bag, or like me, live where plastic bags are banned and you randomly need to run to the store, a larger bag is a must.
The real trick is finding a backpack that has more than one or two huge open pouches (see school bags), that doesn't look like its made for hiking, and is affordable. Usually backpacks that meet all those criteria are also small, which just doesn't cut it.
Needing a chest/waist strap on top of that basically limits me to the less flattering sports options.
I rarely carry a purse, unless I'm dressed up, which I rarely am. However, I am a crafter, and often carry my own type of "work bag" - namely, my tote full crochet projeccts and supplies. One day, I took it with me to a friend's house for Thanksgiving, about 40 minutes away from my home. My boyfriend normally would have come with me, but was unable to do so that year. Instead, my friends promised to send me home with a container full of home made ice cream for my boyfriend. Well, I stayed well into the night, and then had my drive home ahead of me. In order to make my load more compact, I stuck the ice cream in my craft tote. I then went inside, dropped everything off in the kitchen and crawled into bed.
Later the next day, my boyfriend told me that he checked the freezer, but couldn't find the ice cream. My eyes bugged out in horror and charged into the kitchen looking for my craft bag. Thankly, my project at the time wasn't fancy, but there's was chocolate milk ALL. OVER. IT.
Moral of the story: some things just don't belong in your reticule... 😅😅 (Though, I law some of the blame on my ADHD. 😂)
Yes! The description of the workbag reminded me instantly of project bags - of which I have several!
That same disaster happened to my mom, but with a fish. I don't know why my mom put the fish my sister caught into her purse. It was in a plastic bag, but she forgot about it until too late.🐟🦨
Oh, no!! 😲
"Stop trying to make indispensables a thing" is the quote of the day omg
Only loosely related but I recently rediscovered backpacks and I don't think I'll ever go back. Unlike the US where I think backpacks are the go-to for school kids up until college, where I live the trend was for girls to carry a large handbag, and it was the least practical thing in the world. Recently I started cycling to my university campus so I had to buy a backpack and I love it ! Being able to carry my stuff while also being hands-free and not having to readjust my bag on my shoulder all the time is a godsend. Long live the backpack. For outings where I don't need as much stuff I opt for a cross-body.
Dug a leather sling bag out of the trash, it is great for cycling.
I’ve got no problem with a backpack if someone has a legit reason to use one, like commuting by bike. I have a problem with men wearing their backpacks on crowded buses and constantly whacking me in the face because they can’t be bothered to learn what considerate means, let alone how to spell it 😡😡
I love when Abby's co-stars show up early in these videos ALL the puppy cuteness with our fashion history.
“Non-shit” seems to be a very appropriate sentiment in many scenarios. ❤️😂
LOL…throughout his career my husband carried a briefcase…which totally functioned as his ‘purse’. Yes, it was a hard sided little suitcase…and yeah, all his junk was in that trunk. My son and nephew ( now in their 40’s) prefer either a small cross body bag or backpack. The teardrop shaped ones are the latest pref for them…🤣 Me? I had a utterly perfect little leather backpack that was stolen - I’m still trying to find the perfect replacement for it. Thanks for this awesome video…❤
Really sorry someone stole your favorite bag.😭
I use a briefcase daily and yes it is pretty much a purse in purpose. It fits all my work stuff from the laptop, notepads, pens etc, but you are also going to find a multitool and screwdriver set, my headphones, my glasses case and a whole host of other items and accessories all in a nice leather package. Sometimes you just need to carry stuff. Man bags for life.
I just love these "college class" videos that you do! They remind me of being in college when I was doing gender studies towards a history degree. You're one of my favorite TH-cam professors.
I always joke that I'm a terrible 'woman' because I use a mini backpack instead of a purse. I need POCKETS in my purse to organize ALL THE THINGS, and most purses seem like glorified black holes.
It was very reassuring to see so many lipstick-stained makeup bags from hundreds of years ago. It made me feel like less of a hot mess. :D
Zippered pouches in different colors and textures help me find what I’m looking for in my backpack even when I’m not able to use my eyes. Also pretty handy for switching bags.
There are purse organizers you can find on amazon that you can put in your purse for more organization for when a mini backpack wouldn't fit the occasion.
