My mother once told me that her best friend from her younger days went through a phase of using paper shopping bags as handbags. Not just any old paper bag! No, one from I. Magnin or Saks Fifth Avenue. How intriguing. She could afford to shop at high end department stores, but she couldn’t afford a purse?
I love the irony and I wonder if that was her intention.
Mom thought that perhaps her BF couldn’t afford the expensive purse she wanted. But having good taste, she wasn’t going to settle for less, so, to be quirky or humorous she used the paper bags she got for buying a lipstick or stockings at the the best department stores in Downtown, San Francisco.
Fast forward to now and paper shopping bags are all the rage for reuse. I see it frequently – sturdy bags used for the gym, carting around kids stuff, used as totes to take to work or on a day out. I use some of my bag collection to carry packages to the post office and they’re perfect for packing a lunch.
These days in California and elsewhere (but not NY) customers have to pay for a bag and that’s a good thing for the environment and a good opportunity to reuse some of the shopping bags we already have. Maybe even carry a really nice one as your handbag. Why not?
OverDressed for Life 
I have collected many of the paper bags, & use some but use my handbags along with. My really good handbags are consignment. Those shops were available for a long time ( even in SF) but most of us reg.women did not know.
PS. LOST DEPARTMENTSTORES OF S.F
EXCELLENT BOOK. local sf writer whose grandfather was part of Emporium ownership
JG
Thanks for the book recommendation; I’ll look for a copy. You might like – A Store to Remember by James Thomas Mullane. It’s all about the I. Magnin store.
HAVE IT ! THANKS.
TRYING TO track a copy of HIGH STYLE, catalogue for the Betsy Bloomingdales couture exhibit,2009- FIDM.
found that SF school- permanently closed. L A. Museum- closed for now.tried ordering on line- bounced back!
Have checked local & other book sources including Lacis & Moe’s.
Any ideas are welcome
There is a great video on the exhibit- narrated by Betsy herself. Love it !
JG
A bookstore might be able to order it for you.
FIDM , CLOSED FOR NOW. They published.
SF fidm. closed permanantly. Couture collections shipped to LA campus.
Books donated to locals – like C of Alameda.checking
I now putting consulting on side burner. Need to diversify.
Thanks for suggestion!
JG
So true! Lol, but if the packaging is cute enough I guess you can get away with it ? 😄
Exactly! Thanks for subscribing to ODFL.