Did Chanel invent the shoulder bag?

Coco Chanel invented a shoulder bag that was based on the backpacks that soldiers carried on the battlefield. Some experts suggest that this is the first handbag designed with a shoulder strap.

In 1929, when the pioneering French fashion designer grew tired of toting around her belongings in a purse she carried by hand, she added an adjustable chain to her accessory. This meant that she’d freed up her hands, and her bag could be slung over her shoulder. It was reintroduced decades later as Chanel’s iconic 2.55, a vast improvement on the day’s top-handle accessories and clutches.

Named for the month (February) and the year (1955) that the designer formally brought the bag to the greater market, the Chanel 2.55 was a smashing success, a chic, rectangular accessory in soft quilted leather. Find a large collection of Chanel shoulder bags on 1stDibs.