What is a men's purse: the history of the accessory

Accessories

A well-groomed and harmoniously matched external image of a man helps him open any doors in front of him on the way to achieving his goals. Therefore, stylists recommend carefully combining garments with accessories to get a complete and complete image as a result. A purse is an indispensable accessory for any businessman, but not everyone knows for sure what a purse is.

The most typical mistake of many men is that they are confused such concepts as a wallet and a purse. Some believe that a purse is an outdated term that is associated with retro eras. But the fashion for foreign borrowed words is still in trend, so the elegant sound of the purse is appreciated among designers and stylists. It remains only for the men themselves to figure out what a purse is and what it is used for.

What is a Purse?

A purse is an accessory mainly for the male half of society, designed exclusively for storing financial resources, personal documents, cards and business cards from mechanical impact. Thanks to a purse, a man can always have at hand all the means and things he needs, whether it be money, plastic cards, car rights, and other documents. Today exists.

For reference! Together with the term “purse” in France, the same root borrowed concepts arose today, such as a cigarette case, a harness and a briefcase.

When it comes to a wallet, it seems rather a female accessory of a rectangular shape with slamming flaps with a lock or latch. But in the case of a purse, a similar version of the wallet is folded in half or three times, closing with a “hatch” with a button or a magnet. And, as a rule, it can be exclusively a man's purse; women do not use such an accessory.

We advise you to read:  How to wear a man's belt: stylists' recommendations

Photo 2

The origin and meaning of the word

To understand the meaning of the word purse, you need to contact a translator from French into Russian, since it was born in France many years ago. The term comes from the verb “porter”, that is, to wear something, as well as the noun “monnaie”, meaning money or currency. Accordingly, a purse after a literal translation means an accessory for carrying financial resources, personal documents and bank cards.

Photo 3

It is necessary to pronounce the word purse according to the French language, with an emphasis on the last vowel. In English, there was also a variation of this term, but with a different root part “purse”, which resulted in the word “porte-monnaie”. For some time, this name for a man's wallet was in use, but the French version gradually replaced it, and the English term did not take root.

The history of the appearance of the accessory

Anything has its own unique story, and a man's purse will not be an exception to the rule.

Photo 4

Its appearance was recorded in the past centuries BC. In Europe, similar wallets were called differently – “omonier”, they were made of leather and canvas.

The peak of fashion for wallets falls in the 12th century, when the crusaders brought Saracen pouches, decorated with bells and engraved. This version of the purse was fastened to the owner's belt to clearly demonstrate his status and ability to pay. In Japan, for a long time, a red thread acted as a purse, on which coins were strung. And only after the appearance of pockets in the clothes of mankind, wallets began to be adapted for them.

We advise you to read:  Zippo: a legend among lighters

In Russia, this accessory first appeared in the 11th century. Then the accessory had an entirely different appearance and shape, more like a fabric bag, which was pulled together with a thread, ribbon or braid. In those days, the purse was used not only for carrying coins, but small weights were kept there. Thanks to weights, the weight of the wallet was measured when a person paid not with a coin, but with precious stones.

There is a belief that buying a wallet or purse on your own is considered a bad omen. But if close people or relatives gave the wallet as a gift, signs promise the owner a constant and stable profit, but there must be a bill inside.

The fashion industry today offers a huge variety of types and types of wallets – vertical, double and triple addition, from a variety of materials and with a fashionable original decor. When choosing a purse, a man needs to consider his age, image and image, as well as what functions such an accessory will perform.