There's a reason I'm picky about purses having good sections and other organization details. I've pretty much fixated on one brand that has nice card slots, built-in coin purses, zippered pockets, etc.
Come to Sweden, everyone carries backpacks. Flooffy hand bags are carried by duck lipped high maintenance people of all genders.
Rock your backpack. It's more convenient and more ergonomic. Don't let others judge you or try to convince you otherwise. I'm currently on the hunt for the perfect size backpack to have as my go-to for independent exploring. (I have chronic pain and mobility problems, so often don't get out on my own much anymore.) I need to be able to use my cane AND the hand rail on stairs without a swinging back throwing off my balance. Alas, cute backpacks rarely have outboard pockets for an umbrella and waterbottle. Such a shame.
I always think that pockets are for things you need immediately at hand (your phone, ear buds, maybe a credit card/cash), and a purse is for everything else. But as someone who carries a 30 ounce metal water bottle pretty much everywhere I go, I prefer back packs. I can shove small purchases in there, and it's not all weighted on one shoulder.
I'm a haversack style purse or backpack person generally but I do appreciate a good pocket. I've been opening the bottoms of my jeans pockets recently to sew on extensions. It's so nice to have a pocket that will carry essentials!
Me too! I can't stand how I can't fit my phone. Then what's the point of the pocket?
…why has that never occurred to anyone as an option? Short pocket, make it deeper!
I have a lot of chronic pain and other health problems, and I literally need a bag to carry just all my meds and remedies let alone wallet keys phone etc. It's just super handy. Thanks for all your research on the topic, little things like this in history are just incredibly interesting to me. I could listen to stuff like this all day tbh! 👛 👜
The research put into this video is impressive. I finally made my own bag a few years ago even though I'm a beginning sewer. It's been so handy.
My mom has a little case that she puts her lipstick in that she keeps in her purse, and I've never seen another one like it and I have so much admiration for such a thoughtful invention!
Really? There is always a basketful of those little lipstick cases in the bag/purse section I remember. Usually a little mirror in there too.
I'd put a tampon in that holder too so I could go purseless but it wouldn't be a conversation piece if my tampon stuck out of my too-short women's pockets. It just looked like lipstick.
I always felt the final barrier (in late 20th century+) to make THE BAG something we can all carry regardless of what pronouns we use was the appearance of tech (iPads, laptops, chargers, adapters, batteries and phones that went from flip-type to almost iPad size). Abby is correct, with masks, disinfectant and of course delicious snacks (you are not getting a box of Pocky or mochi into most pockets) the bag is here to stay. One issue which hopefully I have solved is the (overloaded) crossbody bag which makes one incorrectly walk. I have a crossbody w/special straps which can also double as a backpack.
I have giant pockets in most of my clothes now, but yeah, when I try to declutter my purse down to the essentials I'm still carrying: my keys, my inhaler, a phone charge (and spare battery), a lip balm, a comb, my wallet, hand sanitizer, a spare mask, and some tissues. And a snack! And probably something I'm forgetting. But all of those things are items that I'll really miss when I'm out in the world and don't have them. Good luck fitting all of that into my pockets, no matter how big. :)
Loved this! Great job on the research and the details.
I feel my husband is moving into the middle area of wanting more bags and doesn't fully realize it yet. He very much enjoys thinking about the use/practicality of his recent travel duffle and gym bags that I have bought him. Because there is nothing wrong with men liking their bags and enjoying to use them!
I mean as a disabled person I need to have a million things with me to survive a day out. The handbag is a must!
I was just thinking this! I need an inhaler, epinephrine injectors, rescue meds for migraines, nausea, etc. plus a full day's worth of meds just in case I get stuck somewhere overnight. What else...wrist braces, electrolyte powders, ergonomic pen, lip balm, cooling cloth, hair ties and pins, fold up Chico bags, & my water bottle clips on.
I also have mobility issues and use a forearm crutch so use a crossbody bag that can also be used as a hip bag (aka fanny pack) when it starts irritating my neck.
