Bunnycat's Gone (Mostly) Vintage. Some H, C, LV and a few more.

bunnycat

bunnycat

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Oct 14, 2013
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#1
Hello all! I wanted to give a shout out for vintage bag love since that's the rabbit hole I've been down the last few years and there aren't many threads for vintage bag collections. I also badly need a visual catalogue of where I've been the last few years and to help me visualize better where I want to go. There aren't any fabulously eye popping bags in here, no B's or K's, but a quiet vintage collection that's been keeping me busy with rehabs and refurbs. Some were straight forward, and some I'll detail out from the "oh my god, what have I done now?!" category. :lol:

Here's a group shot of everything I have right now, minus a couple of LC totes I forgot to put in the pic.
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#2
I'll do LV first since it is simple and straighforward.

I have a vintage Papillion and the Eva crossbody/clutch

lvs2017.jpg

This was a present from my hubster because he likes the shape and is the bag that taught me I am really picky about edge coating on bags. I won't ever get rid of it, and still carry it now and then, but it is mostly retired.

papillion1.jpg

My Eva clutch from 2013. So handy. Perfect in bad weather, inside a bigger bag, or for going out. I don't carry much as a rule and it holds a small wallet, 2 cles, my car key fob and iPhone. The main thing I've disliked about it is all the hardware and chains, and every now and then consider sending it along and finding something with an adjustable strap, but since they discontinued it, I always put it back on the shelf.eva2017.jpg
 
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#3
Next up Chanel, since there's only 2 and it's another easy one. No horror stories here. I love the classic quilting pattern, but I don't like chains (shoulder injury) or the bright metal C's. So when I came across these old style ones with the leather C's and wider leather shoulder strap (so comfy) I thought they would be a good fit for me.

One is black, and one is a pale sagey green suede.

channel2017.jpg

The green suede one I found several years ago. I carry it now and then usually when going out, but I know it's really for special occasions. It has a pretty apple green liner and a snap that could withstand a hurricane. I think this is a 2 series, and the (minimal) gold plated hardware is in fine shape.
chanel3.JPG chanel2.JPG

Then came the black lamb one. I use this all the time. In fact, I'm using it right now! Pretty traditional deep red lining, a fierce snap again, and plenty of room with some left over for the 4 items I generally carry on a daily basis. I don't know why I've been avoiding black bags for so long. This one is perfect for being understated so I don't feel conspicuous (no chains or shiny hardware) but also dressy.

blkchanel.jpg
chanelinside.jpg
 
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#4
And now H. This is one where I've felt the need to root around some while I see where I want to go. It's all vintage and here is where I encountered my many "OMG, can I even fix this?" moments. (Short answer, yes, I can....)

Here's a group shot and then I'll go through and take some time to detail them out, so you can get an idea of what H bag rehab is like...

Left to right in rows are: vintage Garden Party 36, Vespa PM in Blue Jean from 1997, almost vintage Evelyne GM in Ebene (Barenia?) from 2005, unknown toile bag from 1982 with Paddock snap closure, Sac Cecile from 1977 (I think that's right. It's circle G), an Onimatou in Brique, and another unknown name shoulder bag in black Chamonix (that's what Bababebi thinks) with Bamboo closure circle G again.

hermes2017.jpg
 
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#7
Ok, with the vintage H bags, I think I'll start with least painful....lol...

That would be this adorable toile and white top handled shoulder bag with the Paddock snap like the charms that are currently popular. Despite being white, and toile, this bag was in really good shape when I got it, and is circle M (1982- which was when I was in high school). The toile (which I have since learned is the "raw" variety) is something I have found very easy to clean with the help of Mr Clean's Magic Eraser, though this bag didn't need any work on the toile at all. The biggest problem with this one is the white leather. It's can scuff fairly easily and a few areas need touch up now and then, but otherwise, it has been very easy to care for and perfect for summer. It's a 2 way bag, so you can unsnap the shoulder strap on the underside of the flap and carry it as a clutch.



paddockbag1.jpg

paddockinside.jpg
 
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#10
Next up is the Blue Jean Vespa. This is long, Sorry about that.

Short info: Blue Jean Clemence leather.

Nitty gritty. Stop here if you're not in to rehab stories!

