Evening star., 1902-01-25
Ht BAG HABIT NOW
NINE-TENTHs OF wOMANkIND ARE
VICTIMS To TT.
Dahsie From Both the Belt and Wrist
and Large Ones
Carried.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
The bag habit used to be the special char
acteristic of Bostonian femininity. and the
ugly but serviceable little composition OF
cloth and leather that could stretch TO hold
all sorts Of previous small belongings from
volume Of Ibsen to a safety hairpln was
celebrated as the Boston bag from Maine
to California. Today the bag habit has
seized on womanknd and spread like an
epidemic. No shopper, or caller or traveller
OF the petticoat persuasion feels able to
venture beyond the shelter Of her own home
unless bag is hung to her belt or swings
from her fingers. and nine-tenths of the
feminine population wear two bags at q
time and comfortably boast of possession
Of half dozen others at home
To enumerate few of the variously
shaped reticules so essential to womanly
convenience ts to mention at least the side
bag. carriage bag. railway bag, wrist bag,
handkerchief bag, theater bag and shop
ping bag. These are made of everything
from alligator skin, with pewter mounts to
the finest gold wire network in the mesh
of which dozens of tiny diamonds or tur-
quoise beads are meshed. These last are
so very delicate and so very costly that
they will only carry the owners cobweb
pocket handkerchief, while their price, if
both metal and stones are real mounts
1ustifiably into the thousands. The bag,
however, in which the majority find the
greatest JOY and convenience is the stout,
capacious safety shopping bag Of glazed
baby alligator skin. lined with suede, fass
tened not only with a snap lock. but
satchel clips on the side. and adjusted by
strap and buckle to one of its outer sides,
Is an ample purse with change and bill
pockets.
Within the bag is divided. along its leath-
ern walls, in fiat compartments, for samples,
hairpins, cards. fountain pen, pencil shop
ping list, mirror, comb and smelling salts.
The center of the bag is left free 10 hold
parcels and as the bottom Of the bag pulls
out like bellows a most amazing numbep
Of small things can be cramped in with-
out overtaxing its capacity. This sort of
bag can be bought all fitted, or the pur-
chaser can put her own things into it's
compartments, though the manufacturer,
Itself, the tiny mirror, comb, pen, pencil
and salts bottle In aluminium.
For Many Needs.
Provided with this multum In parvo an
enthusiastic recipient Of such a bag de-
clared that properly packed it would hold
enough to render any woman cast away
on a desert island quite happy for at least
six months. The leather travelling bag ID
equally complete, though some women have
taken kindly to basket designed in France
and called the Bon Marche, In honor OF the
great Partisan shop of that name.~ French
peasant women weave these baskets. which
are ntteQ or not, as you prefer, Wnlch
are always provided with pretty leather
straps and haadles and are exceedingly
fashionable work bags at the modish
sewing classes and Dorcas circles
Silver and gold and gun metal side bags
have not had their popularity injured In the
least by the appearance of the exquisite
brocaded satin and beaded silk side baes
mounted with metal, tops and chains; and
the wrist bag is in as high favor as ever.
The excessively smart wrist bag is made
no longer of suede, but Of sweet morocco
perfumed Russia leather, or velvet calfskin.
If you want to pay the top price for a
wrist bag, ask for an imported one of sea
cow skin, mounted in gun metal and DOW
dered with diamond sparks.
Women who misay their purses and suf-
fer from that gentlest form of alteration
called absence of mind are adopting joy4
fully the English expedient of having their
bags chained to their wrists. At the shop
where fine leather goods are sold broad
lizard skin, morocco, or Russia leather
bracelets are brought to buckle or lock on
the left wrist. From the bracelet depends
a short silver or gun metal chain that can
be adjusted to any bag, and which effec.
tually prevents any tricks Of errapt MEM
ory, or of pickpockets and shoplifters The
leather bracelets are made to hold watch-
es, but the most fashionable ones merely
show the owners initials burnt or carved
on the skin, and the same lettering il re,
peated on the bag that the chain ana brace
let ef1ectually guard.