Rescued Relic of the 60s

Toward the end of my last year of college in 1969, I happened to be in the biggest department store in town, Dayton's (long before it was swallowed by Hudson's, then disappeared forever, a la Marshall Field's, et al). In my impoverished state, my radar only picked up sale signs in the store as I browsed the floors. In the handbag department that day, I found one of my all-time best purchases, a black leather clutch, that, even on sale, cost more than I could really afford. Nevertheless, I became convinced that I had to have it. It is truly the only item in my wardrobe that has not only held up through the years, but that I still enjoy using on occasion.

Not long ago, I pulled it out of the back of my clothes closet and discovered that the curved leather strap that held the industrial-strength snap closure had cracked. The two halves were hanging by a thread. I almost thought I would have to throw it away. A last-ditch search of the Internet led me to Irv's Luggage in a nearby suburb. Their ad said that they specialized in luggage repair of all materials, including leather. I had to wait for a day off from work before I could drive out there to see what they could do. To my surprise, I was told that their "senior repair specialist" would be able to fix the break for $35. Three weeks later, I picked up my purse in fully-repaired condition! I don't know how he did it, but the man must be a genius. I can't see any break and I don't think he made a replacement strap because he would have had to destroy the purse lining to attach it. Whatever, I'm so happy to have it back!


In the second photo, I placed in the clutch the 3-inch high paper doll with extra blue dress that my 6-yr-old granddaughter created for me for my birthday. Two treasures. Now if I could figure out how to replace the stained mirror, the purse would be practically as good as new.