In the 1950s, the post-war economic boom sparked a revolution in fashion, spearheaded by Dior’s New Look. Waists were nipped, full skirts grazed the ankles, and women required a smaller, structured handbag to balance this new silhouette.
With co-ordination key to the hyper-polished 1950s aesthetic, it was essential for a woman’s handbag to match her hat, shoes, and any other accessories, meaning many amassed dozens of bags to work across their wardrobes.
The end of the war also opened up new possibilities in materials. Dress bags were rendered in swirling marbled lucite, replete with a pearlescent sheen or even completely see-through. Intricate carvings and filigree metalwork often made these bags the central focus of a look.
Meanwhile, Guccio Gucci was creating handbag handles out of bamboo: a clever way to side-step the sanctions that lingered over Italy, a hangover from the war. Perhaps the atelier’s most notable fan, Jackie Onassis, was frequently spotted swinging a large, unstructured Gucci tote from her shoulder, (which would be soon be renamed in her honour.)
In 1956, Grace Kelly cemented another bag’s covetable status when she was pictured clutching a sizeable Hermès tote close to her chest. It was later revealed that the Princess of Monaco was grasping the bag to disguise her pregnancy. In 1977, the Sac à Courroies became the Kelly, and its fate as a handbag icon was sealed.
But it was Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel that created the most revolutionary bag of the decade: in 1955, then a young, fledgling designer, she created a quilted-leather bag that swung from a long, slender chain. The 2.55 was the first bag to offer a shoulder strap, introducing an era of hands-free ease to a generation of women previously restricted by stiff top handles. With the 2.55 came a new kind of freedom.
