Bags

Women's bags have come a long way. As the quintessential accessory for decades, the simple handbag has seen more variations in style, fads, and uses over the years than can be imagined. The variety of women's bags is nearly endless. Whether they're purchased for their fashion and style or simply because they fit a purpose, nearly every woman carries at least some type of bag.

Purses, handbags, and pocketbooks
The most common women's bag, the purse, has also been called a pocketbook. Pocketbooks and purses traditionally have had the distinction of holding coins, money, and other ladies essentials such as makeup, personal items, and in the 21st century, cell phones and other electronic devices. Small pocketbooks and purses can be placed inside a larger handbag (this means that you can put one handbag into another!) so there's quite a bit of crossover in styles and uses. Some large handbags can even rival the size of a duffle.

Duffle bags
Evolved from what was originally a military issued item, the duffle can also range in size. They can be small enough to hold a pair of tennis shoes and a T-shirt, or large enough to use for sports equipment. Most duffles serve as luggage, overnight bags, or as a convenient carry on at the airport. The duffle is also a mainstay as a gym bag. They come in designer styles with hefty price tags or inexpensive models suitable for throwing in the trunk of the car.

Messenger bags
The messenger bag, originally made popular by bicycle messengers, but dating back as far as the leather satchels worn by Pony Express riders, has in recent years gone from a working person's item to an urban chic wardrobe accessory. Flat, made of cloth, nylon, synthetic materials, or even leather, it is generally worn across the chest with a stabilizing shoulder strap. No longer relegated to postal service workers, the messenger bag has become a trendy carry all for both men and women.

Backpacks
College students in the last 25 years have helped the simple backpack to make a comeback as a fashion item. Originally used for hiking and camping, the backpack, in its smaller form, has become the de-facto way to carry school books, pens, pencils, calculators, and other scholarly items for boys and girls, men, and women from age four to forty-four. It's not just for school, though, with the backpack also branching out into use as a purse, laptop case, and brief case. Some are also converted to serve purposes such as digital camera or video camera cases, housing extra lenses, batteries, power cords, and tapes.

Laptop bags
The original laptop or portable cases for carrying computers were big and bulky like the hardware they housed. They were also made of boring black rip-stop nylon and weren't much to look at. Today's laptop cases come in a variety of styles, colors, and are made of a number of different materials. Other types of carriers, from backpacks to messenger bags have been converted to hold what has become today's business and personal necessity, the notebook computer. These cases are also designed to carry all of the accessories for the travelling business person, such as iPods, mobile phones, PDAs, and portable DVD players.

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