Walk through any big art museum and start counting the fringe. It’s on the hem of a painted robe. It’s hanging off a velvet cushion in a portrait. It’s trimming the curtains in a period room you’re not allowed to touch.
Fringe and tassels have been decorating art, homes and clothing for thousands of years. For most of that time, they meant one thing. Somebody had money, and they wanted you to know it.
THE EARLIEST TASSELS
Tassels are one of the oldest decorations around. A Neolithic cave painting hints that they may have existed as early as 7000 BC. Archaeologists have found tassels in Egyptian tombs, and across the ancient Middle East, people hung them on clothing as a charm to keep bad luck away.
Even then, a tassel was more than a bit of thread. It carried meaning.
BYZANTINE GOLD
By the Byzantine era, tassels had gone full luxury. Wealthy people wore them made from gold thread and set with jewels. A tassel was jewelry you hung from your clothes, and the bigger and shinier it was, the more important you looked.
THE GUILD THAT MADE IT AN ART
In 16th-century France, trimmings became a serious profession. The Guild of Passementiers formed to make tassels, fringe, braids and cords, a family of decoration known as passementerie. If you wanted to become a master, you signed up for a seven-year apprenticeship.
Seven years. To make trim. That tells you how much skill and how much status went into a single tassel.
VERSAILLES AND THE AGE OF EXCESS
Then came Louis XIV. When he built Versailles in the 17th century, beautifully designed tassels became a must for the palace furnishings. They hung from pillows, curtains, thrones and carriages. French interiors were covered in them.
Fringe followed the politics. During the French Revolution, trims got simpler, because looking like royalty wasn’t the safest choice. By the 1830s and 1840s, under King Louis Philippe, opulence was back and so was the fringe.
THE VICTORIAN PARLOR
In 19th-century Britain, everyone wanted a French-style interior. That meant heavily stuffed armchairs dripping in decorative trim, fringed lampshades and tasseled curtain tiebacks. Fine silk tassels were still expensive, so they stayed in upper-middle-class homes as a quiet signal of taste and money.
If you’ve ever sat on your grandmother’s fringed sofa, you’ve met the Victorians.
FRINGE TODAY: MAXIMALISM IS BACK
For a while, minimalism ruled. Clean lines, quiet luxury, nothing extra. Now the pendulum is swinging the other way.
Fringe showed up all over the fall/winter 2026 runways, and fashion editors are calling it a sign that maximalism is back in. Trims are showing up on knits, tailoring and accessories, and craftsmanship is a big part of the story. Passementerie still lives on today too, in the gold braid on military dress uniforms and the trims on couture and wedding gowns.
Decorative excess has never really gone out of style. It just waits for its next moment.
WHERE MARGO PAIGE FRINGE HANDBAGS FIT IN
For most of history, fringe lived on things you couldn’t take with you: palace curtains, throne cushions, parlor chairs. Our fringe handbags put it somewhere you can carry it.
The Clear Fringe Crossbody takes the swing of fringe and pairs it with clear, stadium-approved PVC. It holds your phone, cards, keys and lip gloss, with an adjustable strap so you can wear it crossbody or on the shoulder.
The Clear Fringe Tote is the bigger sister. It fits a water bottle and a sweater for the cold second half, with fringe accents that keep it from looking like a plain clear tote.
Both come in taupe and black, both meet the 12" x 6" x 12" clear bag standard, and both are made with PVC that resists yellowing and cracking. Think of them as a little bit of Versailles you can wear to the stadium.
And if you want to go full maximalist, clip a tassel charm to the strap. Fringe on the bag, tassel on the strap. Louis XIV would approve.
HOW TO WEAR FRINGE LIKE A WORK OF ART
Go tonal: Wear the black Clear Fringe Crossbody with an all-black outfit and let the movement of the fringe be the texture.
Go maximal: Pair the taupe Clear Fringe Tote with a velvet blazer and a patterned scarf. More is more this season.
Mix trims: Add a tassel charm or a silk scarf to the strap of your fringe bag for a layered, passementerie-inspired look.
Keep it practical: Your bag still has to pass the gate check, so keep any add-ons on the strap and off the clear body.
FRINGE & TASSEL HISTORY FAQ
What is passementerie?
Passementerie is the decorative art of trims, including tassels, fringe, braids, cords and pompons. It became a formal craft in 16th-century France with its own guild.
Why were tassels a status symbol?
Tassels took great skill and expensive materials like silk and gold thread to make. Only the wealthy could afford them for clothing and home furnishings.
Is fringe in style in 2026?
Yes. Fringe appeared across the fall/winter 2026 runways as part of a bigger move toward maximalism and craftsmanship.
What Margo Paige bags have fringe?
The Clear Fringe Crossbody and the Clear Fringe Tote, both available in taupe and black.
Are Margo Paige fringe bags stadium approved?
Both meet the standard 12" x 6" x 12" policy used by most NFL, NBA, MLB and NCAA venues. Always check your specific venue’s policy before you go.
Shop Margo Paige fringe handbags →
Next time on The Fringe Effect: Beyond Football: Fringe Clear Bags for Concerts, Rodeos, and Festivals