• Home
  • About
  • Mom’s Closet

OverDressed for Life

Providing the scoop on offbeat fashion.

Feeds:
Posts
Comments

The Carpet Bag Clutch

IMG_20160208_201127248 (2)

Last year, I made the decision with my mother to move her into assisted living. Time passes, things happen and before I knew it Mom needed to be somewhere else. She needed a safe place where she wouldn’t be alone all the time.

We found that place and in the chaos of moving her in, we of course had to sift through years of stuff … some wonderful things, like her antique jewelry collection, her perfume bottle collection, and many things that recall my childhood.

One such item is a purse. A clutch actually, that I gave to Mom for Christmas one year when I was in high school. I remember the clutch well, as I always liked it myself and I noticed she never used it.

I think carpet bags were popular at the time and that may be what inspired me. It’s not a special bag – it has no label and I know my babysitting income wasn’t going anywhere in I. Magnin. It was probably from The Emporium. The rich colors of gold and black made it, at the time, a handbag for dressy occasions. The inside is lined with silk-like fabric, has one pocket, and a Velcro closure (a handbag from I. Magnin would have had a elegant button, I’m sure).

Over the years when I sometimes came across the bag in her drawer, I’d wonder why she didn’t use it but not in any hurt way, more curious. What crossed my mind in chronological order:

  1. She tended to save things. 2. She didn’t want it to wear out because I gave it to her. 3. She didn’t like it. 4. I’m not sure she’s a clutch type of gal.

But I didn’t ask and I won’t now either. I did, however, take the bag for myself when we were clearing out her dresser.

The other evening my partner and I went out for a nice dinner and I decided to use Mom’s clutch for the first time. Surprisingly it holds a lot, is easy to carry and has a slight plush feel. I enjoyed having it.

Perhaps there was another reason she didn’t use the handbag – she was saving it for me.

 

 

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...

  • Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    Join 581 other subscribers
  • Categories

    • Arts (343)
    • Events (561)
    • Fashion (1,056)
    • Mom's Closet (37)
    • Uncategorized (700)
    • Vintage (580)
  • Archives

    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • August 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
    • December 2013
    • November 2013
    • October 2013
    • September 2013
    • August 2013
    • July 2013
    • June 2013
    • May 2013
    • April 2013
    • March 2013
    • February 2013
    • January 2013
    • December 2012
    • November 2012
    • October 2012
    • September 2012
    • August 2012
    • July 2012
    • June 2012
    • May 2012
    • April 2012
    • March 2012
    • February 2012
    • January 2012
    • December 2011
    • November 2011
    • October 2011
    • September 2011
    • August 2011
    • July 2011
    • June 2011
    • May 2011
    • April 2011
    • March 2011
    • February 2011
    • January 2011
    • December 2010
    • November 2010
    • September 2010
  • Blogroll

    • Behida Dolic´ Hats
    • Buttonist
    • Clothes on Film
    • Costume and Fashion Museum of Bath
    • Fascinatings
    • Karen Caldwell Designs
    • Malvena Pearl's Emporium
    • Robert I. Brown Style
    • SF Luxe
    • SFBaystyle.com
    • The Art Blog of Lisa Perrin
    • The Lost Art of Dress
  • Fashion Websites

    • Kamal Ragbotra Designs
    • Sew Becoming
  • Other articles by Moya Stone

    • Lamorinda Weekly
    • Mills Quarterly
    • Nob Hill Gazette
    • San Francisco Chronicle
    • SFBaystyle.com

Blog at WordPress.com.

WPThemes.


  • Follow Following
    • OverDressed for Life
    • Join 581 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • OverDressed for Life
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Copy shortlink
    • Report this content
    • View post in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: