The Original Box Purse

I recently visited my aunt and uncle in Houston.  While I was there, we explored an area of Houston called The Heights.  We meandered in and out of vintage and antique stores.  In one of the stores, we came across this enormous collection of Enid Collins handbags.  Holy Toledo – what a find!

Enid Collins was an artist from the Texas hill country.  She began her purse making business when she was the young wife of a Texas rancher.  In the beginning, she created the bags to help make ends meet and sold them in local gift shops.  But when Neiman Marcus began carrying the purses, an Enid Collins bag became a “must have” item for many women in the 1960s and 70s.

I ended up purchasing the “Flower Box” bag.  I am crazy about the handle and the bejeweled flowers.  My favorite feature is that when you open the purse, there is a little inscription that says, “Hand decorated for you!”

When I was flipping through some of my magazines the other day, I was struck by how many spring and summer bags, with their bright colors and embellishment, are reminiscent of Enid Collins purses.