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 overseas. Maybe it was that loss, but in the last few weeks I've been absolutely obsessed with vintage carpet bags on Etsy. But not any carpet bag will do - I wanted something huge, which, if you've ever trolled Etsy for vintage tapestry bags, you'll know are hard to come by. The vintage styles just tend to be smaller. Enter the handbag pictured above.
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| Photo courtesy KeepitRetro on Etsy |
It's just so gorg, featuring an idyllic woodland scene with flowers and trees and various creatures. And it's large enough to fit a whack of stuff in it - love!
I did some research on the maker and discovered that Carpet Bags is a UK-based company that still exists. It started hand-making carpet bags out of recycled fabric in the 1970s and its products have graced the shelved of Harrods and Liberty of London. Wowsers. Somewhere along the line it started using tapestry, which my bag is made of, and then switched back to new carpets that reproduced old patterns. I am so thrilled to have this piece of UK heritage and am also chuffed the business still exists - a tough feat in this mass-produced offshore manufacturing kind of world, to be sure. I have to email the owner to find out how old my bag is but I'm guessing 1980s. Will keep you posted.
For the bag's first outing, I wore skinny jeans and a tunic (bought new in Canada) with a thrifted jean jacket and my fave thrifted leather lace-up booties. I love that I can take the long strap off the bag and use the bag handle if I so choose - though I may feel like Mary Poppins if I did that!
To honour the home-made heritage, and to make the outfit a bit more feminine, I added my fave Liberty of London scarf (found in a junk shop in Canada for two bucks) and a pretty silver ring with a large cut green stone (new, but 50 percent off). Notice the button on the jean jacket that I wrote about this week?
This is why I love old things: they bring the satisfaction of knowing a bit about the history of the maker, and also of giving the piece an appreciative home!
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| Photo courtesy KeepitRetro on Etsy |
If you're a novice buying vintage handbags, especially online, I've learned to always take a whiff of the bag or ask the seller if it smells. Some old handbags just smell too musty when you open them, so it's always worth asking. I haven't had extensive experience buying on Etsy but I have looked at a lot of pieces and I find most sellers will declare any flaws and if if they don't I imagine it's in their best interest to answer such a question honestly. That's my two cents! Anything else you seasoned vintage bag hunters look for or ask when shopping?
That's a whopper! How wonderful! With the long detachable strap, I would also guess that it's 1980s.
ReplyDeleteMy search will continue...
Your outfit makes you look very long and lean, and highlights the bag, which of course should be the star!
I don't mind the interior of vintage bags being a bit stained or otherwise messed up but a really strong musty smell is hard to get rid of. xxx
Thanks! I am with you on the state of the bag - stains and wear and tear is ok, but smell is a no-no as it's impossible to get out (though sometimes I stick a newly-purchased vintage bag in a bag with some baking soda - either that or I air it in the sun - and that seems to do the trick for mild lingering odours). Good look with the search! I think of you every time I see a large carpet bag on Etsy (you're right, they're not cheap).
DeleteThat carpet bag is adorable - and I love that it has the long strap as an alternative.
ReplyDeleteRe your post a few days ago, I call thrift shopping my "guilt-free shopping". Not only can you buy more for less, but you feel somewhat virtuous that you are rescuing something that may otherwise have ended up in landfill! (Kinda like rescuing a homeless kitty, I like to think).
I recently had the great AHA! experience when my neighbour was swooning over her new $2100 couch which I would not have taken as a gift, as I thought of my lovely $130 brand-new couch with pull-out bed that I bought from a hotel furniture liquidator! Now that's what it's all about!
You're rockin' the outfits, as always!
Nan
Aww thanks. I try to see my thrift shopping that way too, Nan, but since I am so obsessive about it I have to wonder about the guilt-free part, for me! But as you rightly say, you can save oodles of money on both small and big-ticket items, many of which just wouldn't be appreciated by people or find a home.
DeleteBTW, did you ever find those candlesticks?
Check out this Ebay seller, he has some amazing vintage bags!
ReplyDelete3977tim
Thanks for tip! I've just checked out Ebay and had a frustrating time searching for this seller - looks like there are no listings up (unless I have done this wrong, somehow, as I don't use Ebay much) but will keep an eye out!
DeleteOk, I've clocked him, thanks again, great bags he has!
DeleteHi Kellyyyyyyy :) If I knew you were into tapestry bags I would've given you a travel make up tapestry case that I've had for years. It's in mint condition. I think I've used it maybe twice. I could ship it to you by post or better still come back to Toronto for the summer to visit your good old friends ;-)
ReplyDeletemiss ya - xoxo
Cathy P.
Aww sweetheart, don't ship it, we'll do wine on your patio hopefully soon! I will respond to your email tom - miss you too!! xoxo
DeleteRe the candlesticks: I kinda forgot about them in the face of a $1000 vet bill (cat, dental)and a $5000 leak in my basement. But I at least know where to find them......
ReplyDeleteBTW, I'm too squeamish to smell things in the thrift store - I make my friend do it; she's a pro! Hahaha. We go to Newmarket every third Wednesday on her day off and she buys so much it makes me feel like an amateur. Again, a "virtuous" amateur......
Last week we took another friend of hers who made both of us look lame - she spent over $250 on clothes at Goodwill and VV - you know how many clothes that will buy!
Hope you're locating the good thrift stores in the UK.
Nan
Nan, I can relate re: the kitty vet bills! (not the leaky basement though - they don't really have basements whwere I am in the UK).
DeleteThe good thing about the UK charity shops is they don't really have that pervasive thrift shop smell like they do in Canada - they're very corporate here and every thing is super well-organized. (Case in point: they colour code everything, so all the blue tops are on one rack, etc - it's hilarious).
Wow, yes $250 is a whack of cash to blow! Did she get stuff that really suited her or was it a blind buying binge? I can't imagine spending that much or rather finding that many items in one go that suited me.
Hope you treat yourself to the candlesticks soon. :)