Chapter 1
Ancient pouches and hidden pockets
Chapter 2
Carrying culture across the globe
Chapter 3
Steam engines and the birth of the handbag
Chapter 4
Power, prestige, and the it bag
YOUR GOAL
Master of From pockets to power purses
Ch 1 · Ancient pouches and hidden pockets
louisvuitton Ancient Pouches and Hidden Pockets
Tie on your pockets and hide them deep! (hide them deep!) / Keep all the secrets you want to keep! (oh yeah!)
louisvuitton Pear-shaped pockets under petticoats stand next to a sheer Grecian dress.
louisvuitton A leather drawstring pouch hangs from a belt under warm, dramatic lighting.
Fun Fact
Medieval pickpockets: The term 'cutpurse' comes from medieval thieves who literally sliced the drawstring cords of pouches hanging from people's belts.
Glossary
pocket (noun)
A small fabric receptacle sewn into or on a garment to hold small articles. During the seventeenth century, women wore detachable versions tied beneath their voluminous skirts to keep valuables secure.
A small fabric receptacle sewn into or on a garment to hold small articles. During the seventeenth century, women wore detachable versions tied beneath their voluminous skirts to keep valuables secure.
Quiz
Before the 17th century, how did most Europeans carry daily items like coins?
Quiz
What was the name of the small, handheld drawstring bags popularized in the late 18th century?
Quiz
What did scientists find inside the leather pouch of Ötzi the Iceman, who lived around 3300 BCE?
Quiz
What major fashion shift in the late 1700s made hidden tie-on pockets impractical?