50-s classic

While updating the shop with a new vintage bags I remembered about the films with Marilyn Monroe such a cute stories that you can watch many times and never be tired of. That`s a "Bus Stop", 1956 directed by Joshua Logan where Cherie carries small one handle bag

and of course "Some Like It Hot", 1959, directed by Billy Wilder, where we can see the whole lot of bags as action also takes place at the train station so there`s a number of travel luggage.

Such an amazing films that help to understand the mood of the time. Women looked so feminine and flirty with these small bags! "SomeLike it Hot" is such a bright film despite it`s a a black and white.

"The 1950-s were a decade when the importance of order in the home and order in one`s appearance was a priority. Fashions became more accessible to an increasingly affluent society. The importance of accessorising and colour co-ordinating was demonstrated by number of publications and magazine features on the subject. Stores such as Hattie Carnegie in New York provided "hat-to-hem" service and had special pocketbook departments where handbags were made to order. Matching ensemble to accessories was very fashionable and companies such as Rayne provided shoes and bags in any colour.

Companies and shops began to specialise in selling handbags. There was jane Shilton, H. Wald
& Co., Fior and Finningans in London, Roger Model in Paris and, in America , Mark Cross. Individual handbag designs began to have a fashionable and cultural significance: Chanel`s 2.55 quilted bag with chain handle, Louis Vuitton`s Noe, a bucket bag originally made for champagne and the company`s patenting of a treatment to strengthen monogrammed canvas now used for handbags, and the Hermes "Kelly" bag. Italy also started to play a leading role in the supply of quality goods, the most famous of which was Gucci with their bamboo-handled bag. The growth of the boutique in the 1950s allowed designers who had already turned their attention to accessories before the war to find an outlet and a growing audience for their more affordable ranges.

The three dominant styles of 1950s were the classic, structured handbag on metal frame of lacquered brass or steel, the clutch bag, and the open bucket bag, an elegant form of shopper." Claire Wilcox "BAGS"