Celine

In 1956 while pregnant with Caroline, Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco was photographed in New York City by Life Magazine carrying a black crocodile Hermes bag, which she used to cover her pregnancy. After this picture was published the bag became a fashion hit and was renamed the Kelly bag.

A woman’s handbag is more than a place to dump the oh-so-necessary tools of everyday life. For Grace Kelly her bag was momentarily a shield. For most women it is a highly personal world that contains secrets which the male of the species cannot begin to imagine.

As a fashion item, the woman’s handbag, in its multiple guises—satchel, shoulder, hobo, tote, clutch and evening bag—allows the woman to project personality and status in one easy glance. There is no better way of accessorizing an outfit than with a handbag.

For Spring 2012, the best designs are simple classic forms, highly structured with minimal adornment. For the devoted bag lady, here are Seraphic Secret’s picks for Spring.

In Rear Window, 1954, Grace Kelly’s elegant Mark Cross bag emerges as something of a major character, a twin symbol of desire—Kelly cooly snaps opens the bag, unfurling a fetching neglige—and the domesticity Jimmy Stewart finds so intimidating.

Women’s handbags are more than repositories of oh-so-necessary possessions but a reflection of a woman’s priorities in life, a clue to her values.

The various bags my wife Karen has carried throughout our married life have endured as objects of practical magical. When one of our children scraped a knee in the playground we all rested easy because Karen just reached into her bag and out came a tube of antiseptic and band-aid. Sun too strong? No problem. Karen has sun-block. Headache? Tylenol in a little plastic pill box . Hungry? Fear not, Karen’s got an ample stash of chocolate power bars and pistachio nuts. And always, a thick band of soft tissues when pollen aggravates various allergies.

When we were dating the very first present yours truly bought as a birthday gift for Karen was a butter soft leather shoulder bag from—I splurged wanting to impress—Saks Fifth Avenue. Flattened, beat up, long ago retired, the bag sits in Karen’s closet, a cherished relic of our shared history.

A woman’s handbag is not just an accessory but a trusted companion with whom she trusts intimate secrets.

Here are a few bags that are not only practical—price aside—but beautiful, classic designs.