Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel designed this handbag to be hands-free—an idea that was revolutionary when the Classic Flap debuted in February of 1955. Using the quilted leather that would become a design signature, she suspended the bag from a long metal chain so it could be worn either over a woman’s shoulder or, with the chain doubled, in the crook of her arm.

Long before there was the Hermès Birkin (see below), there was the Hermès Kelly. Designed in 1935 by Robert Dumas, a member of the family that still owns Hermès, the bag was based on the Sac à Courroies, which Hermès sold to carry saddles. Transforming it into a proper purse, Dumas used a trapezoid shape, added a rigid handle, kept the flap with pull straps, and closed it with a turn-lock that came with a tiny padlock and key.

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