"The clutch purse first made the fashion waves in the early 1800s, when
modern ladies put their handkerchief, smelling salts and rice papers (to
control shining face) into the small reticules. Although the clutch
purses went out of fashion a century later, surprisingly, their
popularity rose again during WWII. Smaller clutch purses were
manufactured during the wartime years with less material to fit the
wartime mindset."