@@flatflo yes I feel ya, I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user that is slowly but surely getting paralyzed (my back is collapsing right above my pelvis). I'm asthmatic as well so I need inhalers and I'm also immunosupressed so hand sanitizer is always with me. If I stay somewhere overnight I bring a backpack because I can't fit everything in my fanny pack. It's ridiculous how much you need as a disabled person and the amount is always increasing. Sigh.
Re 18:19 I think the importance of handbags pops up in complaints from handbag carriers in couples! The one who carrys the handbag often finds their partner using it for storage, yet wont bring their own.
At that point, I just make him carry it! Early in our marriage it was a hard idea for him to adopt, but 13 years in he just shrugs and accepts that if he puts stuff in, he carries it!
one of the nice things about being gay and having a taller wife with broad shoulders (to my tiny spindly weak shoulders) is not only does she carry her own things, but if we're doing a lot of heavy shopping she'll often carry it too. I feel extremely lucky!
There was a point when my son got old enough that I refused to carry his stuff. I told him, "If you want it, you carry it." My husband always had a backpack when he knew he was going to need stuff.
@@katherinegood7509 That is awesome. 😊
I'm 38, I've heard endless jokes about the man purse. My 19 year old son has carried a "satchel" to college for the last year and from day 1 he has given ZERO shit$ what ANYONE thinks or says! I adore it and am so proud of his confidence in self and lack of being influenced in the least by others opinions of his choices! He too carries snacks, tech, laptop, wallet, ear buds, etc. He loves it and feels prepared! He's also type 1 diabetic and needs his meds on hands at all times.
Entertaining as well as informative! When I was a child my mother had a minaudiere - a tiny little jewel case of a purse that had specific places for a compact, lipstick, and perfume. I loved playing with this beautiful (child-sized) bag and wish it hadn't disappeared in one of mom's many closet purges. Now I'll have to go and hunt one down for myself!
THANK YOU for your tangent at the end about man bags! I'm a manager at a high end luxury reseller and I'm a man and I still get shocked looks when I walk in to my store and I have my Louis Vuitton crossbody Amazone slingbag. It's a beautiful bag! Perfect size for my keys, phone, and wallet and frees my pockets up for other items! And when I went to Disney it made getting on and off rides so quick and painless instead of having to search my pockets to ensure nothing slipped out while I was riding! Handbags should be for everyone!
You did miss one dimension of this-If you are using public transportation, you have to carry everything with you securely.
Edit: just thinking this might be part of the "Boston Bag" as Boston (as well as New York) was an early streetcar/subway adopter
(Still is very public transit dependent-Current mayor of Boston started with a major campaign on public transit and her campaign email is Wutrain as in Michelle Wu and train.)
Yes! My thought as well.
I was thinking the "Boston bag" looked very much like a doctor's bag. Was hoping Abby was going to follow that part up.....
This is why you can get backpacks and handbags that are made from more secure and durable material and security design that cant just be outright zipped by some stranger. Needs more effort, which usually discourages most pickpocketers and all of them by the time you notice someone is trying to open your bags.
@@Bionickpunk s-carbiners are also really awesome for making it more awkward for people to steal stuff from your backpack.
Yeah, as a Bostonian, you really don't want to drive on our streets. The T is much safer. You might get pickpocketed (maybe. Unlikely.) But you won't get t-boned trying to drive across an unmarked seven-way intersection.
Growing up in Australia with an American dad and an Australian mother, AND with siblings born both here and in the US the term “pocket book” in my mind was a distinctly American term.
It was something that I heard used only on American TV shows, or by my older sister.
🙂🐿🌈❤️
Lol, in German we have the Term "Taschenbuch" for a paperback.
Taschenbuch translates to.... pocket book.
Pocketbook, to me, was just the old term for purse, used by my grandmother and great grandmother. Great grandma also called a slip a pettycoat, a girdle a corset. I still have the metal curlers she used, too.
I grew up and still live in Scotland and a purse only ever referred to a small item for carrying coins, banknotes and cards. We never called a handbag a purse. My mum carried a purse, in her handbag. My dad called his a wallet in his briefcase or more often in his pocket, BUT the difference was that Dad’s wallet only held notes and cards - all the coins were loose in his pocket. (If we needed change, check the bottoms of Dad’s wardrobe after shaking his trousers!). My father in law actually did carry a (coin)purse, as well as a folding wallet for notes.
