Vintage Handbags

Back in the 40’s, women knew had to dress.  Whether it was to impress the GI’s heading off to war or to go to a swinging night club to listen and dance to big band music, there was no occasion too big or too small to dress to impress.  Women’s hair was always perfectly coiffed with curls pinned up spirally on their heads.  There was always the perfect amount of red lipstick and long eyelashes to beautify any face, and they always had a gorgeous dress that accentuated their curves and flattered every figure.  Vintage 1940’s dresses can still be found today, though you can expect to pay a pretty penny for them.  Vintage stores have been known to price these dresses (that were just everyday dresses in the 40’s) at $300+ dollars and have them gone in a flash.

You can normally find these incredible vintage dresses online.  Most of these online stores are from people who have made it their life’s ambition to make a career out of finding vintage treasures and selling them to other vintage enthusiasts.  Clothes from the 1940’s tend to fit differently than they do now.  Women were much more curvy and voluptuous than the women of today.  They weren’t shy about flaunting their hips or breasts and the dresses were made according to that.  When you are buying a dress from an online store, make sure you get the measurements before hand as a size 6 from then is much different than a size 6 now.

Vintage 1940’s dresses allow a woman to show off her curves and flaunt her physical attributes.  Pair these dresses with a pair of sheer nylon stockings (complete with a seam down the backside), peep toe pumps and a gorgeous vintage handbag and you will look as though you jumped through the screen of a Rita Hayworth flick and right into modern times.  This type of look must be worn with confidence.  Own this look and be proud of your curves.  Undoubtedly, people will be doing a double take when they see this gorgeous screen siren-turned modern lady walking by them on the street!  The vintage look is coming back in full swing.  Incorporating vintage into your modern day wardrobe gives you the appeal and nostalgia of times past, while still having the modern comfort and convenience of the clothing of today.

Some people consider themselves “shoe people”, others “purse people”.  Whichever you collect, one thing is for sure, you mean business!  People take to collecting shoes and purses like an unused room collects dust.  Collecting vintage handbags and purses are a hobby for some people and they get sheer joy out of finding that perfect, one of a kind piece and they are willing to pay top dollar for it.  That is especially true for vintage Lucite handbags.  Some people may look at these and shake their heads in disbelief, while others, who are definite “purse people”, look at these handbags like they are pieces of art.

Lucite purses and bags became popular in the 60’s and 70’s.  The hard shell casing and handles made it very durable, which is why so many of these pieces still exist today.  The style has a bit of a basket-type look to it, with flat lines and corners with a box-type opening and closing.  The handles are normally made of the same hard Lucite material as the purse itself, making it difficult to swing over your shoulder.  These handbags are not the most comfortable to lug around due to their clunky, box style, but no one ever said that fashion is a piece of cake, did they?  Sometimes you have to sacrifice comfort for the sake of fashion!

These incredible vintage Lucite handbags have very unique styles, ornate in design and color.  You can find these handbags online at websites which sell various vintage pieces from past time eras.  There is a high demand for these handbags and it is sometimes difficult to find any Lucite purses before someone else does.  Occasionally, these purses can be found on auction websites such as EBay where you can try to be the highest bidder and win the product.  Be aware though, that there are diehard collectors out there that are willing to pay a huge amount of money for a vintage piece in good shape.  But, if you consider yourself a “purse person”, you may very well be one of those diehard collectors…you never know!

The vintage look is coming back in a huge way.  Women are copying styles from glamorous Hollywood stars of old like Rita Hayworth and Betty Page.  They are coiffing their hair like a pin up girl and trying their hardest to find the perfect shade of bright red lipstick like your favorite screen siren used to wear.  Women are not the only ones who are trying to bring back the glamorous style of yesteryear.  Slowly but surely, men’s style of old is coming back as well.  Men are drawing their inspiration from such old school actors as Humphrey Bogart and Desi Arnaz.  Men’s vintage clothing is a big harder to find than women’s because the demand is not as big for them, but they can be found usually by doing a search on the internet.  You will be directed to sites that specialize in finding the perfect fedora hat that Bing Crosby loved to wear or find the perfect Rockabilly style of Buddy Holly, complete with retro vintage dark rimmed eye glasses!

Men’s fashion style in the 1930’s and 1940’s were crisp and clean.  Their hair was usually slicked back (unless of course you were able to perfect the “pompadour” like the infamous Elvis Presley!) and, like the women in that time era, men always wore a hat when leaving their home.  Fedora hats were the most popular and can be found in many vintage shops in your area.  Straw hats were more common during the hot summer months, but they were still in the same style as the felt Fedora’s.

