Think back to the purse you remember best from your childhood. Was it a glossy Lucite box that clicked shut, a wicker basket bag from a Florida vacation, or a shimmering mesh bag saved for special nights? Vintage handbags were made from a wonderful range of materials, and knowing what you're looking at helps you date a bag, judge its condition and care for it properly.
Lucite
Lucite is a brand name for a clear, tough acrylic plastic, and in the 1950s it became the star of the American handbag world. Lucite box purses came in clear, tortoiseshell, pearlized, confetti and carved styles, often from makers in New York and Miami. Lucite also turns up as handles, lids and trim on bags made mostly of other materials.
How to tell: Real Lucite feels heavy and solid for its size, and it has crisp, polished edges. Cheaper plastics feel lighter and thinner. What to check: Look for crazing, which is a web of fine cracks, plus chips at corners and hinges, cloudiness, and a lid that doesn't sit straight. A faint chemical smell can be a sign the plastic is breaking down. Care: Wipe it with a damp soft cloth. Never use alcohol, acetone or household cleaners, which can craze it.
Wicker, straw and rattan
Basket purses were a mid-century summer staple, especially the painted wicker box bags from Florida makers like Tropic, Midas of Miami and Florida Handbags. Many were decorated with fabric, beads, shells, raffia flowers or Lucite trim. Real wicker is woven from natural cane, reed or rattan. Later bags may use plastic strands that only look like wicker.
What to check: Look for broken or loose strands, chipped paint, water stains and mildew, and whether the hinges and feet are secure. Care: Dust with a soft brush. Keep it dry, but not baking in the sun, so the cane doesn't get brittle.
Metal mesh
Mesh bags are made of tiny linked metal rings or flat links that drape like fabric. Whiting & Davis and Mandalian are the best-known makers. For the full story, see our Whiting & Davis mesh bag guide.
Beaded bags
Beaded bags run from tiny Victorian glass-bead purses to 1950s and '60s evening bags covered in seed beads, pearls or sequins, many made in Japan, Hong Kong, Belgium or France. Some bags use beads as an accent, outlining a design on velvet or tapestry.
What to check: Look for missing beads, loose threads, and stretching or sagging, since old thread weakens. Small losses are common and can be reinforced, but a bag dripping beads will keep losing them. Care: Store it flat and supported, never hanging, because the weight of the beads strains the thread.
Tapestry, needlepoint and velvet
Woven tapestry, carpet-bag style and hand-stitched needlepoint or petit point bags were popular from the 1940s through the '60s, often with brass or gold-tone frames. Cut velvet, with its raised plush pattern, shows up on evening bags and as decorative panels.
What to check: Look for worn spots where the bag rubbed against the body, fading, moth damage and stains. Care: Brush gently. Don't soak these bags, because frames, linings and glues can be damaged.
Leather, patent and alligator
Classic structured leather bags from makers like Koret, Coblentz and Bienen-Davis are mid-century favorites. Patent leather and vinyl were everywhere in the 1960s. Exotic skins like alligator and lizard were popular earlier, but laws now limit how some of them can be sold, so check the rules before buying or selling one.
What to check: Look for cracking, peeling, corner wear, stiff or flaking patent, and a sticky or crumbling lining.
Look inside: linings and labels
The inside of a bag tells you a lot. Look for a maker's label, often a woven tag sewn near the pocket, and a stamp on the frame. Metal zippers point to an older bag. Check for loose seams and stains in the lining, and for a mirror or coin purse that came with it.
Tell us about yours
What was the special-occasion purse in your family, and what was it made of? Is it still tucked in a closet somewhere? We'd love to hear about it.
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