My teenage sons now carry bags of various types - one prefers a backpack, the other cross-body. But they are never “man-bags”, they are just called bags. And I have never heard anyone in the UK call anything a pocketbook. That would make me think of a small diary or a notebook to be honest.
Im American and pocketbook is very old fashioned. Like when I hear someone use that I picture a Southern Gentlemen (GoneWithTheWind style) pulling out his pocketbook, wetting his fingers, and slowly counting his folding money to pay the horse driver for the carriage ride... Ok maybe thats an exaggeration but seriously havent heard anyone call a large wallet a 'pocket book' since my Great Grandparents were alive.
:] this video came at the perfect time. I've not had a handbag for quite a few years, being stuck with either a screen printed tote or backpack.
Last week I was in a thrift shop in Tokyo and found this perfect little pale pink handbag. It's brought me so much joy already- just big enough to hold what I need without being so big that I feel tempted to overfill it. I love how I feel when I hold it across my body.
P.S my man has a black handbag (although I don't think he'd call it that). It's bigger than mine and very helpful. He always has a spare shopping bag in there!
I love that my young dude celebrates pockets to the point that he walked in one day, messenger bag confidently slung over his shoulder, and declared “Guess how many pockets I am wearing right now? I have nineteen pockets right now!” All in use
I ditched my purses years ago and I'm never going back. Little/mini backpacks all the way! I like the little cross body sporty style, or the mini two shoulder/strap leather style. If I have to dress fancy for evening, I use a tiny minimal wristlet/wrist wallet. My husband carries a backpack too, a laptop backpack with a protective sleeve. He had a briefcase years ago before laptops in the workplace were a thing.
Your info just SO validated my costume choices for a late 1700s 'madame' in a colonial port town that I feel absolutely brilliant! Thanks, Abby! My only time in drag and I had so much fun putting it together! I added tassels and small silver filigree buttons to turn a cheap little bag into a perfect archaic reticule! I so enjoy learning from you and your buddies!
I was aiming for late 1790s. I knew I had the costume down. I was really worried but the gods were with me because my hair and makeup turned out, too.
Fascinating and fun. Also, I loved the use of an electric whisk to hold your microphone. Finally, as a man I have carried a bag for decades. It's called a briefcase.
Messenger bags, briefcases, and backpacks of varying sizes have been carried by men for ages. They just didn't call them a purse. :) Thank you for a lovely trip through the history of the alternative pocket. :)
My husband and I both started using drop leg bags about a year ago and now he wears his every time he leaves the house. He finds them more accessible than a pocket and he can just leave everything he needs in the bag instead of moving things out of the pocket at the end of the night and potentially forgetting his wallet the next day.
I, on the other hand, have transitioned away from the bag entirely with rare exceptions and have a wallet case on my phone. I was forever leaving either my phone or my bag wherever I went, and since getting my wallet case I've not left it anywhere.
I think we now live in a time where there's a solution for everyone and many middle stages for those not wanting to carry an extra item around. When I had a bag I would constantly have more than I needed and it just filled with trash. I'm happier without. But I also don't wear makeup. :)
So! Here in Little Rock we have the Esse Purse Museum which claims to be the only museum solely devoted to purses. Their material mainly uses purses as a way to talk about the everyday lives of women over the past hundred years or so, but I think your point at the end about handbags transcending the binary definitely deserves to be addressed there. I’ll pass it on.
I’m loving your videos! Take care!
I hope that we continue to move closer to everything just becoming gender neutral. As an aside I would love it if I had a small compact that contained makeup to touch up on the go. RIP the times I have had a pressed powder explode in my purse.
It could be a great way for the beauty world to attempt to adopt more sustainable options as well, sell nice reusable cases for makeup and then instead of buying a whole compact each time you buy eyeshadows, pressed powders or something, you just get refills that slot into the case. Of course to keep it at all sustainable would require businesses to not take advantage of the opportunity to do limited edition releases of different cases which people would feel the need to collect so maybe not the best idea
this makes me think of a comeback I heard from a comedian: "everything is for everyone if you stop making a fuss about it."
I think that's right.
