It is not surprising that a handbag should figure so prominently in the film chronicling Margaret Thatcher’s legacy – a sprawling tale brought to the big screen by Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady. This personal carry-all has long been both functional and symbolic. Depending on its style and brand, it can be a statement of status or a pronouncement of folksiness. Hand it off to a hen-pecked husband or a put-upon assistant and it can demean or belittle. A purse can impress and intimidate, bewilder, berate, or amuse. See Mrs. Thatcher and other famous women fond of the handbag.
Plus, The Daily Beast's Robin Givhan on the secret language of Margaret Thatcher's handbags.