What do I think of this journey so far?

I chose to study the fashions of item carrying, because it is not a conventional way of looking at human history. I was interested to find out the differences between cultures, gender and eras in terms of bags, pouches, pockets and such.

I was hoping and expecting to learn that numerous social, economical and other phenomena play a significant part in the lifeline of trends. In example, the whole buzz around women’s pockets in the Victorian society (see post: the châtelaine and the reticule) is intriguing, as it shows the effect of social status (especially if it happens to be low, like women’s had been for so long), in terms of what you were allowed to carry with yourself and how.

I am, and from the very beginning was, aware of the lack of possibilities for critical analysis during this essay project, as it was mainly based on historical facts. However, I did some occasional comparing between the past and the present. In addition, I found this process extremely useful for my future, as I am to become a stylist and am interested in working as a costumer, possibly in theatre plays or movies. In this job I would most possibly need the knowledge of textile and fashion history.

I do not regret the topics I had in my posts. If I had had the energy and time, I would have tried to find more information on civilisations further away and longer ago, as most of my posts tell about European culture after Middle Ages. In example, I tried to find out how the people in ancient Egypt carried their everyday items, with findings not enough for a blog post.

I am rather proud of the sources of information I used to support my posts, as I did pay attention to their quality and used a good variety of books, articles, web pages etc.

This is by no means the end of my studies on trend history; I will continue reading articles, books and blogs in my free time. I am also yet to finish my history lessons in Finland. However, I will not keep writing this blog, as I found it surprisingly exhausting, even though I like writing.