grunge-queen1

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Thursday, 30 August 2012

Handbags: the lost, the replacements, the found again

Posted on 07:33 by kumar
The thrifted leather doctor's bag I gave away: wah!!

This is a photo of me from a few years ago, pre-hubby. I'm wearing a thrifted 70s coat that I gave away to a pal when I moved. It stank of smoke so I don't miss it much. But I do miss the thrifted leather doctor's bag, pictured here, more than I care to admit - does it sound superficial to say that I regret getting rid of the MASS of thrifted items that I did before I moved overseas? This little number would have been perfect in France - the French ladies do tend to carry handbags such as this over their wrists, just SO - so stylish!

Another thrifted bag I gave away.

This all-leather baby was also thrifted for a couple bucks in Canada. It was given away too (note the passive voice? I can't even handle the guilt). Now, in France, with the cooler weather approaching, I find myself brown-bagless. How could I have given them all away? Was a completely nuts??

The replacement bag: 7 Euros on Etsy.
PHOTO: The Vintage Goody Shop, Etsy.

An obsessive troll on Etsy.com ensued the other night after yearning reveries of my lost bags, in which I tried to track down a worn brown leather bag. I found plenty of options at 40-50 Euros, a price I didn't want to pay to replace two bags that between them cost under 10 CAD. The Vintage Goody Shop came to the rescue with this uber distressed leather bag, on sale for the equivalent of just over 7 Euros! It's Liz Claiborne, not a vintage make or anything, but I've owned them before and the bags are well-made. Plus this one is banged up enough to constitute a Grunge Queen fave, I'm sure.

A second replacement bag, to make up for the ones below that I thought I'd lost.
PHOTO: The Vintage Goody Shop, Etsy.

For that price (so the shopping rationale goes), I could afford to buy another from the same shop, in this case a handmade bag from the good 'ole US of A, by SAS, in a tan distressed leather. It was a little more than 7 Euros but a ways off from 40 Euros, my cut-off point, so I snagged it. It will be my go-to every day bag, I can see it! I can't think of too many bag companies that are still manufacturing in the US, so I'm happy to have this little piece of  history.

Lost, then found again: hiding in my Mom's basement in a box!

The SAS bag was to replace this bag, a thrifted leather beaut I picked up in a Toronto vintage shop for a song last fall, which I thought I had lost forever ....

Remember the box of handbags I thought had gone missing somewhere between Toronto, Ottawa, and the UK, which I was hoping were hiding somewhere in my Mom's basement in Canada?

Another lost but found again leather beaut: hope we'll be reunited soon.
But in the meantime I have my replacement bags!

Turns out they're alive and well: Mom emailed (ironically right after I'd purchased the Etsy bags) to say she'd found the handbag box in the basement!! I made her show me every single one in the box over Skype, a total of 12 missing bags!! Whohoo! I ignored Mom's comment that she hoped I hadn't bought any handbags as I already had enough? (Well, how was I to know? I thought these bags were forever lost. It was only natural that I'd replace them, n'est pas?).

A Goodwill find that is in the bag box.
When I was working in Toronto, I used this 70s clutch as my lunch bag - most stylish lunch bag ever or worst fashion mistake ever?

And who knows when we'll meet again, since there's an ocean and expensive postage separating us? At least I know they're safe and sound at Grandma's, now residing in her cedar chest.

So glad I didn't give this 70s carpet clutch away.

Ditto for this wee patent baby found at Goodwill for a few dollars.

Vintage Missoni-esque carpet bag I will see again soon: can a gal love a handbag any more than I do right now?

It may seem silly to be so attached to my handbags, but I can't help it. They hold life's important baubles, everything from under-eye concealer to I.D. We should revere them, in my humble opin.

I gave away the wonderful patent bag and the plaid clutch behind it, but the wee suede doctor's bag in the front, which I found for .99 cents in a Toronto junk shop, made into the lost-now-found-again-box.
 It's got a red leather interior and is, simply put, utterly glorious.

