Fun Handbag question! - Page 2

KathyPet · ‎03-09-2010

Wow, you ladies have some great memory. I have no idea what my first handbag was or looked like.

dosey · ‎10-16-2010

The first purse that I can vividly remember was a box purse that my mom gave me. It is similar to this one except it had only flowers on it.

I loved that thing!!

Paws and enjoy life.

Jayhawk Girl · ‎10-25-2011

what a fun thread!! And, yes I remember my first handbag. It was a red "patent leather" (more like plastic) little bag. I used to carry it on the handlebars of my bike!! I would give anything to still have it as I have grown up to be quite the purse girl!! Love them.

I love my family, my fur boys, my Jayhawks and accounting!

willdob3 · ‎11-01-2010

What a fun subject!

My first handbag was handmade for me by my grandma! I'm not sure how old I was, not very old, that is for sure. It was a mint green woven material, a small drawstring closure... It was very special & I love that style bag to this day!

Nonametoday · ‎03-09-2010

I posted this with Courtney but copy-pasted it here.

I was in first grade and my best friend had the cutest little handbag. In retrospect I think it probably the bottom of a metal powder box covered in pretty faile fabric, bottom of brown and gathered with eyelets and through each eyelet was run a pasamenterie-twisted silk cording which ended above the same fabric in a buttery yellow with tassels on the tied off ends. It was similar to a fortune cookie clutch but more framed around the bottom. I admired it all morning and at lunch I asked her if I could touch it. She nodded yes.

I picked it up and would not let go. So after we reached our room, we made an agreement, she could have my notebook which she really admired in turquoise and pink and I would have her little purse. Oh, boy. When her mother got hold of my mother on the phone, I was marched to the car and took a ride to her house and handed her back her little purse. I did not want the notebook. I had more at home as we owned a little shop where we sold school supplies, but my mother made me take it so I could study my spelling words (which I had no need to do at that time).

Through the years we were best of friends. Our tastes in clothing was very similar. We shared clothing when we were in high school. We separated in college years.

My mother died unexpected one weekend when I was home visiting. I called her to ask if she wanted to go shopping with me as I was going to buy clothes for the funeral. She replied... "just come look in my closet and take what you like. I don't even need a notebook. Just bring what you take back after the funeral."

She hugged me and we cried and then she showed me the little yellow and brown purse that she kept in a special place as the memory of our friendship through the years. Right before she died of cancer two decades later, she called me to ask me to come see her before the end. I had to travel by car as I could not get a flight but I made it 700 miles in less than a day, and she gave me the little purse I always coveted. We were in our 60s, so many decades we were still connected by the little purse which is somewhat threadbare now, but I still have it and it is still emblematic of a longtime friendship that went to the grave.

1Professor · ‎12-07-2014

@Eva-QVC

My first purse was given to me at age 4. It was red plastic with a great handle that I used to carry the bag on my shoulder, with as much sophication as a wee child could pull off.

People gave me pennies and I kept them in that purse, proudly spilling them all out for display whenever I perceived any degree of encouragement.

This one:

Naturally, that's probably too young to start a female child on a purse focus. I am now an avid collector. I blame it on the magical red purse.

Eva-QVC · ‎06-14-2015

@Nonametoday - I'm so touched by your story. Who would have thought that the love of a handbag would be the start of a lifelong friendship. That little bag came full circle and you were both lucky to have each other in your lives for so long. Thank you for sharing such a sweet story.

@NameAlreadyTaken wrote:

I posted this with Courtney but copy-pasted it here.

I was in first grade and my best friend had the cutest little handbag. In retrospect I think it probably the bottom of a metal powder box covered in pretty faile fabric, bottom of brown and gathered with eyelets and through each eyelet was run a pasamenterie-twisted silk cording which ended above the same fabric in a buttery yellow with tassels on the tied off ends. It was similar to a fortune cookie clutch but more framed around the bottom. I admired it all morning and at lunch I asked her if I could touch it. She nodded yes.

I picked it up and would not let go. So after we reached our room, we made an agreement, she could have my notebook which she really admired in turquoise and pink and I would have her little purse. Oh, boy. When her mother got hold of my mother on the phone, I was marched to the car and took a ride to her house and handed her back her little purse. I did not want the notebook. I had more at home as we owned a little shop where we sold school supplies, but my mother made me take it so I could study my spelling words (which I had no need to do at that time).

Through the years we were best of friends. Our tastes in clothing was very similar. We shared clothing when we were in high school. We separated in college years.

My mother died unexpected one weekend when I was home visiting. I called her to ask if she wanted to go shopping with me as I was going to buy clothes for the funeral. She replied... "just come look in my closet and take what you like. I don't even need a notebook. Just bring what you take back after the funeral."

She hugged me and we cried and then she showed me the little yellow and brown purse that she kept in a special place as the memory of our friendship through the years. Right before she died of cancer two decades later, she called me to ask me to come see her before the end. I had to travel by car as I could not get a flight but I made it 700 miles in less than a day, and she gave me the little purse I always coveted. We were in our 60s, so many decades we were still connected by the little purse which is somewhat threadbare now, but I still have it and it is still emblematic of a longtime friendship that went to the grave.

TY · ‎03-10-2010

I still have some of my toy handbags from when I was a child but my first grown up handbag is a white beaded evening bag that I got as a gift in 1963. It was made in Japan and there's a beaded pastel floral decoration in the middle. It has a silver tone frame closure and a beaded handle. I carried it for my wedding. I'll never give it away.