The firsts of bags

CEBU, Philippines - From pre-historic cavemen to the foragers of pre-historic settlements, bags were already used by different men and women for the practical conveyance of an extensive list of items - long before the dawn of recorded history.

With many anthropologists noting that the "invention" of the bag fundamentally helped in the rise of human settlements and civilizations, our early forebears used a broad variety of bags in carrying all sorts of things - from food to cooking implements, farming tools, weapons and practically everything else in between.

Today, bags are more than just basic containers used to simply "put stuff in" - as its ever-expanding classification of types, styles and other often-confusing and at-times-sonorous synonyms would allude to its functional-cum-fashionably-trendy qualities.

Let us look into the ever-expanding taxonomy of bags we have today, as we briefly touch up on some of the "firsts" in the world of bags.

The Loculus

Based on illustrations found on Trajan's Column - a columnar frieze that was made in commemoration of the victory of Roman Emperor Trajan in the Dacian Wars - Roman Legionnaires used bags called the "loculus."

Designed with diagonal straps, the loculus' design is akin to the modern-day satchel, though it is not clear if Roman soldiers only specifically used the loculus to carry books - which is what the satchel is traditionally intended for.

In terms of its size, the loculus is believed to measure somewhere around 18 by 12 inches, with many historians convinced that it was likely made from leather. The bag was part of the Roman Legionnaire's "sarcina" - which term loosely mean "marching gear."

Though the loculus is not distinctly defined as the first bag to sport the diagonal strap design, it certainly is one of the earliest on record.

The Minaudière

Often described as a dainty fashion accessory, the minaudière is a type of evening bag for women, widely perceived to be the "fashionably sophisticated" or "high end" variant of the handbag.

As a fashion accessory, the item is also considered to be a type of jewelry piece, given the fact that there are minaudières that are gilded with either gold or silver finishes - with some even embellished with precious stones.

Generally compact in size and rigid in form, the "invention" of the minaudière is attributed to Charles Arpels of Van Cleef & Arpels (an 1896-established French watch, jewelry and perfume company) - who, according to articles at the time, got the inspiration for its making after seeing the wife of philanthropist Frank Jay Gould put loose makeup items in a tin box.

The Messenger Bag

While the strap-and-body form of the "messenger bag" is basically similar to other bag types, the design of the modern-day messenger bag holds certain ties to a bag that was designed by the De Martini Globe Canvas Company in the 1950s.

Used by utility linemen, the bag allowed its users or wearers easy access to important work tools without hampering their mobility.

The convenience points of this bag eventually led to the De Martini messenger bags, which were made of cotton canvas, a cotton-based strap and two closure straps.

By the 1980s, a redesign of the De Martini Globe Canvas messenger bags was done by John Peters - who used Cordura nylon, reflective stripes and delrin buckles in his version of the bag. This redesign is attributed to have set the current industry design standard for the today's range of messenger bags.

Moody Blooms

A new line of makeup essentials has recently been introduced. It's called Moody Blooms. This MAC Cosmetics collection is inspired by shades of exotic, night-blooming flowers that exude a hint of danger. Sensual colors shroud eyes in earthly metallic Eye Shadows and lips suggest hidden motives with deep blue plum and dark berry hues of Sheen Supreme Lipstick. A final adrenaline surge before the beauties dissolve into the night comes with Bronze Powder Brush.

The exotic flair and the mysterious feel that characterize the thematic background of the makeup collection is, indeed, most noticeable. The inclination towards metallic hues and contrasts is combined with the greenish backdrop and the dark setting. Total enigma is what comes as a result. The shades represented come with best counterbalances with each other and that's the impressive aspect of this line.  (FREEMAN)