I may need to ask Mom to ship a few of the lost tribe over to me. The rest can be stowed away in my sis (and her family's) luggage when they come on skiing holiday in the winter.

Isn't it nice to find stuff you thought was forever gone? Sometimes I'll even put things away, so I can experience the rush of finding them again.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Posted in 1970s, Accessories, Adventures, Canada, Carpet Bags, Deals, Etsy, Giving, Goodwill, Handbags, Handmade, History, Nostalgia, Thrift, Thrift Style, Toronto | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • Vintage accessory-obsessed
    38 weeks Maybe it's because I'm living in the same pair of black maternity leggings and a small selection of tops that cover my expa...
  • Around the house, mostly thrifted
    New tablecloth, made in Jodhpur. Yesterday was the annual street market in Annecy, which was full of over-priced tat: I can't tell you h...
  • Who says you can't be trendy & thrifty?
    As seasoned thrifters know, thrift shops don't just house rejects from the 1970s and granny pants with elastic waists. The sad/happy pa...
  • News flash: I found a charity shop in Annecy!
    Who would have thought? There may not be 15 charity shops scattered in the main shopping area like there was in St Annes in the UK, but ther...
  • Label Love link up: Canadian labels
    Thanks to Jo over at  Joyatri  for hosting a cool round up called Label Love, enabling us vintage hounds to share pics and info about our fa...
  • What I'm wearing: second-hand Annecy style
    Comptoir des Cotonniers dress: Annecy consignment shop 1990s? grannt booties: Ebay 1980s? necklace: Annecy consignment shop Ray Ban sunnies:...
  • Canadian Thrift open in my 'hood!
    This was the scene in Pape Village a few weeks ago: the former Bed, Bath & More had a sign in the window. Canadian Thrift Coming Soon. T...
  • Score: vintage carpet bag made in the UK by a still-existing company
    Though I am holding out hope, I appear to have lost a few treasured vintage bags and carpet bags in the move from Toronto to Ottawa and then...
  • 1980s dress a la thrift for Christmas dinner
    Cheers! I was a teen in the late 1980s when these sweater dresses were so big, but I never ever owned or wore one! I found this long wool be...
  • Yvoire, Evian & 70s coat
    1970s coat: Etsy Second-hand granny boots: Etsy Vintage French Lancel handbag: Annecy thrift shop Fuzzy wool beret: Annecy consignment shop ...