Vintage style does not necessarily mean that the clothing must date back to the 30’s or 40’s.  Vintage men’s clothing can be found from the 70’s and 80’s as well.  As long as a certain fashion period has expired and moved on, it can be considered vintage.  Usually it takes an entire decade to be done before it can be called a vintage piece.  There is just as high of a demand for parachute pants from the 80’s as there is bomber jackets from the 40’s.  Searching the internet will help direct you to exactly where you need to go to find these pieces.

Don’t you ever wish that you could rewind the clock back the simple time of the 1940’s and 1950’s, where women stayed home to take care of their families and never, ever, under any circumstance would not leave the house without gloves and a hat?  While these days of old most certainly will never see the light of day again, the designer style of this era is making its comeback in a big way and many vintage lovers could not be happier about it.  Many women are embracing the looks of the past, drawing their inspiration from such screen siren actresses as Betty Page, Rita Hayworth and Greta Garbo, taking their Hollywood starlet look and modernizing it to fit in with the modern world.  They are adding full vintage skirts with a “wife beater” tank top, or adding a women’s vintage hat to a plain black dress to complete their ensemble.  With the glamorous factor that encompassed that time era, the sky is the limit with what you can do with that look today!

Many stars of today are copying the looks of the past, giving inspiration to all modern women that the look of yesteryear can be classy and sophisticated and can be brought back with ease.  Actress and famous burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese has taken the old Hollywood look and made a name for herself with it.  She takes the 1940’s screen siren look very seriously, never breaking character for a moment, even when she is not on the stage or in the public eye.  Everything she owns is vintage, and when you see her wear these items, whether it is dressing up or being casual; it sort of makes you want to go back in time away from the complicated world of today and back to a place where things were simple and innocent.

Whether you are adding a women’s vintage hat to your outfit, or you have found a fabulous dress in a vintage shop that is reminiscent of everyone’s favorite redhead, Lucille Ball, the vintage look remains classy and timeless.  When you are looking for that perfect hat, make sure you look in local antique stores.  Undoubtedly, you will be able to find a nice selection of pill box hats (just like Jacqueline Kennedy) or occasionally you will find antique top hats from the 1800’s that would be perfect for a wedding, prom or black tie event.  Antique hats are a way to break the ice when you enter a party.  They are a great way to get the conversation moving.

If you are a sucker for all things vintage, you most likely have a soft spot for vintage handbags.  Something is considered vintage if it is from a time era that no longer exists.  With handbags, clothing and accessories, this can be as little as twenty years ago to over one hundred years.  Styles change with the times, and the same goes for handbags.  In the days of Hollywood starlets and screen sirens, handbags were compact and delicate.  Fast forward thirty years to the 1970’s and the bags were large, clunky and over the top, just like the clothes!  These bags are considered collectors items and if you are lucky enough to find one at a vintage store for a reasonable price, grab it and go!

Regardless of what your personal style is, it is always fun to accessorize, and this can easily be done with the addition of a few handbags that are sometimes interesting enough to be a true conversation piece.  Even if the way you dress is sometimes considered plain, or simple, adding a funky handbag or purse to your ensemble will instantly transform your outfit, making many a fashionista envious!  If you are going out for a night on the town, you can jazz up a simple plain black dress with a colorful handbag with matching shoes.  Add a jeweled vintage brooch to your fabric handbag to make it even more glamorous.  With just a simple addition of a purse, it can change your whole look.

Let’s say you are meeting a friend for lunch.  Throw on a pair of dressy jeans with a cute little cardigan.  Grab a retro, chunky handbag from the 70’s and you are all accessorized and ready to meet your friend.  It is sure to strike up a conversation when you get there, and how much fun it will be when you say, “Oh this little bag?  It’s vintage!”  It just makes you sound so posh and up with the fashion times!  To some people, having a few vintage pieces is fun, but to others, it is serious business.  You would be blown away at the price some people are willing to pay just to get their hands on a designer handbag or vintage shoes.  The good news is, you do not have to spend your life’s savings on any of these pieces if you do not care who is on the label.  You may just like the fact that these pieces have a story and by owning these little pieces of history, you can somehow be part of the story too.

Are you fascinated with all things Flower Power?  Was the Flower Child, Hippie Movement a place in time that you wish you could have been a part of?  While we cannot turn back the clock to take you back in time, you can still catch the style of the 70’s.  Though the thought of bringing back bell bottoms and macramé vests do not appeal to those who actually lived in the 70’s, those who did not, like to incorporate even small portions of that era into their wardrobe of today. This can easily be done with the addition of the 1970’s handbag.  You can give any outfit a retro feel with the simple addition of vintage accessories, like a purse, shoes or jewelry.

