Bags of class - why do women love handbags so much?
What sacrifices would you have to make to afford Gucci bags - all butter-soft leather , ruches and gold hardware, and a hefty £720? The Gucci bags is the ultimate 21st- century object of desire, not just for supermodels and celebutantes, but for working women from all walks of life. These days we're prepared to spend more on a handbag than a holiday or even a car - and we want the rest of the world to know it. Clothes on the catwalk regularly take second place to this most covetable of accessories - a trend borne out earlier this year when Kate Moss starred in Gucci bags campaign, lying naked on a beach, except for her New Gucci bags . The message was clear: clothes are redundant - it's all about the Bag. But why do we find bags so desirable? It's partly because they've become a unique outward statement of a woman's status [WU1] , fashion savvy and earning power - and the rising popularity of handbags over the past 100 years has followed the...