Purses vs wallets

Historically, how did women end up with purses and men got wallets? Didn't men ever want to carry stuff around? Besides a club? Seriously. I was curious so I looked it up :-)

Handbags actually started out as man's accessory. The history of purses dates back more than 5000 years! Clothing didn't have pockets, so pouches served a function. The first modern day puse was envisioned by a man named Samuel Parkinson in 1841. He felt bad for his wife, having to lug around all that luggage when they traveled. So he had someone make some small bags for her that should could carry around. By the 1930's, handbags evolved significantly. Many of the designs today were invented during this time period.

Reader's Digest says "at any given moment, she will own 17, adding around 3 to her collection each year." Umm, I don't think that's true. Seventeen? Personally, I don't even own a dozen and if I did, that would be too many. I have favorites and switch them out sometimes. A handbag is a personal thing so not all women like the same things. I like compartments in my purse. When I a was a teenager, I just wanted a big bag that I could fit a change of clothes and a six pack in. LOL. I needed compartments later so I could store my things and find them easily. 

Sometime in the last decade or so, business men started thinking, hey! I have things I want to carry around that won't fit in my briefcase. I'll use a backpack. Now they could carry their laptops and gym clothes and a water bottle all together. Then, women thought - I want to be like a man so I'm going to carry a backpack too, but mine will be pretty. Ha!

Anyway, I use to love carrying around things I might need. I didn't buy my first pretty backpack until about 5 years ago. I just got tired of carrying a purse. Now, I'm tired of carrying anything! I can't remember where I was going but I didn't want to bring my backpack, so I put a few things I thought I'd need in a wristlet, (which is just a small clutch). My ID, phone, debit card, cash, car key. When I was done, I just put it in my backpack. It's become an abbreviated version of my wallet. Now, I pretty much only carry that! I thought it might be my age, but now I notice that a lot of young people really only carry their phone around, with a credit card holder stuck to the back of it. You know, because they always have their phones with them.