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

New Items Listed This Week!

We've been busy! New items now available. Have a great weekend everyone!

Marina Lemoyne Silk Couture Dress $75

Vintage Gent's Robe, Smoking Jacket $32

Vintage Red Velvet Slippers $32

Retro Black Ruched Strapless Dress $95

Retro Black and Gold Velvet Clutch Purse $24.50

Calling All Bag Ladies!

Vintage Gucci doctor bag
luxuryvintage.info



Current doctor bag
fashiontrendlatest.com



I am generally confused by 4 things in the fashion world:  skirt lengths, men's tie widths, pant leg diameters and handbag sizes.  It seems like when I've got one or more of these items figured out, we hit a new season or calendar year and it's game over.  I seem to be a step behind what is going on.  This does not bode well for someone with a vintage fashion business!  I guess that is the beauty of looking to the past which is already established in that "been there done that" kind of way and learning from it.



I suppose it is difficult for designers to keep reinventing the wheel.  That's why we hear the words "retro" or "vintage", as inspirations seem to come from the past.  We talk about "classic" pieces being timeless and good monetary investments.  A good quality handbag for instance will set you back quite a lot of money.  And I've found it to be true that with quality comes longevity.  Although I bought a knock-off watch of a famous brand more than a decade ago and it has just stopped working.  Not too bad for $30!  But I digress.  

Current animal print purse
fashiontrendlatest.com







Vintage animal print purse
diaryofamadfashionista.blogspot.com



Handbags have come a long way but in a way they haven't.  Trends seem to come and go with small changes to types of materials for example, to make them feel more current.  What seems to change with the tide is perhaps the way in which we are utilizing this accessory.  I see teen girls with large, expensive bags.  I see older women with tiny clutches.  Didn't that used to be the other way around?  Anyway, it's interesting to see here how designs have changed yet stayed the same.      

Current sheep fur purse

fashiontrendlatest.com

 



Vintage fur purse
trendhunter.com



Handbags for all your moods...

GAP Womens Brown Leather Vintage British Purse Handbag





VINTAGE CAPRICE HANDBAG 1960S - 70S NAVY LEATHER





VINTAGE ITALIAN BROWN CROCODILE SKIN TOTE HANDBAG PURSE





Basket Case

The best bags for summer - woven in natural shades of wicker and straw. A daytime bag big enough to take to the beach or small enough for that luncheon on the patio. What treasures do you hold inside your purse?

All now available from Some Like it Vintage.com and Vintage Bag.com

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.

Sophisticated Lunch

Do you take your lunch to work or school? Do you dish out big bucks and buy your lunch every day? Most of us do a little of both, but I absolutely refuse to put my lunch in a paper bag.

My niece is very particular about her lunch bag. It's Hannah Montana all the way, but bless the little girl, the thermos must match the insulated lunch bag which matches her knapsack. A girl after my own heart!

While I can forgo the Hannah Montana tchochkes, I wouldn't mind carrying my lunch in this fabulous bag. It could be a purse, but couldn't you see placing your lovely victuals and snacks in this? Beats a paper bag any day.

Now available from Vintage Exchange on Etsy, $24.00

Is That A Chair On Your Arm?

No, not a chair, but look closely at your beach bag and you will notice a similarity. From patio furniture to picnic baskets, straw and rattan have long ruled summer. It's only natural that woven styles eventually worked their way into fashion.

Women used straw bags as early as the 1900s. More women carried them in the 20s, and again in the 40s, but it was in the 50s and 60s that the bags experienced widespread popularity. This was largely due to Jacqueline Kennedy carrying a straw bag - suddenly everyone had to have one.

In addition, the crafting movement of those decades had many women using seashells and other appliqués to decorate straw bags that often served as beach totes. Bags in bright colors and neutrals became a way to complement the lighter feeling of summer clothing.

Though interest waned in the 70s and 80s, there is again a new interest in straw and rattan bags.

At the end of the season, use a bit of soap and water to gently dab the bags to make sure oil from your hands doesn't stay on the straw. Oils could cause the straw to become discolored.

It's Here!!!

I'm just going to yell it! SPRING IS HERE!! The snowblower is at the back of the garage and I don't want to look at it for a lonnnnng time.

New items now available at Some Like it Vintage.com

It's In The Bag

Do you know how important a purse is to a woman? It is estimated that $497 million dollars was spent on the purchase of purses in 2007.

That's a lot of purses.

If you are a woman reading this, no explanation is necessary, but I will forge ahead anyway.

A purse is a keeper of secrets, a protector of assets and, along with its contents, an object that can tell you exactly what a woman is about.

Purses began as pouches as far back as human memory records. Used to carry seeds and bones, the first incarnation of the modern accessory came in the late 18th century.

According to Farid Chenounne, curator of a purse exhibit at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, “What you put in your bag is very important to you. That makes a bag very personal because in it you have a secret. A secret gives you some sort of power. Traditionally, for a woman, a bag holds the things you need for the day but also your little beauty factory, which is very important to the identity of the woman.”

It's hard to disagree. My ebay picks.

Chanel Evening Purse

Vintage Clear Lucite Purse with Rhinestones

1930s Tapestry & Enamel Purse

Vintage French Tortoise Shell Purse

How to tell if a purse is vintage? If it has a cellphone pocket on the inside, it's NOT vintage.

Seriously.

Winter? What Winter?!

I think I'm in complete denial now. In order to make it through another 2 months (8 weeks, 60 days, 1440 hours, 86 400 minutes...you get the idea) of winter, I must imagine Spring is here...NOW.

Here is some inspiration found on ebay.

Aqua Vintage Dress with White Piping

ISAAC MIZRAHI Animal Print Leather Slingbacks

Vintage 70s Hand Embroidered Floral Purse

1960s PUCCI Floral Palazzo Tunic Set

Psychedelic Paisley 60's Dress