anything but leather

searching for a (secondhand) summer bag

I spent an afternoon with my friend going thrifting at some of her favorite spots in Sarasota. My lovely brown leather Coach crossbody had started to feel heavy (both literally and metaphorically) in this heat, and I’d been wearing my green J. Crew rope tote bag on repeat. I’d also been passively absorbing straw bag propaganda for the last few months via Instagram and Substack, and I decided that a straw bag would be my thrifting goal for the day.

At our first stop, I found a large straw tote in very good condition, and carried it around the store as we shopped. Nothing special, a slight stripy pattern and straw straps. When I asked Carley if I should go for it (usually a cue not to go for it if you need encouragement), she said definitively, “You’ll find a better one.” And she was right.

At our second stop, among the jumble of early 00s patchwork Coach purses just waiting for a reseller to scoop them up and post on Depop with “y2k” as a keyword, a simple straw bag with a wooden handle was waiting for me on the bottom rack. The lining was brand new—not a speck or a stain to be found. The only drawback was the large elephant accent bead dangling from the side. Carley assured me it wasn’t connected to the string tying the handle to the rest of the bag, and when I got home, I cut it off while holding my breath. Again, she was right! With the elephant successfully removed, my vision was confirmed: this was the perfect straw bag.

pink silk skirt I bought, Coach bag I didn’t, and straw bag with elephant charm still attached!

I’ve worn it several times already, and am looking forward to mixing it in with the rest of my closet when I get home!

the new bag in action

Below are some other vintage summery bags—I started out searching for only straw, then expanded the search to include other materials. If you’re doing your own online searching, I would recommend the following search terms: jute, raffia, macrame, straw, rope, hemp.

If you scroll past all of the bags, you’ll find some sample outfits and styling for my favorite ones!

Vintage Macrame Woven Floral Tote Bag, $36

Vintage '70s Cobalt Blue Macrame Shopper Tote Bag, $50

Vintage Straw Handbag with Wooden Handle Vintage Summer Bag 1970's, $25

Vintage Tan and Red Striped Shoulder Bag, 1970s Beach Purse, $40

Straw bag basic beach bag palm, $32

Vintage 1970s Macrame Purse | Flower Applique | Bamboo Handles | Top Handle Bag, $20

Macrame Beach Bag Boho Purse by C & C California Bohemian Hippie Woven, $14

Vtg Jordache Straw Woven Weaved Box Purse Hand Shoulder Bag Y2k Rattan, $40

Vintage Woven Straw Rattan Hobo Bag Boho Shoulder Purse Handbag W Leather Straps, $36

ADG vintage blue beaded straw shoulder bag, $32

Large Vintage Tan Black Round Shoulder Rope Beach Bag Vacation Bag Rope Market Bag, $55

Cappelli Sunflower Yellow Crochet Macrame Daisy 70s Retro Hippy Backpack NWT, $30

Beaded bag, white button-up, Portland Trailblazers hat, barrel leg jeans (pictured are the Agolde ones I’m renting, have heard these are similar), blue rubber Birkenstocks (secondhand)

Macrame bag, paired with Daytona Beach hat, black tank (similar), Melissa sandals (very similar Melissa style secondhand); and black linen Apiece Apart pants (same style secondhand—someone who is an 8 please snap these up!! here’s a 6 for much more on Poshmark, if you’re willing to haggle or pay up—still much cheaper than full price)

Sunflower bag, denim shirt (similar), orange tank (similar), Needles pants (here and here), leather sandals

Straw tote, Wassily Kandinsky t-shirt, neon silk scarf, French striped chore pants, Nike Blazers

As always, if you buy one of the items in the newsletter—send pics!

<3 E