Thifty Find: Clutch Purses

Fashion trends tend to repeat themselves. What's in fashion now is probably going to fashionable again down the road, whether fifteen, thirty, or fifty years from now. I think this is one reason bargain-hunters like me get so addicted to thrift store shopping. If it was popular ten-plus years ago, chances are you can find it in a thrift store.

Right now, popular fashion strikes me as a whole mess of later 20th century revivals. We've got some Mod style from the 60s, maxi dresses and sky-high platforms from the 70s, skinny jeans and high waisted shorts from the 80s, and flannel shirts and floral prints from the 90s.

I'm also seeing a lot of clutch purses.

The clutch purse first appeared as a fashion item in the 1920s and 1930s, but the ones I've been seeing in all the trendy shops like H&M seem very 1980s.

To me that means bold colors, boxy shapes, and fun textures. A few minutes of searching the purse rack at the thrift store and I found two!

In case it isn't obvious from the photo, the one on the left is faux snakeskin, which is another texture I've seen a lot of, especially at Forever 21. Here's a close-up, with the lovely price tag.

Though may be hard to tell, the clutch on the right is very pale yellow. It's a great summer color. Bags like these go for about $15 at fashion stores, which won't break the bank. Still, it's nice to get them for a third of the price!

And here I am modeling with them, just to give you guys an idea of scale. I would consider these oversized clutches. When full they're a little awkward to hold in you hand. They're more the under-the-arm type of clutch. And oversized means that unlike tiny clutches I can actually fit most of my stuff in them!

When I see throw-back styles like these at stores like Urban Outfitters for many times the price, it makes me wonder if people shop there merely out of convenience. Or do they not know that all these lovely "vintage" styles can be found at thrift stores for pennies on the dollar? I'm doing my best to remind all the trendy people in my life that they could have a full-blown shopping spree at a thrift store for what they'll spend on a single item at even a moderately priced retail store.