@EmmaO I saw a make up brand that has that precise idea, you buy a basic case with small sections and then buy the specific eye shadow colors you want. The shadows come in magnetic tins that fit the sections of the case. It is expensive, but I think that's the future
Inglot is a polish professional mua brand that does that system from the start. You can get everything in one palette to carry with You and usually even different brand shadows etc can be put inside the palettes. Inglot itself has everything from blush,powder, contour, concealer trough eyeshadows and liners to lip products in pans that perfectly fit their palette systems. It's not very expensive even in here and the products are really good quality. Valentino beauty has refillable items but it's the opposite of affordable ;)
@@margodphd My grandmother had a refillable compact from the 1950's. Many of the items that went into those lucite handbags were made pretty, because they were meant to be seen. Other items were wrapped in a spare hankie or covered with a spare pair of gloves and kept on the bottom. I still have her handbag, glasses case and several pairs of cotton gloves.
I use a backpack instead of a handbag/purse, mostly cause its easier with heavier things to put it on your back than to strain your arms constantly (shifting from left arm to right arm).
My mom does this. A lil backpack with all her stuff inside ..receipts a nail kit,wallet, keys tissues lips stuff medicine sanitizing wipes ...
@@HosCreates That and its a great place to store your warmer gear (cap, scarf, gloves) during warmer daylight periods (but get them out when its cold mornings and nights), as well as store a water bottle when you are on the go. If anyone rides a bike, backpacks are essential, even if you have a front or back bike baskets. I can do all my shopping this way without a car, even when I choose to walk to my stores. If you have small kids, backpacks are also great for storing the kids essentials when going out for a walk or at the playground (stroller storage is only good for a few things, and while the kids are young). Backpacks are definitely not just for school :D
Most people in northern Europe carry backpacks, need it to carry an extra layer if it gets cold. The only people that carry hand bags are high maintenance teenagers that are worried about being fashionable.
Can you do a video about the American Girl dolls original outfits compared to the rebrand/redesigned outfits. Your reactions would be interesting and entertaining.
Darling Dollz did this if you want to see someone react to that.
@@kenziehurlockThat was why I asked. I wanted her perspective because she's a historian
I had no idea there was such a hoopla about men wearing bags! It might be a European thing (if I'm not mistaken, they're also fairly common in some Asian countries as well), but I know that it was usual to see men, especially those working white collar jobs, carrying their personal effects in a sort of clutch. Which makes sense, as stuffing their pockets would ruin the look of their suits! While rarer nowadays, you can still spot them here and there being used by a more dapper gentleman.
What was also common, and continues to this day, were small cross-body satchels. They had their start being more casual than the business clutch, and they carried on being popular as a smaller, handier version of a messenger bag. Certainly nobody finds it odd to see a man sporting one of those. I also remember the times when going to the gym became a thing, and you'd see guys carrying their gear in shopper or tote purses.
Watching Joey's purse episode back then was really confusing...
A cousin-in-law was a buyer for a suburban Detroit Sears back in the 70s. He went in big for the man bag & it didn't go over well. Not that I noticed him carry one, either 🤷♀️ but he thought it would sell, and it didn't.
When I was a freshman in high school in the 71 /72 school year my English teacher and her husband went to Roam Italy during the summer break . She told us that every evening the people would walk up and down the sidewalk and that the men carried what was called a man clutch.
My dad always carries a bag and has done for as long as I can remember (50 years). It was especially useful when on holiday coz he kept our passports in it. It was considered a 'continental' idea when I was growing up.
omg, I just did my own deep dive into purses because I’ve been trying to dupe a Stella McCartney bag, and it turns out that purse construction is fascinating!! I have plans for a beaded purse in the works too, but that’s super intimidating to me as I’m very new to beading. It’s really cool to see the historical POV!
Your passion for your subject resonates. Thank you ❤️
What always made me mad about bags growing up was that guys could carry satchels and schoolbag type bags. Those were so much more *me* than any purse. And when laptop bags and backpacks became more common for guys to carry, I still couldn't carry those because, well, GIIIIRRRL I found tote bags, preferably ones with pockets, and began practicing filling it for the day I become a carpet bag lady. 😆
MOLLE bags. Many are quite roomy in themselves, then you attach pouches.
