Another try!!
So, I must say, I respectfully disagree! Firstly, if the bag I purchase turns out to be mouldy or diseased, I'll just toss it out. It's not that hard to tell when a thing is rotten. That said, many, many women through the ages have cared for their most expensive bags assiduously, and a great number remain in great shape after many decades. Hermès bags from the 50s and 60s regularly fetch 5 figures at auction, and my research suggests that there's no reason a well cared-for crocodile bag has to fall apart over time. It is actually a durable leather.
Secondly, in the 1950s and continuing deep into the 60s, any woman with an ounce of self-respect had a crocodile purse. They are actually very common. (The site Vintagedancer.com has some really interesting articles on how handbag material trends evolved through these decades, and how common exotic leathers used to be.) But then the bags went out of style for the ensuing several decades (for example, my mother the hippy wouldn't have been caught dead with a crocodile purse -- so "square"!), meaning loads of gorgeously-made bags fell by the wayside. And while there has always been an elite minority continuing to preserve and treasure the most famous name bags - Hermès, Chanel, etc., many other great houses have been all but lost to oblivion. In the 1940s, 50s, and 60s there were numerous smaller but no less illustrious houses that made bags of the same extremely high quality, with boutique addresses at the Place Vendôme and other such locations, which were simply forgotten when the changes in fashion drove them out of business. I consider myself lucky to live in Paris, where it's not uncommon to come across vintage bags by the premiere artisans of the era -- if you can learn how to recognize them.
Lastly, I think for those of us who are vintage enthusiasts, a bag with many decades of history possesses an aura that is worth far more than any 'guarantee' I might get from buying new! I'll take a gamey smell of old leather over the sanitized odour of plastic any day! (And yes, I'll keep an eye out for rot
)
Right now I'm just in the process of learning about what makes a crocodile bag a truly well made article -- and the only way to do that is to gain some experience with real bags. And learn from everyone here, too!
So, I must say, I respectfully disagree! Firstly, if the bag I purchase turns out to be mouldy or diseased, I'll just toss it out. It's not that hard to tell when a thing is rotten. That said, many, many women through the ages have cared for their most expensive bags assiduously, and a great number remain in great shape after many decades. Hermès bags from the 50s and 60s regularly fetch 5 figures at auction, and my research suggests that there's no reason a well cared-for crocodile bag has to fall apart over time. It is actually a durable leather.
Secondly, in the 1950s and continuing deep into the 60s, any woman with an ounce of self-respect had a crocodile purse. They are actually very common. (The site Vintagedancer.com has some really interesting articles on how handbag material trends evolved through these decades, and how common exotic leathers used to be.) But then the bags went out of style for the ensuing several decades (for example, my mother the hippy wouldn't have been caught dead with a crocodile purse -- so "square"!), meaning loads of gorgeously-made bags fell by the wayside. And while there has always been an elite minority continuing to preserve and treasure the most famous name bags - Hermès, Chanel, etc., many other great houses have been all but lost to oblivion. In the 1940s, 50s, and 60s there were numerous smaller but no less illustrious houses that made bags of the same extremely high quality, with boutique addresses at the Place Vendôme and other such locations, which were simply forgotten when the changes in fashion drove them out of business. I consider myself lucky to live in Paris, where it's not uncommon to come across vintage bags by the premiere artisans of the era -- if you can learn how to recognize them.
Lastly, I think for those of us who are vintage enthusiasts, a bag with many decades of history possesses an aura that is worth far more than any 'guarantee' I might get from buying new! I'll take a gamey smell of old leather over the sanitized odour of plastic any day! (And yes, I'll keep an eye out for rot
) Right now I'm just in the process of learning about what makes a crocodile bag a truly well made article -- and the only way to do that is to gain some experience with real bags. And learn from everyone here, too!
