Ladies Handbags: 1950 to 1965

By Heleigh Bostwick

During the period from 1950 to 1965, the perfectly dressed woman was never without a perfectly matched handbag—or shoes and gloves for that matter.
 

Ladies handbags, also known as pocketbooks or purses, were the quintessential fashion accessories for the fashionable woman.
 

The need for perfectly matched handbags and other accessories arose out of the current fashion of the day, which emphasized femininity and a lady-like appearance.


The Chanel quilted handbag with the gold chain strap made its debut as the “2.55” in February of 1955. And, the infamous Kelly bag, which had been made by Hermes since the 1920s, was catapulted into the spotlight when the movie star and Princess Grace Kelly, was photographed with one on the cover of Life magazine.
 

Handbags of the 1950s and 1960s were made in an amazing array of sizes, shapes, and materials from classic designs to rather funky styles. Fashionable styles of the day included the box bag, Lucite purse, miniature hatbox bag, suitcase purse, and the tapestry or carpetbag purse.


The classic handbag design of the 1950s and 1960s however, was the modified rectangular-shaped bag of sleek leather or vinyl with a metal frame that snapped shut with a simple clasp.

It was carried using one or two matching handles made from the same material.


As the 1950s progressed into the 1960s handbag styles became even more varied. Flower, shell, and other nature motifs were extremely popular.

Colors also became brighter, once again in response to changing fashion styles—this time the “mod” look.

Towards the mid-1960s pink, bright green, white, red, and orange handbag colors were everywhere to be found, in addition to the still classic navy blue, black, and dark brown colors.
 

Handbags during this period were also made in a wider range of materials including raffia, straw, wicker, vinyl, velvet, leopard and other furs, crocodile, lizard, and snakeskin, as well as leather and patent leather.
 

Designers like Enid Collins who made her debut in 1959 made a name for herself designing handbags under the Collins of Texas brand. Her handbags primarily featured jeweled flower baskets, gardens, and birds.

Midas of Miami was another brand that specialized in whimsical handbags made of straw, fabric, faux jewels, and velvet with floral and other motifs.

Other designers specialized in poodle or travel and souvenir motifs. The classic 1950s handbag style however, never went completely out of style until the 1970s when shoulder straps became the norm.
 

In recent years some of these classic handbag styles from the 1950s and 1960s have become fashionable once again and today are highly collectible.
 

Heleigh Bostwick is a freelance writer and collector of vintage fashion accessories and clothing. She is the publisher of Marigold Lane, an online resource for simple living with a green twist.
 

Go To Rewind the Fifties Home