Near the end of the 17th century, in Paris, fashionable folk began carrying reticules, or small bags that were designed to either hang from the waist or wrist. The reticule was the first genesis of the evening clutch bag. They were small, just large enough to carry essential toilet items, and also made of materials such as velvet or silk. Reticules were beaded, embroidered, tasseled and decorated in just about every way imaginable.

Sometimes style dictated that the bag coordinate with the wearer’s outfit, and at other times it was deemed fashionable for the bag to stand out from, or even clash with, the wearer’s other clothes. In the early part of the 19th century, though, the small evening bag began to resemble what we now recognize as the evening clutch bag more closely. At that time, it was considered important for the bag to match the outfit.

Before mass manufacturing was common, most ladies made their own hand bags, or had them made. The people who carried them were wealthy enough to afford the fine materials, beautiful beads and delicate lace that were used to make and decorate them. It wasn’t until later in the 19th century that nice handbags were available at prices reasonable enough that most women could afford them.

During the 1930s evening bags were designed in envelope or pouch styles and were elegant. Clasps were jeweled, bags were made of lovely materials from suede to silk. Attention was also given to the inside of the bags and they were lined and had compartments and space for everything a lady might need to carry on a night out.

The rise and fall of the handbag is related to current clothing styles. When looser, baggier clothes that allow for pockets are in style, handbags are less necessary. When more form-fitting slimmer styles are popular, so are handbags. This relationship may explain why the evening clutch bag is a classic style that has remained popular through the decades. Evening dress for women usually does not include room for pockets.

Although the clutch has remained a staple of evening wear since the beginning of the 19th century, its popularity as a trendy fashion accessory has come and gone. During the 1980s the clutch reached new heights in popularity, partly thanks to various television shows and partly thanks to fashions of the time. As always, the fashion faded over the next decade, but is now enjoying a resurgence popularity.

You do not need to be concerned if your wardrobe is up to date as long as you have a new black shawl in your closet. Today’s shawls are more than a vintage throw-back. They have new, modern designs that will not overpower you or make you look bulky. Black shawls should make you look slimmer and be far less bulky than a coat. Wear a shawl with dark jeans for a city feel or wear it with a pencil skirt for a unique take on traditional office attire. Black shawls are great in offices that demand business attire and keep the heat low. You will look professional and be comfortable enough to be productive. Even if you do not work in a traditional office environment, a black shawl is still appropriate for you to wear to work. Because of black shawl can be dressed up and dressed down, when you pair it with some denim jeans, you can wear it even on casual Friday.

It can be hard to pull out the heavy winter wear when fall has scarcely begun. If you are simply not quite ready for the arrival of winter, a black shawl can be an excellent transition piece. When you do not want to wear a bulky coat but risk feeling autumn’s chill, select a shawl instead. You will not be chilly under the shawl’s coziness. If the day turns out to be much warmer than you had expected, it is a simple thing to remove the shawl and tuck it into a purse.

Wearing your coat indoors can be bulky and annoying. When you go to a crowded movie, you have to leave your coat over the back seat of your chair. It can be impossible to get comfortable when your coat is wadded up behind your upper back. Likewise, when you attend a gathering with friends during the winter months, if the location is cold you have to choose between looking awkward and feeling miserable. Wearing your coat indoors while others are not wearing winter wear can make you stand out, in a negative way. However, suffering from the chill all during a gathering can prevent you from having a good time. Purchasing a fashionable black shawl can solve your fashion dilemmas. Because a black shawl is both fashionable and warm, you can wear it indoors and not feel out of place. At a movie, you can easily stash it away by your side because it is so much smaller than a coat. When you purchase a black shawl, you will have a cozy, yet fashionable winter season.

Jennifer has spent her life living and working among the kaleidoscope of cultures in the world and she spent many years working in the field of fashion design. Her exposure to other cultures and the world’s many versions of beauty has had an overwhelming influence on how she approaches the design of her unique line of jewellery. She has designed something for every woman, whether she prefers an art deco feel or a more modern design, something simple or a piece that is more ornate. She makes good use of detail while avoiding the trap of making her pieces too busy.

She uses only the highest quality materials when creating her designs. She specialises in using sterling silver, which may be the sum of the piece, or it could be used as a canvas for a fine simulated diamond. She also uses freshwater pearls and other beautiful stones in her work, and occasionally gold. She offers necklaces, pendants, bracelets and bangles, and rings. While her website does not offer complete sets of her work, she offers an array of designs that can be mixed and matched with ease.

One need not be an elite woman of the world to enjoy these beautiful pieces of art, but she cannot help but feel distinguished with it dripping from the ears, neck and hand. Jennifer’s pieces are equally suited to a younger generation or to the young at heart. She offers jewelry perfect for every occasion, whether it is formal or casual, and has jewelry that appeals to all, whether they prefer a simple design or one that is more ornate. Her high quality workmanship is equaled only by master smiths of the trade.

When visiting her website or a store that carries her line, one is surprised to find that her pieces are tantalizingly affordable. An important part of Jennifer’s business is working directly with young jewelry designers whose work compliments her own. By cutting out the middleman and working directly with these up and coming artists, she is able to offer wonderful prices to her customers.

Value is known as the combination of quality and price, and here you will find both. To the shopper with exquisite taste, Jennifer Wade Jewellery is what you have been looking for.

Around the early 1900’s, womens’ clothing took a turn toward the more modern, thus streamlining the clothes against the body, and pockets in womens’ garments were essentially eliminated. This necessitated the use of some kind of “outer pocket” to keep personal belongings close by. These pockets became known as handbags, or purses, and now are an absolute staple of womens’ fashion. Handbags have since served as a fashion statement for women all over the world and come in all sizes, shapes, and colors.

