What We Carry In Our Purses Has Changed Over the Years

Gloves

When she wasn’t wearing them and only if her purse was big enough, a lady might place her gloves in her purse until she needed them again.

Scarf

Either tucked into the purse or tied gently around the handle, a scarf was good insurance against hair do damage on a windy day. This kind of formality in appearance died out in the 1960-70s, but the scarves from the golden age of pin curl and bouffant hairstyles were truly beautiful designs!

Rain Hood

If a woman were dedicated to her hairstyle then she might have carried a plastic rain hood around with her just to make sure all that hard work wasn’t simply washed away with the rain.

Hairpins

There was a time when no woman would be caught in public without an extra hair pin on her (or even some bobby pins). The shorter hairstyles of the 1950s-60s made these less of a daytime worry for most women, though.

A Key

Many women would have carried one key (their house key) if they didn’t drive, though of course there were exceptions to this.

For many women, their purses were always light, because being dainty was considered extremely important. And, unlike many women today, they spent a great deal of time at home. Of

course, there were also purses with built-in compartments for every little thing, neatly tucked into one bag. Notice this style below with only a very small little spot for some change at one corner- the rest is all beauty-related!

If you think this sounds too sparse then consider that up until the late 1800s most women would have only ever carried a small pocket under their skirts as a sort of purse!

Click “Next Page” to see how beauty advice has changed over the years!