Fabretti Leather and Fabric Purse - Pink

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The caption that accompanied the picture read: ‘This bag will allow us to carry away easily and never to forget our gas mask, of which we must – regularly and prudently – always be equipped.” Most reproduction vintage bags are based on the 1950s style. Some of them can work well for the 1940s too. Try these shops: The shoulder strap bag was all function with minimal decoration. Made of strong leather the base of the bag was often round or saddle shaped with a flap over envelope top and a long shoulder adjustable shoulder strap. They were usually flat bags or box shapes with the occasional fun round “Tambourine” bag or vanity box purse. We can see from this illustration (above) which appeared in a 1940 edition of Nouveaute magazine an example of a bag made to accommodate a gas mask.

In summer, large straw bags or canvas totes look vintage enough for a trip to the seaside. Shop 1940s StyleHandbags One of the key factors of bags of the 1940s, was the inclusion of shoulder straps. While bags from the 1910s onwards may have included short handles, bags were not generally carried on the shoulders until the 1940s. For more information on gas mask handbags, see this article by the Imperial War Museum. 1940s Casual Bags This gas mask handbag appeared in Nouveaute magazine, 1940. The article explained how to make this particular bag.

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