A reticule, also known as a ridicule or indispensable, was a type of small
handbag or purse, similar to a modern
evening bag
A handbag, commonly known as a purse in North American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag used to carry personal items. It has also been called a pocketbook in parts of the U.S.
Terminology
The term "purse" originally referred to a smal ...
, used mainly from 1795 to 1820.
The reticule became popular with the advent of
Regency fashions in the late 18th century. Previously, women had carried personal belongings in pockets tied around the waist, but the columnar skirts and thin fabrics that had come into style made pockets essentially unusable.
When the reticule first appeared, it was made of
netting
In law, set-off or netting is a legal technique applied between persons or businesses with mutual rights and Liability (financial accounting), liabilities, replacing gross positions with net positions. It permits the rights to be used to discharg ...
. As time went by, they were made from various fabrics, including
velvet
Velvet is a type of woven fabric with a dense, even pile (textile), pile that gives it a distinctive soft feel. Historically, velvet was typically made from silk. Modern velvet can be made from silk, linen, cotton, wool, synthetic fibers, silk ...
,
silk
Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...
, and
satin
A satin weave is a type of Textile, fabric weave that produces a characteristically glossy, smooth or lustrous material, typically with a glossy top surface and a dull back; it is not durable, as it tends to snag. It is one of three fundamen ...
.
[reticule. (n.d.) Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary. (2010). Retrieved May 19, 2016 from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/reticule]
A reticule usually had a
drawstring
A drawstring (draw string, draw-string) is a string, rope or lace used to " draw" ( gather, or shorten) fabric or other material. Ends of a drawstring are often terminated with a sheath called an aglet. The ends may be tied to hold the drawstr ...
closure at the top and was carried over the arm on a cord or chain. Reticules were made in a variety of styles and shapes and sometimes trimmed with embroidery or beading. Women often made their own reticules.
Etymology
According to the
American Heritage Dictionary
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
, the name "reticule" came from the
French ''réticule'', which in turn came from the
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
''reticulum'', a diminutive of ''rete'', or "net".
[reticule. (n.d.) American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. (2011). Retrieved May 19, 2016 from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/reticule]
See also
*
1795–1820 in Western fashion
Fashion in the period 1795–1820 in European and European-influenced countries saw the final triumph of undress or informal styles over the brocades, lace, periwigs and powder of the earlier 18th century. In the aftermath of the French Revo ...
References
Bags (fashion)
18th-century fashion
19th-century fashion
{{Fashion-stub