As an artist and a nonbinary trans guy, my bag is NECESSARY. Lol. I used to hate carrying "purses" because they were seen as feminine, but as an artist that needs to carry so much (including medical stuff because...chronic stuff) I have learned to love my bag. I have a super cool NASA military style messenger bag that I LOVE. It carries everything I need/want (including snacks lol). I'm planning on making a swiss medic style bag someday based on an artist I adore.
That 1950s metal purse? ADORABLE!
The frother 😂. Love your videos. I always learn something.
17:45 Those tiny purses with the short handles in 2003- I called them armpit purses, and carried on with my crossbody bag, a style I'd worn since 1986, and continue to do today.
I love pockets, but I also love my purse. It does mean that I won't accidentally leave a pen or sharpie in my pocket the way my husband tends to do, which ruins our clothes when it goes through the washer and dryer.
I do add huge pockets to any dress or skirt I make for myself, though.
I need to make myself a quilted skirt like what you have. That looks so warm and comfy. 😊
Men need handbags! They are just too useful.
I enjoyed the video. No mention of the briefcase. I always thought that a briefcase was an acceptable substitute for white-collar men. Many only carried lunch. Blue-collar workers have their lunch boxes. The fear of small shoulder handbags for men is somewhat unique in the US.
I just wanted to take the time to say that I love your videos and have been watching for a while now. They're so informative and entertaining to watch, and I love the subject of historical fashion and how fashion has changed over the years. Keep up the amazing work and I hope you're doing well!
Love this! Thank you, Abby!
Also, I feel like the briefcase became a sort of alternative to handbags for men for several decades there. I love a good briefcase, but I'm glad that people of all genders now are starting to feel more comfortable carrying whatever size and style bag that works for them!
Your quilted skirt is gorgeous!
I can listen to Abby complain about how hard it is to research things for hours 😭💕💕
I also wanted to say that Japanese men totally rock tote bags and other types of purses. It doesn't seem to be an issue for them like... Making girls carry your stuff?why 😂
...I love the random things you use to hold your mic! Cracks me up every video, please keep it up! :)
Back in the 70s, my Mom made my Dad wear a man purse! He hated it! He finally had enough and threw it in the bin! He was in the construction industry too! I can only imagine what that man went through!
lol the very first reference i found to "man bag" or "man purse" was in 1976 - so this story tracks with that timeline lol
@@AbbyCox Yep, 1976...and we were living in the Los Angeles area then! ...I'm old...
@@AbbyCox yes 1976 my bosses used them too because they worked in the garment industry and a wallet in the pocket spoiled the line of their expensive suits. and no they weren't gay.
On the thumbnail in my recommendations all I could read was "History of the hand---," with the last word blurred out by the video duration time.
"Bag", was not where my mind went when readying that.
My husband carries a purse, it's fairly non-descript cross-body leather bag that he got in the women's section. He has way too much he has to carry between personal items and the things he needs for work. It's really not a big deal.
Thank you for the history lesson. I love these vids.
As a wheely my bags are designated as panniers. Handbag on one side has all my "stuff" and is big enough to hold my tablet computer, note book, purse, tissues etc. The other side is my yarn project bag. Its specifically designed for knitters and crocheters on the go. drapes over the arm leaving hands free for their project. perfect size to drape over the arm rest of my chair and not get in the way of my wheels. My phone and other important stuff are in the generous sized inside pockets of my denim jacket. Which actually came with them I didn't have to add.
Think I'm going to pattern and make a yarn project bag to hold my stuff instead of my handbags as its a good size and clears the wheels and somehow put decent sized inside pockets in all my jackets for the important stuff.
I am really enjoying these history of… videos you are doing, I hope it turns into a series. Your humour is so good and I loved the bloopers at the end. 😊😂
I love your videos! I always learn cool fashion history and find sewing inspiration. Thank you for always making sure to churn out quality content with your personal twist. I know it's a lot of work, and I really appreciate you and your support team.