Categories

  • $2 Clothing Sale
  • 1960s
  • 1970s
  • 1980s
  • 1990s
  • 69 Vintage Buy the Pound
  • 7 for All Mankind
  • Accessories
  • Addiction
  • adventure
  • Adventures
  • Aix Les Bains
  • Alkemie
  • All That Jazz
  • Anne Klein
  • Annecy
  • Anthropologie
  • Antique Market
  • Antiques
  • Architectural salvage
  • Art
  • Artisans
  • Asos
  • Auction House
  • Autumn
  • Avon
  • Baby
  • Balenciaga
  • Bally
  • Barnardos
  • Bathroom
  • Beading
  • Beauty
  • Bedroom
  • Benetton
  • Bibi
  • Bionic
  • Birthdays
  • Blackpool
  • Blogging Buds
  • Bloglovin
  • Blue
  • Bohemian
  • Boho
  • Books
  • Boots
  • Bridal
  • British Heart Foundation
  • Brooches
  • Brooks Brothers
  • Cadoro
  • Canada
  • Canadian Bottle Collectors
  • Canadian Thrift
  • Cape
  • Capezio
  • Cards
  • Carpet Bags
  • Carpet Bags company
  • Cartier
  • Cats
  • Changes
  • Charity shops
  • charlie perfume
  • Chick stuff
  • Chinese Laundry
  • Christmas
  • Church Sales
  • Cleaning
  • Clements Ribeiro Portobello
  • Closet
  • Clothing Swap
  • Clutter
  • Coats
  • Collections
  • Coloratura
  • Colour
  • Comments
  • Consignment
  • Cooking
  • Cookware
  • cork
  • Coro
  • Costume
  • Country Living
  • Courcheval
  • Creativity
  • Critical Mass
  • CTS
  • Custom made
  • Dauplaise
  • Deals
  • Decluttering
  • Decor Book
  • decorating
  • Denim
  • Designers
  • Diane von Fürstenberg
  • Diane von Furstenberg
  • Dinky
  • Dinny Hall
  • Discount Store
  • Display
  • Ditzy Dress
  • DIY
  • Dollar Store
  • Dress
  • Dumpdiggers
  • Ebay
  • Elle Decor
  • Ellen Tracy
  • Emotional decorating
  • England
  • Entertaining
  • ethnic
  • Etienne Aigner
  • Etsy
  • Events
  • Fair Trade
  • Fakes
  • Family
  • Fashion
  • Fast Fashion
  • Flea Markets
  • Flowers
  • France
  • Franco Mirabelli
  • French
  • French designers
  • French Style
  • Friends
  • Fun
  • Fur
  • Furniture
  • Galas
  • Garage sales
  • Garbage picking
  • Geneva
  • Gerrards Auction House
  • Giant Tiger
  • Gifts
  • Giving
  • Goodwill
  • Granny chic
  • Great design
  • green
  • Grunge
  • Grunge Philosophy
  • Grunge Queen Stuff Sale
  • Hair
  • Halloween
  • halston
  • Halston Heritage
  • Hand-painted
  • Handbags
  • Handmade
  • Handy
  • Hanpainted
  • harmony ball
  • Harrods
  • Hats
  • Heritage
  • Hermes
  • hi-low
  • History
  • Home
  • Hot
  • How I Wear My
  • How to thrift shop
  • Hudson's Bay Company
  • Imperfection
  • Inspiration
  • James Bay
  • James Bay Coat and Blanket Corporation
  • Japanese Stoneware
  • Jeanne Lottie
  • Jeans
  • Jewellery
  • Jimmy Hourihan
  • Jimmy Hourihan of Dublin
  • Joe Browns
  • John Hort
  • Kangol
  • Karina Dresses
  • Kelly Bag
  • Kelly Gadzala
  • Kelly Makeover
  • Kelly Makeover.
  • Kenneth Cole Reaction
  • Kenzo
  • Label Love
  • Lacuzzo
  • Lamps
  • Lancel
  • Lanvin
  • Laura Ashley
  • lauren hutton
  • Lavishy
  • Leslieville
  • Liberty of London
  • Lighting
  • Lilley and Skinner
  • Linen
  • Lolita Lempicka
  • Lytham
  • macrame
  • Made in Canada
  • Made in France
  • Magic
  • Makeup
  • Marilyn Monroe
  • Mark Foreman
  • Mass market
  • Maternity wear
  • Men
  • Mercedes-Benz
  • MEXX
  • Michael Kors
  • Miscellaneous
  • Modernist jewellery
  • Mood Ring
  • Natural
  • New
  • Nostalgia
  • Online Selling
  • Ontario Thrift
  • Ottawa
  • Outdoor decorating
  • Outer-Wear
  • Oxfam
  • Parkdale
  • Personal style
  • Philosophy by Alberta Ferretti
  • Politically Correct
  • polyvore
  • Pop-up shop
  • Portobello Road
  • Prabal Gurung
  • Preppy
  • Pretty
  • Purses
  • Quality
  • Rafael Alfandary
  • Reader help
  • Reader Questions
  • Readers
  • Recipes
  • Recycling
  • Regrets
  • Retro
  • Revlon
  • Rob Campbell
  • Rodier
  • Roman Ruins
  • Romance
  • Room Makeover
  • Royal Ontario Museum
  • Sale
  • Salvation Army
  • Sample Sale
  • Sarah Coventry
  • SAS
  • Scary Thrift
  • Scooter
  • Scooter Paris
  • Second Hand
  • Second-hand
  • Shoe Shine
  • Shoes
  • Shopping
  • Shopping Column
  • Shopping North Toronto
  • Shopping West Toronto
  • Shops at Don Mills
  • Show and Tell
  • Simplicity
  • Sister
  • Sonia Rykiel
  • Sorrow
  • Splurge
  • St. John's Thrift
  • Steampunk
  • Stockings
  • Storage
  • Stretch Thrift
  • Stripes
  • Stuart Weitzman
  • Studio sale
  • style
  • Style blogger
  • Sugar Street Weavers
  • Superhero Costumes
  • Swaps
  • Ta-Dah Tuesday
  • Tableware
  • Tapestry Bags
  • Tara Jarmon
  • Teenflo
  • Telephones
  • Thank you
  • That 70s Show
  • Thayer
  • The Junction
  • The Queen
  • Then and Now
  • Theory
  • Thierry Mugler
  • Third World Bazaar
  • Thrift
  • Thrift blogger
  • thrift ideas
  • Thrift Pals
  • thrift shopping
  • Thrift Shopping East Toronto
  • Thrift Shopping Midtown
  • Thrift Shopping West Toronto
  • Thrift store decorating
  • Thrift Style
  • Tips
  • to
  • Tom Ford
  • Toronto
  • Toronto Bead Society
  • Toronto bloggers
  • Toronto Bottle Show
  • Toronto Designers
  • Toronto Shopping
  • Toronto Vintage Costume Jewellery Club
  • Toronto Vintage Costume Jewellery Club Show and Sale
  • Tory Burch
  • Town Crier newspapers
  • Toys
  • Tradition
  • Trash
  • Trendy
  • Tribal
  • Trifari
  • Ugg
  • UK
  • United Nude
  • Updates
  • Vakko
  • Value Village
  • Velvet
  • Versace
  • Victoria Beckham
  • Victorian
  • Vide Grenier
  • Vintage
  • Vintage Dealers
  • Vintage Jewellery
  • Vintage sizing
  • Vintage Toys
  • Visible Monday
  • Walls
  • Wardrobing
  • Water
  • Wedding
  • Weill
  • What would you do?
  • Where to thrift shop in Toronto
  • Which is Thrift?
  • white ruffle blouse
  • Windows
  • Wine Country Tour
  • Wonder Woman
  • Wunderkind
  • Yves Saint Laurent