Ever since the handbag became a fashion staple in the early 1900’s, black handbags have been some of the most popular by far. One of the most famous black handbags is the 2.55, originally designed by Coco Chanel in 1955.

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Black is a fantastic choice in handbags because it reflects sophistication, elegance and style. The color black, when associated with womens’ clothing, is timeless and classic. Not to mention that black goes with just about anything! A black handbag is an absolute staple for any woman’s wardrobe. Many celebrities carry black handbags everywhere they go.

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Just remember that the next time you go shopping a new handbag, black is a classic choice, and every woman should have at least a couple different sized black handbags. Happy shopping!

1) JEWELLERY

How long is a piece of string? There’s a whole range of jewellery you can accessorize a gorgeous you with. You could play around with hooped earrings, or if you’re going for a more elegant look, consider a pair of pearl earrings or long-drop one. Bracelets or beads would look fab – rhinestone ones – or chunky wooden or plastic bracelets. Or you could even try wearing a choker. Or why not grab one of those really long beaded necklaces – pick your colour – then loop it a few times for the ultimate in chic.

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2) HANDBAG:

My aunt’s crazy about bags. She’d probably fight in a Gladiator ring if she knew she’d get a handbag if she won. A week before she’s meant to go to any occasion, she’ll spend ages deciding which handbag goes with whichever outfit she plans to wear. Ok, so perhaps she’s arguably a tad obsessed, but she knows how a handbag can make or break an outfit.

If you’re decked out beautifully in evening wear (and you do look beautiful – don’t let anyone tell you different), a good quality small handbag or clutch bag would look very Hepburn, dah-ling. For casual wear, a larger over-the-shoulder bag or purse would look fab – one with a good degree of texture and colour to it.

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3) BELT:

A bright chunky belt can work wonders on a simple black number (as well as bringing out the waist). Red, yellow, baby blue – take your pick. How daring do you wanna be, hmm?

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4) SHOES:

When I say ‘high heels’, you say ‘yay’. High heels. Yay! High heels. Yay! (Who watched Britain’s Got Talent? I’m afraid the unbelievably talentless but loveable DJ Talent rubbed off on me).

Nothing beats black high heels for a sexy look and to make one’s legs look longer and more toned. However, do consider going all out and sashaying in a pair of bold-coloured numbers such as gold, silver or red ones. For example, you could team up a nice pair of red heels with red & gold bangles (or red hairpins) and you’re good to go.

For a more relaxed look, a good pair of low heels like strappy sandals or sling-backs can still make you feel richer than Richard Branson. Consider knee-high boots too.

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5) TIGHTS:

I don’t know if you’ve watched a music video called ‘Up’ by a new all-female pop group called The Saturdays, but in it they were all in little black dresses with brightly coloured tights. I think it really worked on them. Worth experimenting with if you have the legs for it.

You don’t have to wear bright tights, of course – you could wear: thick or thin sheered black ones, opaque tights, patterned ones, etc.

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6) SCARF/SHAWL:

Scarves are as timeless as black dresses, so experiment with different ones – different colours – to see which one sits well with you. A scarf tied round the neck can look very elegant indeed. Instead of a scarf, you could try a shawl as well, a wrap or a little light cardigan to achieve diverse looks in the click of a finger.

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Accessorising your black dress is down to experimentation. Play around and see what suits you – what you feel comfortable in. Most importantly, have fun while you’re doing it.

But ultimately, the distinction of the most expensive handbag ever made belongs to Japanese designer Ginza Tanaka, for a handbag not much larger than a couple of decks of playing cards.

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The bag was unveiled during London’s 2008 jewelry week with a price tag of £1 million, or roughly $1.45 million. But before you grumble that this bag is just a wee bit out of your price range, consider the handbag’s versatility: the diamond-encrusted strap can be unhooked and worn separately as a necklace, while the huge pear-shaped diamond clasp can also do double duty as a brooch. In total, the bag is studded with more than 2,000 diamonds weighing in at 208 carats.

And although the other contenders for most expensive handbag are considerably lower priced than the Tenaka clutch – in fact, by comparison, they’re downright cheap!- it’s a pretty good bet your tax refund isn’t going to cover these babies, either.

Got a cool quarter mil? Then you almost have enough to buy the second most expensive handbag, this time by Chanel.

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The design icon’s Diamond Forever tote will only set you back about $261,000 … if you can find one. Only 13 were ever made, and apparently, they sold out pretty quickly early last year. This white shoulder bag is made of farmed alligator skin and features the famous Chanel “C”s encrusted in 334 diamonds set in 18K white gold, for a total carat weight of 3.56 carats!

If your wad of cash is only half that amount, take heart: You can still purchase the Crocodile Birkin by Hermes.

 
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At $120,000, this bag is made of, yep, crocodile skin, and is accented by a clasp embedded with 10 carats of diamonds set in white gold. If you thought it’d be difficult finding one of only 13 Chanel bags, consider this: only two of the Crocodile Birkins were ever made.

For a cool hundred grand, you can whoop it up Hollywood style, with the Lana Marks white alligator Cleopatra Clutch.

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The top of this bag is encrusted with 1,500 black and white faceted round cut diamonds, and only five of these bags are made each year. The designer makes a limited edition version every Oscar season, for one actress annually. So far, two of the bag’s owners – Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren – won awards while toting the bags.

But maybe you’re weary of diamonds and want to add some other sparkling gems to your wardrobe. In that case, the Leiber Precious Rose bag is for you.

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Sure, it has 1,016 diamonds. But it also sports 1,169 pink sapphires and 800 pink tourmalines, all set in 18K white gold at a price tag of $92,000.