Customer Reviews

Handbags: A Lexicon of Style

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If you love handbags, can never have enough of them and you are constrained by lack of cash, you may want to consider getting this book instead as it is filled with lots of glossy pictures of the most delectable bags. I certainly enjoyed the book and finished reading it in a day! In it, Steele explores the humble beginnings of this most essential accessory and seeks to uncover the reason for our continuing fascination with it. It is this obsession that has led to the handbag gaining iconic status and becoming even an object of art. The range of bags featured include the humble tote, whimsical and exquisite evening bags, the most coveted of status, luxury bags and the latest must-have fashion bags. It is a pity though that Steele did not include a directory of the stores where the bags are available as readers would have found that to be most useful if they want to not only look at the bags but to own them. Nevertheless, the book is highly recommended for those of us who are always thinking of adding yet another bag to our collection.

This book is a must have for handbag connoisseurs and girlie-girls. Beginning with the super-chic, boldly colored hot pink cover featuring a Louis Vuitton Damier bag, the book is beautifully illustrated with examples of the full spectrum of 20th century handbags from vintage Hermes to Kate Spade canvas to exotic art pieces. The text is comprehensive and intelligent, highlighting the origins and evolution of the purse, yet it is entertaining as well and never too staid. The book has a sense of humor.

Readers will learn the history of Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Coach, and learn about memorable bags such as the Kelly bag named for Grace Kelly. It's a handbag lover's dream book.

If you love handbags, can never have enough of them and you are constrained by lack of cash, you may want to consider getting this book instead as it is filled with lots of glossy pictures of the most delectable bags. I certainly enjoyed the book and finished reading it in a day! In it, Steele explores the humble beginnings of this most essential accessory and seeks to uncover the reason for our continuing fascination with it. It is this obsession that has led to the handbag gaining iconic status and becoming even an object of art. The range of bags featured include the humble tote, whimsical and exquisite evening bags, the most coveted of status, luxury bags and the latest must-have fashion bags. It is a pity though that Steele did not include a directory of the stores where the bags are available as readers would have found that to be most useful if they want to not only look at the bags but to own them. Nevertheless, the book is highly recommended for those of us who are always thinking of adding yet another bag to our collection.