Blog Archive

  • ►  2013 (37)
    • ►  December (1)
    • ►  November (3)
    • ►  October (3)
    • ►  September (2)
    • ►  August (1)
    • ►  June (1)
    • ►  May (7)
    • ►  April (3)
    • ►  March (7)
    • ►  February (4)
    • ►  January (5)
  • ▼  2012 (83)
    • ►  December (9)
    • ►  November (3)
    • ►  October (2)
    • ►  September (6)
    • ▼  August (3)
      • Handbags: the lost, the replacements, the found again
      • On bikes, bijoux & boho style
      • On castles, magic & mystery in Annecy
    • ►  July (4)
    • ►  June (7)
    • ►  May (17)
    • ►  April (23)
    • ►  March (5)
    • ►  February (3)
    • ►  January (1)
  • ►  2011 (166)
    • ►  December (2)
    • ►  November (3)
    • ►  October (3)
    • ►  September (11)
    • ►  August (16)
    • ►  July (17)
    • ►  June (15)
    • ►  May (21)
    • ►  April (20)
    • ►  March (19)
    • ►  February (17)
    • ►  January (22)
  • ►  2010 (214)
    • ►  December (20)
    • ►  November (18)
    • ►  October (19)
    • ►  September (16)
    • ►  August (19)
    • ►  July (17)
    • ►  June (18)
    • ►  May (22)
    • ►  April (20)
    • ►  March (22)
    • ►  February (19)
    • ►  January (4)
Powered by Blogger.

About Me

kumar
View my complete profile