The fashion look of the 1970’s was big, messy and free-flowing.  The dresses and pants skimmed the floor and if you were lucky enough to see a glimpse of a shoe underneath these outfits, you would have found clunky brown boots.  With the big long clothes came the big accessories; extra large round sunglasses, big floppy hats with wide rims and large almost homemade looking purses.  These handbags were sometimes referred to as Hobo bags because they looked as though they were big enough to fill with all of your belongings.  The style often came in a leather or fabric patchwork pattern with a braided leather strap.

Crushed velvet was another popular fabric choice for use in making 1970’s handbags.  Normally, one color of velvet was not used, rather, a variety of different velvet colors were used, sewn together in a jumble of ways.  These pieces were not uniformed in size at all, giving it a carefree look so apparent in everything having to do with the 1970’s time era.  Bags with wood handles were also a popular choice in the 70’s.  These handles would be attached to the fabric or leather of the purses usually with large metal brads.  The handles were strong and durable and would be stained in a wood color or painted to match the coordinating colors of the purse.  Many designers today are drawing their inspiration from styles and fashion of the past, and giving it a modern twist.  Perhaps it is in the quality of the fabric that is different, or in the way the patchwork is sewn together.  Whatever the new design technique is, overall, the look of these modern handbags very much takes on the look from the past.

Do you have an event coming up and you want to find something fabulous to wear that will knock everyone’s socks off, but money is tight for you right now?  Well, you are luck because you do not have to spend a fortune on a brand new dress; in fact, you will not have to spend one penny on a brand new dress!  Most women have a LBD (little black dress) hanging in their closets.  It is a basic staple of any woman’s wardrobe.  If money is tight, have no fear, because with the addition of few fabulous accessories, you will be able to turn that boring LBD into an outfit envied by everyone!  By simply adding an evening back, the right jewelry and cute shoes, you will be set for the perfect evening out.

If your night out is a cocktail party, chances are that there will be many women there wearing little black dresses found in their closets.  So, what can you do to make sure that you stand out above them?  It is all in the way you accessorize your outfit, Darling!  If you have enough extra cash to purchase a pair of new shoes, go for it!  Don’t choose the conservative basic black pumps.  Why not take a risk and walk out of the store with a daring pair of bright red patent leather stilettos!  Pair your shoes with a coordinating handbag found in a vintage shop and it is a promise that no one will be looking at your plain black dress any longer!  If you will be outside, add a soft colorful Pashmina wrap that coordinates with all of your accessories.  These wraps can be tied in fun ways, or just draped over your shoulders to keep out the evening chill.

Vintage bags, shoes and antique costume jewelry are all you need to accessorize even the most basic of outfits.  Adding an ornate brooch to a simple cardigan can bring back a nostalgic feel of the 1950’s.  Pairing a handbag from the 1940’s with a tube of bright red lipstick applied to your lips will send you right back in time to Old Hollywood glamour.  Even a fabulous pair of vintage peep toe pumps can vamp up the most boring pair of jeans and give your plain outfit a boost for the night!  Sometimes, it’s not what you wear, but how you accessorize.  You do not have to spend a fortune to look like a million bucks.  Rummage through estate sales or antique shops to find unique vintage pieces at great prices.

Old Hollywood Glam is quickly making its comeback into the modern day world.  Everyday women are drawing their style inspiration from glamorous screen sirens from the 1940’s and 1950’s such as Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Greta Garbo and Bette Davis.  Taking a cue from these starlets, modern day women are making sure that their hair is perfectly coiffed, their makeup is perfectly done (with the obvious addition of the signature bright red lipstick) and every accessory is perfectly matched right down to the vintage handbag.  These handbags can be found in antique and vintage stores in every corner of the world.  You know the saying, “What is one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”, that is definitely the case in vintage shops.  You will find a step back into time in these shops bringing a nostalgic feeling with each item you find.

Generally, there is a section in every antique store that houses vintage hats, clothing and accessories such as handbags and jewelry.  These glamorous bags can fancy up the plain black dress or even glam up an outfit of dressy jeans and a modern blouse.  If you are lucky enough to stumble upon a designer named handbag, snatch it up as soon as you can.  These are prized treasures to some vintage collectors.  If you aren’t interested in using these bags for yourself, you most certainly will find many eager individuals willing to pay a decent price for a handbag or purse in good condition.

Vintage handbags are both feminine and lovely.  If they are ornate in style, it will certainly be a conversation piece.  Many people collect these handbags as a hobby, searching antique stores, vintage shops as well as the internet to find the perfect bag.  If you keep a close interest in celebrities, you will find that vintage is definitely “in” these days.  At Hollywood parties like the Oscar or Emmy Awards, where celebrities feel the need to “one up” the other stars by looking more glamorous than the next, they are turning to vintage pieces to give them a unique look.  This can be from the dress to the handbag, to the shoes and jewelry.  The starlets of the past really got the look right.  Feminine, powerful and lady like…perfect.