Frame handbag with clasp

[Styyna]

I would love to have a purse like this again:



Has anyone see frame bags with clasps like this? I love that they limit how much I can carry, they close fast without having to zip or align some snap, and, in the right color/fabric, I even like the appearance.

(This is just an icon image I happened to find, not a real purse.)

[Kelly]

Geez, I don't think I have seen anything like that in ages. I am sure they're around, but the structures items I see do not have the frame/clasp setup.

I agree, those are great handbags.

If I had any talent in that area, I'd design some, updated for this century.

I love handbags. And scarves. And shoes ...

[BettyBoop]

Here's something kitschy (sp?) at Overstock.com

[Veuve]

Check Etsy! I found this one, after looking for just a minute:
=tags&includes[1]=title&filter[0]=handmade]http://www.etsy.com/listing/61086288/red-leather-frame-bag-doctors-bag-with?ref=sr_gallery_4&ga_search_query=frame+handbag&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=3&order=&includes[0]=tags&includes[1]=title&filter[0]=handmade

There are lots of beautiful vintage ones to be found as well.

[Poppyfields]

This reminded me of my mother's old dark brown leather frame handbag.  It had a small handle (like the old briefcases).  I loved how it clicked when it snapped shut, and I loved how the interior smelled - leather and powder.  Mmmmmmmm.

[Styyna]

This reminded me of my mother's old dark brown leather frame handbag.  It had a small handle (like the old briefcases).  I loved how it clicked when it snapped shut, and I loved how the interior smelled - leather and powder.  Mmmmmmmm.

I had a brown, leather edition of a frame handbag and I loved the smell too. I also loved how it kept me organized because there was only so much that could fit. Less is better, even in my handbag.

So why did I haul a burlap tote all over the Mayo Clinic yesterday, in addition to a monster handbag? Because I couldn't choose which book to take and I had a spare pair of shoes plus all my meds and supplements.

[Tupelo]

My everyday handbag is a brown leather backpack. I do have a drift of handbags and totes on a closet shelf, but this one bag is my every day grab and go. My one other favorite (for around town and shopping trips) is an Aigner cross-body bag. I have a small collection of vintage evening bags - 5, actually. I don't get to use them often, but I can stop buying them.

[Kelly]

I have one amazing vintage bag. My paternal grandmother was a flapper, and I have her silk purse from that era. It's a heavyweight silk cloth, indigo, and fully embroidered with beads that are made of what looks like iridescent blue carnival glass. The top of the pouch, which cinches shut with a braided cord, is piped in deep navy velvet. Absolutely stunning. And HEAVY!

For every day, I have a very old black leather Coach tote. No emblems or logos obvious advertising (which is the way I like it). The leather is so soft and beat up without looking worn. I can pile all my stuff into it or even use it for with with a laptop and lunch. It also makes a great summer-weekend getaway bag, if I am traveling light.

For smaller everyday wear, I have a buttery-soft Kate Spade hobo bag.

I wish I were more adventurous with color. Almost all my handbags or are black, bone, British tan, and red. Although I do have a Cole Haan bag that is a luscious shade of pea green I love how that looks against my black pea coat.

I think I own one structured bag with handle (a very old Dooney & Bourke), but it has a flat, no frame or clasp. Is mid-80s considered vintage?

[Styyna]

I have a small collection of vintage evening bags. From Norway I have an old (before they were protected) sealskin evening bag. And I kept my mother's evening bags that go back many decades. I never use them but I'm going to make a display case for them. They are so pretty.

[Kelly]

A display would be so nice!

I forgot that I have a sealskin purse, too. It's really just a change purse, but it has a frame and a clasp and a red velvet interior. My father picked it up for me on his travels to Alaska back in the early 70s.

[Veuve]

Zuzu, that vintage silk flapper handbag sounds divine! I would love to see a picture if you are ever so inclined.

[Kelly]

Zuzu, that vintage silk flapper handbag sounds divine! I would love to see a picture if you are ever so inclined.

Sure! I have to dig it out. It has been a while since I used it. It might have been as long ago as the bachelor auction where I met my starter husband, when he begged me to buy him so he wouldn't go to some other poor woman.

[Poppyfields]

Is mid-80s considered vintage?

I believe I heard on a TV fashion show that anything over 25 years old is vintage.   

[Kelly]

Is that for apparel? With cars, 10 years is vintage, and 25 is antique!

[BettyBoop]

Is that for apparel? With cars, 10 years is vintage, and 25 is antique!

So what's 50 years? Decrepit?