Date:  Tue, 6 Jan 1998 15:26:52 +0000
From:  Jim Rader <jrader[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]M-W.COM>
Subject: Re: kelly bag

The earliest cite I turned up through a quick search of Nexis was New
York Times, May 8, 1982, where both <Grace Kelly bag> and <Kelly bag>
are used. <Grace Kelly bag> turns up earlier, in the Washington Post
for Nov. 11, 1979. Cites are in agreement that this was a handbag
sold by Hermes (grave accent on last e), the Paris-based chain of
shops selling very expensive women's accessories. There seem to be
various versions of how Grace Kelly's name came to be associated with
the handbag. According to the Atlanta Constitution (Oct. 16, 1994),
Hermes actually supplied Grace Kelly with such a handbag. Another
story is that "...in 1956, Princess Grace (nee Kelly) of Monaco, hid
one of her pregnancies behind that very bag on a cover of Life
magazine" (NYT Oct. 18, 1986); the fashion-conscious then requested
copies of the bag.

Merriam files have a picture of one version of the bag that appeared
in the New York Times magazine (Aug. 11, 1985, p. 56).

Jim Rader