Archive for October, 2011

Victoria traveled extensively, more and more with each generation. Those Victoria who could afford to travel lived a lifestyle of comfort and glamour. They packed their items heavily and were usually away from home for longer periods of time. Sturdy luggage that could handle all of the many personal items Victorians brought along on their trips was needed to support the desire of Victorian people to “travel in style”, as they felt was befitting of their stature in the community.

Victoria were known for taking their comfort and enjoyment very seriously whenever they traveled, whether long or short-distance. Often accompanied by many, many pieces of luggage, even for weekend trips into the country, the number of pieces of heavy luggage and hand baggage would astound baggage carriers today. Farther trips meant even more luggage was needed to carry clothes, fancy gowns, and many personal items required for a superior Victorian vacation.
It was the custom of the day to travel by ship and by train. Just like women of today carry tote bags filled with personal items, reading materials and so forth on to airplanes, Victorian women did the same when traveling. Therefore, Victorian travel required two types of luggage; hand baggage and heavy luggage.

Heavy luggage was made up of chests, trunks and portmanteaux, or what we might today call small portable closets. Trunks date back to the Middle Ages, when leather covered wooden trunks made an appearance in the 17th century. Trunks were essential for Victorians touring Europe. No matter what the Victorian elite chose to bring on a trip, there was luggage designed to hold it.

Hand baggage, what we might think of as vintage carry-on luggage, included expensive and beautiful silver-topped toiletries, brushes, combs and, in the days before electricity, a candlestick to light up the tiny hand mirror so the lady could gaze upon her face. These handbags could be made from leather or a number of other suitable fabrics.

Another popular piece of luggage was the French carpet bag, made with soft outer fabric sewn over a metal frame. Carpet bags were light and roomy, so they were popular among Victorian ladies and it was common to see Victorian ladies strolling with their carpet bags.

The materials used in making Victorian luggage were considered rare even then. Crocodile, Moroccan leather and various fabrics and laces make these items extremely collectable in today’s antique market.

Ladies’ handbags during the Victorian era were often small yet colorful. The bags matched the latest fashionable dresses. Colorful beaded purses became popular in that era along with purses made of silk and velvet. Tassels, fringes, lace, semi-precious stones, shells and silver enhanced the small purses. There were generally called reticules, and people carried perfume, make up, handkerchief and fans in them.

Lay the purse fabric on a table with the right side, or side that will show, face up. Lay lining fabric over top with the right side facing down. Right sides of both fabrics should be inside and facing each other.Pin the fabrics together all around the edges. Sew around the edges about ¼ inch from the edge leaving a 1 inch opening in the last long side about 1 inch from the corner.

Snip off the sharp corners with scissors, but do not snip into the stitching.Turn the fabric right side out through the opening and then sew that opening closed with needle and thread. Press it flat with an iron.Lay the strip on the table with the lining side up. Fold the bottom up about 6 ¾ inches to make the purse. The remaining top material will be folded down to make the top flap. Hand stitch the sides starting at each bottom leaving a small gap right at the bottom of the edge for the cording to go through. Stitch up to the bottom edge that was folded up.

Cut cording two times the measurement of the sides and then the length desired. Therefore, measure 13 ½ inches, which is the length of the sides 6 ¾ inches times two. Then measure more for the desired length. A shoulder bag would have a longer measurement than a wrist-length handle.Pull one end of the cording through the small slits at the bottom of the bag so it travels through the bottom inside edge and out the other hole. Pull so purse is centered in the cording.Hand stitch the cording up each side of the bag up to where the top flap will flip over to cover the opening.Flip over the top flap and sew on a tassel closure, frog, or button. Enhance the purse with lace, beads, fringe and a variety of other notions.

Despite the fact that Spring 2012 was kind of a down season for runway bags, there were still plenty of highlights that deserve to be noted. After all, in a season where Louis Vuitton gives you wall-to-wall exotics and Hermes reintroduces a long-shelved shoulder bag, things can’t really be that dreary, can they?

So here we have the ten best bags from the Spring 2012 show schedule, presented in alphabetical order. We picked only bags that appeared in major runway shows because those are the ones to which we have access at this point in the season. Once bag designers who didn’t have shows start sending out lookbooks, we’ll have lots more bags (and lists) to show you. Tell us which bags are your favorites in the comments, and let us know if we missed anything!

The identify Hermes on your own signifies luxury, type and elegance. Hermes bags are well-known for his or her awesome shape, bold color and exotic skins. Kelly and its sister Birkin are one of the most popular bags by Hermes, which possess a great deal of enthusiasts all around the world. However, Kelly has loved a lengthier glamorous existence than its sibling, when very first appeared prior to final century being a riding accessory.

At beginning, Hermes was making a riding outfit. In 1837 Thierry Hermes set up a harness workshop in Paris which generally purveyed to European noblemen. By means of the pursuing many years of 19th century their workshop experienced been one of the most adoration harness service provider of a quantity of royal households such as the czar of Russia. inside the finish of 19th century Hermes developed a tote so that you can placing the saddle along with other hunting accessories, as perfectly as the tote didn’t possess a identify at first, even though it grew to become much more and much more favorite as time goes by.

The origin of Kelly very first appeared in 1930s. Hermes brought in its very first woman’s collection in 1930, which involved imitation leather handbags for which Hermes grew to become world-renowned. In 1935, the imitation leather Sac à dépêche was introduced. Inside the 50s of 20th century, with its wise tailored form the tote evolved into one particular from the beloved components of a quantity of popular individuals and experienced loved a legendary position at any time since. Very much outcome should be contributed to a United States point and movie actress, Grace Patricia Kelly, who later on grew to become Princess of Monaco.

Grace Kelly starred in a variety of unforgettable motion pictures for the duration of the Hollywood glamour years, and she won the Academy Award for most beneficial Actress with her fantastic overall performance inside the nation Girl. Kelly retired from her perform at get older 26, and prior to lengthy she betrothed Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. In 1956, when facing a wrap up of paparazzi, Kelly utilized one particular of her beloved bags to disguise her expecting tummy. The youthful mom didn’t desire to reveal her top secret to others, nevertheless the images she shielding her orbed abdomen quickly appeared within the Web-pages from the renowned newspaper Life. The exact same yr her crucial accessory obtained its identify Kelly, and these varieties of was Grace Kelly’s effect in the time. In 1982, Kelly died following a vehicle crash with her tiny daughter. Even though she has long gone apart from us, her identify can exist very much lengthier for its representation of dignity and elegance.

Even today, one particular from the most sought-after bags by Hermes is nevertheless the Kelly bag. These days Kelly has a variety of versions, which differ in color and sizing with distinct components from all around the world. Victoria Beckham, the previous Spice lady is documented to possess the biggest assortment from the Hermes bags in Hollywood, the price tag of and that is believed around two million dollars US dollars. The rush throughout the Kelly tote hasn’t calmed so far. Without doubt, the attraction and glamour of Kelly would in no way die.