Fashion & Style

Attractive and interesting vintage handbags and purses add fashion pizzazz to your wardrobe.

Vintage handbags and purses come in a dazzling array of types of bags. Some are day purses, while others are intended for evening or formal occasions. Some are hand made of fine leather and other classic materials with great elegance and craftsmanship, while others are eccentric combinations of unusual materials, with decorations from crystal beads and silk embroidery to raffia and old vinyl records. Whatever your taste, whether formal or wacky, there’s a vintage handbag or purse somewhere that will set your pulse racing. Let’s take a look at your options.

We’ll start by dividing this vast array into a few more manageable categories.

What is the bag made of?

LEATHER: The classic handbag material is leather. It comes in a variety of types and textures, takes dyes well, withstands hard wear and can hold up well for many years if properly cared for. Make sure the bag you’re purchasing is in good condition. Old leather can become fragile and papery. Once it is deteriorated, it cannot be restored and can be used only with great care, for special occasions. If you find a leather bag that thrills you, make sure you know how to clean and care for it. Most leather bags and purses appreciate the same kind of care that good leather shoes require. Polish and saddle soap protect the leather’s finish and keep it glowing and handsome. Other kinds of leather, such as patent leather or reptile skin, require a different approach. If your bag is an exotic variety, like ostrich or snake, do a little research before using conventional leather care products on it. It may have special requirements.

FIBER OR FABRIC: This category includes woven cloth such as canvas or satin, knit and crocheted fabrics of all sorts, and woven raffia and other types of straw bags. With the exception of utility bags made of canvas and crocheted or knit hemp and linen fabrics, fiber bags are more delicate than leather bags. They are more vulnerable to wetness and tend to be specialized in use. Again, check the condition of the vintage bag that interests you. Silk and satin can become brittle with age, and even the sturdiest bag will weaken with time. Make sure you know whether and how to clean this bag.

COMPOSITE BAGS: This bag is made of a combination of materials. For example, it has a mesh exterior made of metal, sometimes enhanced with rhinestones or other decorative elements, and a fabric lining. Or it has a metal frame over which the fiber or leather is stretched and to which it is attached. It may have wooden or bamboo handles. Composite bags are often very interesting in design, and make great fashion statements. Make sure that all the elements are in equally good shape when you purchase such a bag. Metal snaps and hinges can snap, rendering an attractive bag useless, and a fabric lining may be more shortlived than its mesh exterior.

THE NOVELTY BAG: If you see a bag that’s weirder than your wildest dreams, it’s probably a novelty bag. The most conservative forms are small pieces of luggage, such as skate cases, and they range through lunch boxes and various other metal cases to a combination wood/plastic and vinyl long play record purse spotted in a supermarket check-out line the other night. There are also theme novelty bags made out of conventional materials but in unusual forms or specially decorated. It’s a huge category, comparable to that of weird hats. Plastic and metal collectibles like Barbie and Disney theme purses of various sorts fit into this category.

WHAT IS ITS SHAPE?

Shoulder or carry bag – This is frequently a utility shape. Sometimes canteen or other vintage military carrier bags become fashionable as purses.

Clutch or small decorative purse – This is the classic evening purse style. Sometimes it has a shoulder strap, but it’s rarely intended to hold more than a little makeup and some mad money.

Special styles – These include the satchel, which resembles a doctor’s bag, but is often made in unusual colors and materials, the classic pocketbook with snap catch, and various unusual shapes like bucket, square or oval bags.

HOW IS IT DECORATED?

Decorative elements are a large part of the charm of vintage handbags and purses, but before you pay a hefty price, take a good look at the bag’s condition. You may decide to buy a bag that is worn because you enjoy its design, but its price should reflect its condition.

Beading, Sequins and Embroidery – All these decorative elements are usually sewed onto an outer layer of a lined fabric purse that may be attached to a metal frame. Check the condition of the both the decoration and the lining. Are the threads that hold the beads or sequins in place beginning to wear? Is the embroidery coming loose? If the bag is made of different types of material, such as silk and nylon, the exterior and the lining may have worn unevenly.

Brocade – Check the condition of the exterior and the interior. Make sure there are no stains.

Mesh – Mesh bags are a particularly charming category of vintage purse. Do they have chain or flat links? Are all the links in good condition? How is the frame? Are the hinges still in good working order?

Rhinestone – Are the brilliants mounted securely? Are any stones missing?

Special handle, catch or other decorative element – Is it in good shape? Does it still work?

Next, let’s consider how you will be using the bag.

UTILITY: You may find a vintage bag to carry your belongings back and forth to work or to the gym, but unless you’re an absolute fashion hound you’d probably be better off buying a sturdy new bag for this purpose. This bag gets a lot of wear and tear. Pick the sturdiest, most practical version you can find.

DRESSUP OR HOLIDAY: The obvious use is evening or other special occasion wear. The most fragile vintage bag can safely carry your lipstick to the prom or a dress up wedding and it’s the kind of accessory that will make your outfit extra special. Just treat it like a valuable jewel, and be careful to keep it away from the buffet, because those food stains will never come out.

ON THE TOWN: This category is closely related to dress-up, but gets a little harder use. If you plan to carry this bag out clubbing, you’ll need your keys and some cash. You don’t want your bag to fall apart halfway through the evening. Novelty bags are great for this kind of use. If you’re planning to dance, don’t take a big purse. You won’t want to carry it onto the dance floor, and if you have to leave it at the table, you could be relieved of your valuables while you’re away. Disco bags are small with long straps for a good reason. You can sling them across your body and boogie down without worrying about your purse.

SPECIALTY: Vintage purses come in specialty forms like change purses and cigarette, lipstick and eyeglass cases. These have lots of retro fashion pizzazz and fit well into your big boring utility purse, bringing a little excitement to your everyday life.

As you can see, there are many kinds of vintage handbags and purses. You can find them in thrift stores, at garage sales, on line and in estate sales. You can pay anything from small change to big bills, depending on the source and the quality of the bag. Ultimately you are the judge of whether the item is worth the price. So use your fashion sense and your good judgement, and have fun shopping for a bag that brings a little old-fashioned fun to your wardrobe.

Written by Sarah Mandel – 2002 Pagewise