Clutch bags have been used as a female style staple for so long, that one has to wonder where they came from. The term “handbag” began appearing in the early 1900s. Initially, it was most often used to refer to men’s hand-luggage. As women’s accessory bags grew larger and more complex during that period, the term was attached to the women’s accessory. The clutch; however, came about in England during the Industrial Revolution and the increase in travel by railway.