Black Baguette with Gold Floral Motif

Black Stretch Knit Baguette with 3-D Gold Floral Motif. 1960s. Maker: Unknown, possibly Caron. Lovely black baguette-shaped bag covered in soft stretch Jersey knit fabric and then embellished with three-dimensional gold flowers, leaves, bugle beads and black trim. Coordinating strap. Gold hardware. Plain on the inside.

Caron of Houston made a lot of purses with this mixed-media approach, which is why I think it might be one of theirs. The labels were glued in and not sewn in, so it’s possible the label was lost. Scroll down to see more of my similar bags, whose makers are Caron, Soure and Spilene. And feel free to totally dig that crazy cancan girl painting, which I got years ago at a thrift store.

Needlepoint Cherries Tote Purse

Needlepoint Cherries Tote Purse. 1960s. Maker: JR Florida, USA. Navy blue woven fabric tote-style purse with needlepoint front. The needlepoint is a slightly different shade of navy blue with a fabulous large pattern of cherries and leaves. Built-in change purse. Four goldtone feet.

Regular readers of this blog know how much I love the craftsmanship of JR (Julius Resnick) purses. To see exactly how much, scroll down to the second photo.

Pair of Small Corde Clutches

Pair of Corded Clutch Purses. 1940s. Maker: No maker tag, but likely Genuine Corde. Both purses are a mix of swirling and straight lines, typical of Corde. One is brown and the other is black. Both sides of the brown are the same pattern. The black has a different corded pattern on the back, and a pocket at the front. The black is stiffened internally with cardboard. Both are very small clutches that can be used as wallets or change purses. They are lined in coordinating fabric (probably rayon) and each has a goldtone metal zipper and tiny pull. The brown (8.5") is actually a bit smaller than the black (9.25").

There is something tactilely satisfying and eye-pleasing about Corde purses. Plus, in the ‘40s, everything was made so beautifully!

Plastic Covered Floral Purse with Gold Lame Accents

Plastic Covered Floral Purse with Gold Lame Accents. 1960s. Maker: Delill Creation. Fabric tote-style purse with brightly-colored floral design. The flowers are outlined in gold stitching, giving it a slightly quilted look. The purse is covered in plastic and accented by gold lame faux leather handles, trim and interior. The bottom is covered in shiny silver lame. Built-in kisslock section and a separate zip pocket.

I think my new “thing” is gold lame. I’m not sure if this means I’m getting more fabulous or just… older. Eh, well. I’ll take ‘em both!

Textured Tote Purse with 3-D Poodles

Textured Tote Purse with 3-D Poodles. 1960s. Maker: JR Florida. Textured—feels like a heavy burlap—tote-style purse with a detailed three-dimensional needlework design featuring two fluffy gray poodles with rhinestone eyes and teensy red bead tongues. The needlepoint background includes a streetlight, fence, lawn, and (presumably) tennis balls. The design is framed in fringe. Inner zip pocket. Two plastic faux tortoise handles.

How cute is this? SO CUTE. I have a large number of JR (Julius Resnick) bags, and each one of them is special!

Lucite Purse with Carved Top and Gold Star Pattern

Lucite Purse with Carved Top and Gold Star Pattern. 1950s. Maker: Unknown. Wonderful oval-shaped Lucite purse with carved/molded top and handle. The base of the bag has a covering that looks like cloth, with gold threads and tiny gold stars, then covered in some sort of laminate. What makes this one interesting, besides the beautiful stars, is the ivory-colored vertical stitching beneath the laminate.

In everyday use, I prefer vintage bags that are large enough to hold all my stuff ‘n’ junk. (As some of you know, I’m a grandma, and my theory is that the older you get, the bigger the purse!) I also like ones that I don’t have to worry about as much; that is, if I accidentally knock off a bead or faux gem, I won’t freak out. Therefore, I only use Lucite bags for special occasions, like holiday parties or a vintage clothing event. It never fails, though—they’re always a conversation-starter!

Gold Lame Three-Dimensional Poodle Purse

Gold Lamè Three-Dimensional Poodle Purse. 1960s. Maker: Custom Original Pert Bag California. Fabulous gold lamè large-size purse with a peek-a-boo plastic window. Behind the window is an incredible three-dimensional fluffy poodle. It looks like it used to be white, but has discolored with age. The poodle has a gold collar and there are gold balloons behind it with handwritten locations: Hawaii, New York, Las Vegas, Palm Springs and Miami.

I love poodle purses! This was a fabulous find, and is the second Pert Bag in my collection. The first one can be seen here.

Both are going to require some reinforcement on their straps, but the wonderful, creative design is worth a little extra expense.