Im a backpack and bumbag fan. Keeps your hands free😊...is very gender nutral/gender friendly. And i can cary my big shopping bag😁. This was a fun one to watch😊...and yes your quilted purple skirt is realy nice and looks realy cozy 💖
This was an amazing video essay as usual! Your last comment that, “purses are obviously here to stay,” made me think about pieces of fashion that are on decline or generally considered outdated now, like…I don’t know, slips, pantyhose, stuff like that. Like your essay on hats I suppose-I just love your cultural and practical analysis of the rise and fall of things, and I think it’s interesting to apply those same ideas of switching out the old-fashioned pockets for réticules to our society.
That was incredibly rambling and I have no idea if that makes any sense, but I’m gonna post it anyway because, hey, engagement 😂😅
Fitting in with your observations in the pocket video, the rise in use of reticules in 1790s, I'm sure was related to the increased use of muslin fabrics, which was very fine and almost see through. There was also more of a neoclassical look, which was much less structured than the fashions either before or after. So you see the pocket become less common before it returns in the Victorian Era as more sturdy fabrics and structured silhouettes made adding pockets easy again.
Your fur babies are priceless. They always bring a smile.
I had to pause at 0:00:56, that you called "bags with metal frames" - were men-only (we found them only in man graves). Women wore different kind of purses (different shape). And of course those leather bags in next frame are not completely historic (some parts of them, including leather "checkers", are). My words based on funeral archeology, of course, it is possible that women just didn't get them in graves.
ok but every time Abby mentions pockets I get Hazariel's Poche song in my head
As a person who happens to live in a city in a third world country I have to be honest I felt a lot of envy watching you carry so much stuff in your bag at the beginning.😅
I use a big empty bag just in case someone tries to steal me when I'm on the street and only carry keys and money in my pocket 😥
Yep, we cannot have nice things because is like putting a big target on ourselves. I also carry the most important things in my pockets and use a discreet backpack to avoid attracting unwanted attention
I have a new bag arriving tomorrow. Perfect timing for transferring my stuff (yet again).
As much as I envy men’s pockets, I do often wonder, is that really enough space for everything? When I go out I have a phone, wallet, keys, headphones for playing music on my phone, a handheld electric fan if it’s summertime (NY subway heat is brutal), and lactaid pills so I can eat cheese on the go. And that doesn’t even include a paperback or proper ereader, though my phone functions as one.
Your take on the reticule as more or less a generational/youth change made me think of this great description of pockets in a scene from Maria Edgeworth's novel Belinda (1801/1810s):
"- That you shall now immediately, said Mrs Delacour, rummaging ans rustling for a considerable time amongst a heap of letters, which she has pulles out of the largest pockets that ever woman wore, even in the last century."
For context, the pocket-bearer is an old lady speaking to a young woman of 19.
Just a squirrel moment but is she using a milk frother to hold her microphone!? 😂 I love Abby. 😊
Also, I use a full on Jansport backpack have since I was a kid. (I'm gonna be 41 soon.) I take care of a lot of people therefore I have a lot of paperwork I need to keep track of, on hand, or nearby. It's like a mini traveling office. Also my youngest son (19) has a silver handbag that to be honest looks like it belongs matched with a prom dress but he likes the thing and uses it religiously. Whatever works for you is what you ought to use. Oh for me specifically I have a little flat insert that fits basically my Id, bank card, and insurance card in my back pocket. It's all I need. And my front jean pockets seem to work well for the most part for my cell and keys. But again, that's just me. May not work for others. I think it's interesting how things progress through time.
Yes she is!
Until about 15 years ago, my father carried a handbag everywhere at all times. It was a rectangular thing, but at some point, my mother even had a similar model. So I grew up thinking it was totally normal, and it must have been somewhere as he's no eccentric...
I think the main reason he stopped is that he also stopped wearing fitted clothing, and now wears a jacket with large pockets everywhere (even when it's hot) so he can fit what little he needs. Everyone talks about men's pants pockets, but what about jackets? I've bought a 2nd hand tweed jacket (that still had chalk inside the inner pocket lol) and you can put SO MUCH in these pockets.
Also he goes out wayyy less now that he's retired anyway.
So interesting! I’ve had a thing against handbags for a while, bc I felt like they were forced on me, but this has shifted my view a little. (I wish you had included fanny packs. 😆)