Can we talk about Purses

[shopgirl61]

I am confused about something and thought i'd ask here. One of my all time favourite movies is 1947s Miracle on 34th Street.

In the opening scence where Maureen O'Hara aka Mrs. Walker is giving out directions to people in the parade, she is of course wearing a lovely hat and trench coat, now, what baffles me is her purse, it has a long shoulder strap and hangs down to her hip... I thought purses, handbags or, as they say on the east coast, 'pocketbooks' in the 40s especially, had short handles of course I played and paused my dvd several times to make sure I wasn't mistaking it for a briefcase or tote. but it def looks like a ladies purse to me. there is also another scene towards the end where she is sporting a similar long purse.

Do we have any purse experts here that could chime in and satisfy my curiousity?

 

[shopgirl61]

Bump

 

[maisie]

Yep, they did have shoulder bags, I think they were used as a more everyday item though (more practical that short straps!), I'm guess thats why there are so few about these days.
I have a few of these types of bag, one is very Art Deco in style and made out of some type of skin, maybe lizard? The another is made of a brown leatherette I think...? They are still rather small bags (compared to the massive bags of today!), but they are so much easier to carry!

 

[BlueMoonDame]

I always wondered about this. I have such a hard time shopping with handbags...

 

[LizzieMaine]

Shoulder bags were part of the uniform issued to WACs during the war, and became very popular with servicewomen, who kept carrying them in civilian life once the war was over.

The official WAC bag was a pigskin pouch with an envelope flap, looking very much like a smaller version of a mail sack. I carry one of these myself, and it's extremely durable and versatile.

 

[shopgirl61]

Shoulder bags were part of the uniform issued to WACs during the war, and became very popular with servicewomen, who kept carrying them in civilian life once the war was over.

The official WAC bag was a pigskin pouch with an envelope flap, looking very much like a smaller version of a mail sack. I carry one of these myself, and it's extremely durable and versatile.

Lizzie, where to find?

Maureens in the movie looked rather boxy and square in shape and I have looked around and can't seem to find any that come even close. I love purses however the short handles are def a challenge especially when shopping.

 

[LizzieMaine]

What Price Glory, an outfitter for WW2 reenactors, makes an excellent reproduction of the WAC shoulder bag, which seems to be out of stock at the moment, but they'll probably have it back at some point. They also do a repro of the Army Nurse Corps version, which is rectangular in shape instead of mailbag-shaped.

They aren't cheap, but they're worth it. Original bags do show up from time to time on eBay and such places, but they're usually very very worn -- the gals who got these originally tended to carry them until they fell apart.