For the Love of Purses!
Fall at Georgie Girl means an amazing collection of fabulous handbags coming through our doors! I admit that in the past I have been “guilty” of tending to carry around the same handbag wherever I go whether it matches my outfit or not – or a gym bag! No more, I am addicted. Really, truly in love.
Our range is huge, from designer all leather Escada, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade, Coach, Chanel to rare and collectable gold “basket weave” vintage bags that look like lunch boxes. Adorable.
This fine fall day I am digging into the history of the Tapestry Bag. Dolce and Gabbana, in the HUGE fall issue of Vogue (a must-have for fashioninsta’s), features a gorgeous photo fashion photo shoot with tapestry inspired apparel and accessories. The details are stunning, and reminiscent of old Italy. But, I digress…
Tapestry, Needlepoint, Carpetbag. Relatives! The Carpetbag goes back to the U.S civil war and before when leather was scarce and luggage needed to be sturdy. Therefore, innovation by luggage makers reused remnants of carpets – many with beautiful and elaborate patterns – to make “carpetbags.” The term “carpetbagger” is derived from this functional”fashion” item! The “Carpetbagger” was a northern dude that crossed the Mason-Dixie line soon after the US civil war to claim or buy cheap land or score a government job. Rhett Butler (sigh), our hero in Gone With the Wind, was accused of being a carpetbagger, but in reality he was a blockade runner…but again I digress. Perhaps not so much the helping out sort, carpetbaggers. Opportunist, in other words, or perhaps entrepreneurial sort. In any case, the “carpetbag” marked him as an outsider, so the term “carpetbagger” was a bit like saying the guy was a “stinker.”
Tapestry or Needlework purses are represented in the era’s from the 1930′s to present. Previous to 1980, the bags were created by hand. In the 1930′s the purses were small and intricate, and typically had a little chain handle and sometimes an elaborate clasp. The trends continued throughout the 1940′s and 1950′s, in the main florals, but many that depicted scenes from the past.
There were also bags made from actual carpets, easy to distinguish as they are more uniform in their patterns and appear to be remnants of old carpets. Some may have bakelite or lucite handles, making them all the more pretty!
In the 1980′s, more innovation and the ability to mass produce this look carried over to modern luggage and handbags. Pegasus, RL, Oscar de la Renta, to name a few used tapestry fabrics to make beautiful luggage. Although the look took a few breaks over the past 20 years, it is classic and is making a big surge this fall.
The cool thing is that these sweet bags pair up with so many fashions! Sweet and casual, will go with worn jeans and vintage tee. Vintage look dresses, the “country” look, the classic Ralph Lauren outfit, or the Really Big Deal Glamour- event outfit.
Look for these pretty, classic and vintage
bags in our shop!