Collecting Vintage Handbags

While some girls think that diamonds are a girl's best friend, others would say that the handbag they carry is of much more importance to them. While some women spend thousands on the likes of Gucci handbags, others prefer the vintage look, with the added advantage that they are getting a 'one off' at a fraction of the cost of modern designer handbags.

Handbags became an important part of status and substance in the early part of the 19th century, but it is the innovative and colourful designs of the 20th century that made these handbags so desirable.

Metal mesh bags were introduced towards the end of the 19th century but really came into their own in the 1920s as the perfect accessory for the 'Flapper' girl. These bags had screen-printed brightly coloured designs and the most well known bags are by the American company Whiting and Davis which are all signed on the clasps or on separate metal tags; they can fetch in excess of £150 in vintage shops. The company is still producing handbags today and some of their designs are influenced by their original vintage models. Another sought after designer of mesh handbags in the 1930s was Mandalian, a Turkish designer who lived in the USA. The influence for his patterns came from the Turkish rugs and are always brightly coloured. You would need to pay between £100 and £200 for one of his designs.

The 1950s

There was a revival of mesh bags in the 1950s and this decade went on to become the most innovate for handbag design. Using new materials such as Lucite, the box bags were popular, fun and modern. American designers such as Llewellyn and Willardy are the epiphany of 1950s design and are always highly sought after by collectors. One of the rarest handbags from the decade is probably the 'Beehive' by Llewellyn, which was made in 1951 and is much imitated. It has a beehive-shaped base with a carved lid with gilded metal bees on top. You can pay between £200 -£300 for the original.

Other popular bag in the 1950s were made of raffia or wood, all highly decorated with beads, shells or sequins and the poodle motif was extremely popular. Post-war design in handbags became quirky with matching clip-on umbrellas and even a battery-operated light to illuninate the interior of your bag.

The 1960s

In the 1960s, plastic bags became very popular, typified by PVC and heavily influenced by Pop Art and Op Art (Optical Art movement by abstract painters, including Bridget Riley). Clothes designers such as Mary Quandt and Biba opened their fashion boutiques and it became essential to team a dress and shoes with a matching handbag, known as the 'Total Look'. Mary Quant's daisy logo made the flower a popular design, and hard plastic bags appeared with all kinds of daisy designs in different guises.

Italian designer Emilio Pucci appealed to the wealthier women of the decade with his psychadelic patterns and although he is better known for his clothes designs he also produced some wonderful ladies' handbags in the same swirly kaleidoscope of colourful material - these are expensive and you would have to pay between £300 and £500 for a Pucci bag. There are cheaper handbags with psychadelic designs, which was so popular with the Hippie movement of the late 1960s. Good bags can be found for between £50 and £80.

Handbags have always been a favourite with women and there is a huge choice. Look for good makers names, innovative designs and unusual shapes. The most exciting thing about vintage handbags is that you can use them, rather then putting them in a cabinet to be admired. You can create and enhance your own style and be the envy of all your friends.