Vintage Lucite Purses

So my latest passion is vintage lucite purses. You have all seen them..those creative and beautiful plastic mid-century purses. Often boxy in shape with unique and very artful designs. Believe it or not, I have never had one in my collection until now.

Behold my first lucite purse:

Highly collectible now as they are no longer produced, they are a stunning addition to anyone's wardrobe or collection. They are truly a work of art and is open to such imagination. Like little pieces of jewellery, the original ones were clear and women would line them with beautiful scarves enabling them to match the scarf to their outfit.

Lucite was created in 1931 by DuPont and eventually sold. It is now a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Rayon Co. Ltd. Lucite is an acrylic, a high-end hard plastic and the most durable polymer. It doesn't degrade or turn yellow when exposed to sunlight, but remains beautifully translucent and shiny.

And the holy grail of lucite purses, the bee hive. This one is currently $495 on ebay. Yikes! But I'm seriously considering it.

Veronica

Stylish Groceries

With the big push to eliminate plastic bags from our landfills, a surge of new and funky shopping bags have surfaced. This is not a new concept. I remember traveling in Europe as a teenager and admiring the lovely shopping bags people would carry their groceries home in. I had to have one and still have the fantastic red and black plaid shopping carry-all to this day, that I bought in Prague. I receive compliments on it all the time!

Unfortunately, in order to replace all those plastic bags, manufacturers are churning out tons of new products claiming environmentally friendly totes. While the bags may be made of friendlier materials, the energy put into producing them contradicts the point of being environmentally friendly.

So why not go vintage instead? I found this bag at American Vintage and thought it would be a great shopping tote. From the 1950s, it is clear plastic with a gold and blue abstract design, and in excellent condition. $26 now available.