Saturday, May 8, 2010

Never Seen - Purses!

Since I started walking to and from work 3 years ago, I only use handbags either on casual Fridays, or when I go out. Contrary to what it may seem, I don't go out very often.

Anyway, it's hard to give up old purses, especially when they are cool or odd (heh, kind of like me). In no particular order, this is what's hiding in my closet.

The XOXO purse.
L got that for me when he went to Montreal for a business trip about 5 years ago. I love the yellow with gold design. The interior is lime green!

The vintage gold clutch:
I got this for about $5 in a thrift store years ago. You can tuck the gold chain inside to make it a clutch. I love that it actually has some room in it.

The crazy beaded bag:
This is from when I worked in Fairweather. The beads tend to fall off, so I don't use it very often.

My Audrey bag!
Remember when "movie" bags were all the rage about 5 years ago? This is my favourite movie of all time. I still use this bag when the outfit is right. It holds my lunch and a small pair of shoes (my requirement for middle-sized bags).

This black bag was my old stand-by purse for evening wear for years...easily 2-3 years.
It's got no pockets, just a nice sized small bag with a magnet closure that I can fit a lot in if I have to. I got it in a thrift shop about 8-9 years ago. It's Paloma Picasso:
I keep a lot of the bags (and hats) in velvet boxes in my closet, like so:
Okay, this is the most crazyass purse I own:
It is just insane. It's from the 70s (can't you imagine that this once had a matching dress??), and the lime and yellow with macrame and the flowers are just...yeah...I have no words.
It's so ugly it's hideously amazing. It was given to me by one of L's friends' mother. I've never used it, but I can't give it up.

Speaking of hideous, that same friend's mother gave me this 80s monstrosity as well:
Can you see the black suede panels on either side of the copper leather panel? That's just batsh*t crazy. Who would use that? Answer: not me. Never used it.

But it's mesmerizingly awful and I can't give it up, so in the box it goes:
Back to cool purses!

I've had this one for about 6 or 7 years - my Chinese takeout purse: Real bamboo handle and lovely brocade.

Another little purse that actually holds a lot inside (like a flask of scotch, heh heh, very handy for parties).
I think I may have actually shown this purse on the blog before, but I don't use it very often, so I'm including it anyway. I got this at the Naturalizer store a little over a year ago:
It's a good mid-sized purse. I like the "granny chic" styling and the rigid shape.

Plus, it has leopard interior:
Awesome!

L bought me this purse several years ago (maybe 6 or 7 years?):
It says "So Chic, So Debonair" - and the picture is outlined in beads, with bead details on the dog.

It's actually made out of a cigar box:
I love the gingham interior:
Another one that holds a lot (sensing a theme?).

I found this purse in a thrift store about 4 years ago:
I like the handle - it's half chain, half faux croc. I think it looks very Chanel.
But it's Liz!

Okay, this is one of my favourite small purses:
I bought this in a shoe store from the clearance bin. It was around $16. Who doesn't love martinis?
But the interior is the star:
Hot pink velvet, with mini jewelry tray, mirror and enough room in the compartment below for - you guessed it - a flask. Really, I'm not a lush.

I don't remember where I got this purse, maybe it's a Fairweather one?
I like the fringe. I am all about the details with my purses (like I am with everything, actually). It has a soft body so I can cram a lot of stuff in it.

This one is a Fairweather one:
I love the long beads. It holds keys, ID, credit/debit cards and maybe a lipstick.
This is one of my favourite purses:
I got this at Accessorize (the UK chain) before their store closed here. I love all the shades of silver and grey sequins and beads.

This is what it looks like closed:
Open wide...
It's got a silver lining. Doesn't every girl need a silver lining sometimes?

I don't have enough purses to go with browns:
It's from Le Chateau, I think.

This one's from Aldo:
I love beads and frou-frou.

That's it! Not too many, but they work for me. Hope you enjoyed seeing them.

10 comments:

  1. Now see, I believe I'd use the gold/suede monstrosity! I often go for the ugly/mesmerizing combo, though my bags are all decidedly plain (weird, right? I've never been a bag person, though I dream of having one nice, real leather bag that in a great color like grey or camel). Anyway, thanks for hte purse tour -- I never thought of you as a purse lady, but you sure have a dazzling collection!

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  2. Wow! quite a collection, of course I LOVE the Chinese take out box as it reminds me of my baby girl Jia-li!

    I am so bad about my purses, I have one of each color I might wear and I leave them in the back of my car (yes, you heard me right) and just transfer all of my stuff as I go.

    I do have others, including a really cool one with my doggies face.These "live" in my closet.

    I am on a purse ban imposed by my daughter, as I have no sense of control over crazy expensive purses. She is tough too, not even a cheap one from Target....

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  3. Loving this series! So fun. You have an eye for detail.

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  4. That was a fun look at all your very cool and pretty bags, even the weirdo ones too! I'm a sucker for a pretty beaded or evening type bag. I keep trying to find reasons to use them. Maybe someday I'll have more events to go to.

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  5. WOW.... you are not going to believe me.
    But the bag that you say you have never worn... the one with bronze in the middle... is so cool.
    You could wear it with jeans to the movies.... I am SOOO serious.
    The green macrame... I am speechless, I might have nightmares with the matching dress.

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  6. So cool! (I'm suddenly feeling like I own the most boring bags on earth...) I totally love the takeout box purse!

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  7. Wow, that is a big collection of purses, much bigger than my own! For personal reasons I like the brown beaded clutch the best, but I am a sucker for brown.

    Love the storage idea too; I might have to steal that!

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  8. Ha, Julia, I can't believe you like that thing! Glad you enjoyed the tour.

    Lesa, it's such a cool purse, isn't it? Your method is what I use for my big bags - I just transfer everything over. I have never seen the attraction of expensive purses.

    Thanks, Anonymous.

    Alison, glad you enjoyed it.

    Lorena, you and Julia both like this?? Oh my gosh. Yeah, the green one is scary.

    Thanks, pear!

    Kristen, it never seems like much until I dig them all out.

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  9. I've only commented once or twice, but I was reading through the archives and just had to say this:

    The green one went with a bridesmaid's dress. I am utterly convinced of this.

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  10. Julia, thanks for commenting again! I think you're right - some hideous 70s bridesmaid dress monstrosity. Somewhere there is a picture of it!

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