Chatelaine

Chatelaine, 1863 – 1885, probably England. Museum no. M.32:1 to 13-1969. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London Empty a woman's handbag inside out and you've got the right idea about the chatelaine. Before purses were a woman's primary accessory, this curious contraption that fell into the annals o

V&A curator Lucia Savi shares the five most significant handbags from the V&A’s Bags: Inside Out exhibition, from Sarah Jessica Parker’s Fendi Baguette and Jane Birkin’s first-ever Hermès Birkin and Margaret Thatcher’s handbag.

When writing this post, I initially started writing about how a problem facing many historical costumers is carrying all of our bits and bobs when many dresses come without pockets, and how finding appropriately period purses can be difficult. And I was going to talk about how that's what prompted me to want a chatelaine,…

19th century silver metal chatelaine, silver coloured heart shape, aide memoir, scent bottle/vinaigrette, snuff box, Victorian costume

Watch the video to see how it clips on . Handmade by me. This chatelain is different from the ones i’ve made that were belts. There is a clip super secured to the back. A thin rubber coating is on the back to make it smooth. Can be attached on a belt, at the neck, on a pocket. Can be used for decor as well. Please note that Etsy will sometimes overcharge for multiple items in your cart. I will always refund any extra shipping charges and mistakes the automatic shipping calculator has made…

I love chatelaines! I have loved them for a long time! As I have progressed in my costuming, adding accessories has become more important to me than just making more garments. Whether it be hats, jewellery, hat pins, brooches, gloves, handbags, hairstyling or shoes, accessories do lend a "finished" element to the costume. For a…

Both decorative and functional, chatelaines carried useful household objects primarily for the ease of having each tool at hand at all times.