Despite having corner wear problems when I got it, and the shoulder strap needing cleaning, this was a fairly easy bag for me to rehab. Woly made (makes???) a leather polish in a nearly exact match to Blue Jean (called Jean) and since I don't live anywhere near an H store, with no chance of going to one with any regularity, I decided to attempt a rehab on my own rather than send it away. It's generally not recommended to use colored polish on bags but since it was just on the corners and I figured hey the worst that can happen is it comes off, I decided to try. Woly is a fabulous brand, and the polish coloring is very saturated. Basically, I used the amount you could put on the head of a q-tip. The strap I washed by hand (carefully since it is not removable) and let it dry. Over the course of 2 days, I touched up the corners and allowed the coloring to dry for a LONG time before buffing, like overnight. I've done this touch up 3 times in the last couple of years, and it seems to stay in a semi permanent state now, with little wear other than regular wear. I'll see if I have a close up of it. This is not for the faint of heart, and you have to go in to it knowing it may just come off and possibly even on your clothes, but I feel like the nice quality of the Woly polish made it act almost like a low key dye over time.

Clean!
cleanvespa.jpg

With my La Rosee shawl
vesparoseelrg.jpg

corner wear that I usually touch up once or twice a year.
cornerwear.jpg
 
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#11
Last one for the evening, then I'll take a break.

Moving up the difficultly scale in the rehab category was the 1977 Sac Cecile with the fabulous door hinge closure. The leather was actually in good shape when I got it, save for a couple of scratches I had seen in pics which I had anticipated to be problematic. Nope, those actually turned out to be something I could rub out with my finger when I was conditioning it. I had a few scary moments with the leather conditioner I was using, thinking it might darken in some areas because of the age of the leather, and so I switched back to my tried and true conditioner that has never left a mark on anything and is easy to buff just to be safe. No, the leather was not the problem here. The SMELL was the problem. It smelled like moldy storage, moth balls and smoke....oh my. (To me at least.) I realize it may not have smelled like smoke to someone who was used to smoke smells but I was gonna cry! I enlisted Docride's aid, and got a special kit for vintage leathers complete with mold killers, smoke smell fixers and the whole works. I eventually got the odors cleaned up (it took weeks), but it was surely a lesson for me....Thankfully, the leather is in great shape, no cracks, no edge wear, no edge coat issues. It just needed a good clean out. It has the same 2 way feature as the Paddock snap bag, and the strap can be taken off from the little knobs that are like H uses on the belts.

cecile2017.jpg

cecileinside.jpg
 
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#13
bunnycat said:
Last one for the evening, then I'll take a break.

Moving up the difficultly scale in the rehab category was the 1977 Sac Cecile with the fabulous door hinge closure. The leather was actually in good shape when I got it, save for a couple of scratches I had seen in pics. Those actually turned out to be something I could rub out with my finger when I was conditioning it. I had a few scary moments with the leather conditioner I was using, thinking it might darken in some areas because of the age of the leather, and so I switched back to my tried and true conditioner that has never left a mark on anything and is easy to buff just to be safe. No, the leather was not the problem here. The SMELL was the problem. It smelled like moldy storage, moth balls and smoke....oh my. (To me at least.) I realize it may not have smelled like smoke to someone who was used to smoke smells but I was gonna cry! I enlisted Docride's aid, and a special kit for vintage leathers complete with mold killers, smoke smell fixers and the whole works. I eventually got the odors cleaned up (it took weeks), but it was surely a lesson for me....Thankfully, the leather is in great shape, no cracks, no edge wear, no edge coat issues. It just needed a good clean out. It has the same 2 way feature as the Paddock snap bag, and the strap can be taken off much from the little knobs like you get on the belts.

View attachment 3861511

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Click to expand...
I am loving these vignettes: each has a narrative arc, with suspense and resolution and everything. Please do pick up again when you have time!
 
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#14
Belphoebe said:
I am loving these vignettes: each has a narrative arc, with suspense and resolution and everything. Please do pick up again when you have time!
Click to expand...

Thank you Belphoebe! I'll be back tomorrow at some point with more. And I have a "live" one I am working on (the Garden Party), so we'll all get to chuckle away at my efforts in real time here soon. :P
 
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