An increasingly popular collector"s item, the handbag has been considered a prominent component to fashion. Handbags presents diverse examples by the hundreds from pouches worn in the Dark Ages and early chatelaines and pockets of the Middle Ages to contemporary handbags. The trail follows the handbag"s evolution as it has related to fashion and been influenced by history. Discussed by shape, style, material and designer, the hundreds of color photographs and factual text accompany period advertisements of handbags to pique a reader"s curiosity as this segment of the fashion world is uncovered. This new third edition includes new photos and updated pricing information.