Customer Reviews

Handbags: The Power of the Purse

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A big celebration of those containers in which we store all manner of useful things we think we'll need away from home, & which we hang from our arms & shoulders. This book comes in a handy bag-sized packet offering photos of the spectacular, the artsy, the bon ton & the whimsical.

The names of the handbag makers read like a who's who of haute & not so haute couture - from a 5th century Scythian pouch to Priscilla Snyder's Dragon grip. From European almsbags to imperial beaded evening bags; from pocket books & long pockets from 17the century American women to tapestry French bags & Ottoman reticules from the early 1800s. From pirate chests of the 1930s to wicker bags of the 1950s. From the supercalifragelistic colors & patterns of the 1960s to the leather & tooling of Turkey. From a Hermes saddlebag to a Vuitton bucket shoulder bag of today, see what has inspired & who have crafted these essential accessories.

A fascinating, informative, colorful & well presented archive.

This little book is a must-have for anyone who loves fashion. The full-color photographs depict the history of the accessory many of us can't live without-- the handbag. You'll get to see purses dating as far back as the 16th century, as well as those made by famous designers like Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Plus, each page also contains interesting details about the styles, designers, and purposes of the handbag throughout time. You'll be surprised at how many beautiful, interesting, and unusual purses fit into such a little book, and wish they were all in your closet! This book also makes a great gift, as its price is relatively low. You should order this book right away-- a great addition to your coffee table!

This little book is loaded with beautiful pics of purses of all kinds. From the functional to the whimiscal(and there are some really off-the-wall ones included),you'll find it in here besides plenty of interesting facts about different bags and designers as well. I wish it had more "timelines", but, other than that,if you really appreciate the art of handbags(or know someone that does),this tome should be very appreciated..

This is a wonderful little book all about handbags....and it's small enough to slip into your bag! Full of gorgeous photos of all kinds of bags, from the funky, fun type to the serious office bag and from the beaded extravaganza to the functional tote. It also gives a brief history of bags as well as some background info on some of the top designers. Did you know for example that handbags were an item used only by men until the invention of pockets meant men no longer needed a bag? This is a book to delight any lover of handbags.

I highly recommend this cute little book. It's packed full of pictures and interesting information regarding the history of handbags. It's very inspirational if you're looking to going into the handbag business and want to read about some of the famous designers and their start in the business, and see all the different styles of handbags throughout the years.

Wao! I have collected purses and shoes since I was 13. This book is incredibly complete. The photographs are awesome and the descriptions incredibly accurate! I would buy to give as a very very good present to anyone that enjoys handbags, purses and shoes!

This is a great product because it shows you all the collection of purses that have been made. It has the expensive ones and the wierd ones and how they are made popular.

I somehow thought this would be a much larger book. It's quite small in size. Still it's lots of fun to see all the variety of handbags over time. It's a light hearted subject.

I just got this book for Christmas and I love it! It looks small, but it's chock full of info and beautifully photographed handbags. Anna Johnson really has a flair. I especially enjoyed the section on "How a Kelly Bag is Made." I highly recommend this for anyone who is into purses!

Handbags is a light-weight (as in no information on what makes a great handbag great) lots of very good photographs of iconic "classic" and "it" bags. Lovely biographical sketches of taste-making handbag designers and many historical bags and historical details (but not adequate if you are doing historical costumes). One brief sketch of how a very high-quality (Hermes) bag is constructed. All in all a lovely read, though, because of the pictures.