The Milwaukee Leader

NEW HANDBAGS ARE SMART AND SIMPLE

The leather handbag is pre-eminent this season. It is the accepted choice for the tailored suit, for sports wear, for formal and informal afternoon. There are even bags of light toned or metallic kids or leathers for evening wear. To be sure there are departures from the rule of leather—a wooden bead bag for sports, a tweed bag here and there to be carried with tweed coat, suit or scarf. But leather is always a safe choice.

Smart bags are markedly simple this season. Like certain fastidiously dressed women they seem to want to show the world that they need depend on no sort of fussiness to make a good appearance. Fastenings are often invisible—a well-secured metal snapper hidden beneath a flap of the leather. Sometimes the fastening is achieved by a large stone or metal ball or button and a braiding or band of leather. Sometimes the fastening is rather ornate. A bit of carved jade on expensive bags—or on less expensive bags, carved stone in imitation of jade—is used for the clasp. And sometimes an elaborate metal clasp is used. The plain leather bags for daytime use are many of them fitted with strap handles. These are sometimes flat and short, fastened so that there is just enough room to allow the fingers to slip under them. Sometimes they are in the form of loops that may be slipped over the hand. And of course there are handbags of the conventional sort that have regulation handles and clasp openings all the way across the top. Some women always prefer this sort of handbag. To them it seems more capacious, more convenient, than the most capacious and convenient envelope.

All shades of brown are seen in the new handbags. That is an almost needless statement—for leather is always at its best in brown and this is a season when brown is smart. Naturally, then, brown leather handbags would prevail.

Above at the right is shown a black suede bag with pink enamel frame in which is set a tiny watch. It may be worn with a black ensemble in connection with the pink, black and white flower shown above the bag and the large printed chiffon handkerchief in the same tones, shown below the bag. Below this in the center of the sketch is a black antelope bag with rhinestone and pearl pendants. The bag above at the left is made of brown wooden beads and in the center are shown a tan tweed bag with red button and embroidered scarf to match and a brown suede bag with large tinted ivory ball fastening. At the center right is shown a tan calfskin bag with green ring and pleated leather handle. Below this is a square bag of brown leather with a tortoise-shell necklace to be worn with it. At the left lower corner of the group is shown a black antelope bag with red applique and rhinestone clasp to be worn with accompanying black suede gloves with flaring cuffs and at the bottom center a tweed bag with gold applique and gold and silver rings for handle.