The Cachet’s in the Bag : A Posh Purse Needs Just One Significant Shoulder to Lean On

Many have tried, but only a few handbags have achieved the kind of glorified status of a Hermes, Gucci or Chanel.

To join the pantheon of purses, a handbag must not only be well designed and finely crafted but also must be seen on the arm or shoulder of the world’s style leaders.

Hermes’ classic Kelly bag was just another pretty purse until the 1950s, when Grace Kelly was pictured toting one on the cover of Life. Princess Diana has conferred on Ferragamo handbags a kind of royalty status. She’s often photographed with one of her more than 20 Ferragamo clutches tucked neatly under her arm.

It’s the lucky purse that, seemingly overnight, becomes the hot handbag every woman wants.

In the status-conscious 1980s, consumers began to covet brand-name bags. Chanel’s double Cs, Louis Vuitton’s LV monogram and other insignias became all-important. More than a design element, the logos became manufacturers’ thin line of defense against a proliferation of copycats.

Among the most-copied bags of all time: Chanel’s “2.55” handbag.

Although instantly recognizable as simply the Chanel bag, its official name is the 2:55 because it was created by Coco Chanel in February--the second month--in 1955.

Chanel got the idea for the bag’s quilted diamond pattern by observing the checkered jackets of the stable boys at a race course in France. The quilting gave the bags volume and shape. “It has to have body,” Chanel said of her choice of material.

Other distinguishing characteristics of the 2:55, which sell for $850 to $15,000: A chain shoulder strap that slides through golden eyelets and a double C--like a coat of arms--to help distinguish it from imitators.

Chanel has played a significant part in the evolution of handbags. It was she who introduced an elegant version of the shoulder bag in 1929. Until then, shoulder bags existed primarily in the form of a large pouch with a wide strap used by the military.

Chanel put a thin strap on a handbag and--voila-- handbag history was made.

Louis Vuitton created its trademark brown-and-gold monogram canvas to protect the travel goods manufacturer from imitators 100 years ago. Yet it wasn’t until the status-conscious 1980s that the bags ($350 to $1,200) exploded in popularity.

“They were a status symbol, but most people don’t recognize that the fabric had been around,” says Bob Celio, manager of the Louis Vuitton boutique in South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa.

Just as Louis Vuitton was an ‘80s phenomenon, the Kelly bag, while timeless, defined the 1950s.

Made by Hermes, which began as a saddle maker in Paris 158 years ago, the bag now known as the Kelly has been around almost as long as the company. It was originally large enough to carry a saddle, according to spokeswoman Marion Davidson.

A smaller bag was introduced in 1927 and went by a “complicated French name” until 30 years later, when Life magazine ran a cover photo of Grace Kelly concealing her pregnancy with the largest-sized crocodile version of the bag.

“From then on, people began asking for ‘Kelly bags,’ ” Davidson says.

Kelly bags have become a classic, able to adapt to fashion trends without sacrificing their boxy shape. The bag comes in six sizes, from “itty-bitty to grand,” says Davidson. Price: $3,000 to $12,000 for a crocodile or ostrich version.

“It’s gone through every fashion trend or fad, largely because of its simplicity. And they last,” Davidson says. “Mothers [pass them on] to their daughters--if they’re lucky.”

How do the adoring masses know when Princess Diana is carrying a Salvatore Ferragamo clutch? The handbags’ signature hardware--the clasp that resembles a miniature door knocker--gives it away. They’re to Ferragamo what double Cs are to Chanel.

Ferragamo has fun playing off of its signature line, Gancini, turning out bags made of aluminum, wicker and Lucite, but more classic leathers (about $400 to $670) are always in the line.

Bottega Veneta’s woven leather handbags (about $750 to $1,140) have become a classic of the handbag genre: “It’s the simplicity, the light weight, the leather,” explains Raymond Quiroga, manager of Bottega Veneta in South Coast Plaza. “People know this bag.”

Prada’s simple nylon bag has become a classic because it “found a balance between feminine and functional, urban and chic,” says Miuccia Prada, head designer of Prada. The basic bags ($400 to $1,200) are simplicity itself: Most come in black or blue, usually with a leather or silver chain and bearing the triangular Prada insignia.

What makes a bag a classic? No matter whose name is on the bag or which celebrity carries it, the handbag must be of a timeless style. The best, like the Kelly bag, have simple, graceful lines that allow them to withstand the vagaries of fashion and enter the handbag hall of fame.