Edition #25: Fre-Mor Beaded Bags
What should be on your arm for your next wedding.
I know I’m not alone in having a soft spot for beaded bags. Staud’s Tommy bag is having A Moment right now, but I’d like to introduce you to one of the older brands doing beading right. Fre-Mor was first known for their vinyl bags that were embroidered with everything from flowers to horses. The beaded evening bags featured similar framing as the vinyl bags, but on a smaller scale and with certain styles made of metal rather than the acrylic. Beading as a concept for bags became mainstream in the late 1800s (See some of examples here), but the bags from Fre-Mor were popularized in the ‘40s. If you’re in the market for a museum-worthy bag to bring to any wedding or gala you’d go to in your life, this is the kind you should invest in.
Vintage 1940s Spiderweb Bag by Fre-Mor | 40s Beaded Box Purse, Silver Frame, 3D Cobweb Spider Web Design on Etsy: Seeing this bag in my late-night search results is what sent me down this rabbit hole in the first place. The spiderweb is just too good and I love the silver frame and closure.
Vintage purse Fre Mor beaded evening bag hand made with a cognac lucite lid covered in black faceted carnival beads triangle shape 1940's on Etsy: Box bags were a very popular style in the first half of the 20th century, so I’m not surprised there’s a beaded version.
Estate FRE-MOR Purse Bakelite Frame Kiss Lock Vtg 40s Evening Bag Beaded Handbag on eBay: This one is a little wonky but it gives it character! Not enough things are wabi sabi these days. The lucite frame is a nice touch as well.
Vintage Fre-Mor Micro Beaded Lucite handbag on Etsy: The tortoiseshell-like lucite is much better with brown beads, I’d say.
Vintage 1940s Bag by Fre-Mor | 40s 1950s Beaded Box Purse, Gold Frame, Peacock Design on Etsy: Most Fre-Mor bags I’ve found were one solid color, so even though this is listed as a such, I can’t find any more on it. But the peacock…
Fre-Mor Vintage 1940s-50s Marbled Ivory Pearl Lucite Beaded Inlay Handbag on eBay: Is this not the perfect bridal bag?
Vintage Fre-Mor Creation Dark Blue Beaded Iridescent Evening Bag Brass Closure on eBay: The midnight blue glass beads on this bag are also slightly iridescent, giving it a very modern oils pill look.
Fre-Mor Vintage 1940s-50s Marbled Grey Pearl Beaded Inlay Clam Handbag on eBay: The contrast of the black beads with the silver tone metal is stunning. Unfortunately, the more I look at this bag, the more I see The Martians from Sesame Street (or maybe Birdo).
Tagged Original Fre-Mor Beaded Purse (8E6VUT) on Etsy: Okay yes, it sort of looks like a bronzer palette, but it’s also beautiful. I feel like I’d never stop stroking it if I wore it in public.
1940s Vintage Fre Mor 6 Sided Beaded Box Bag Purse Chrome Black Carnival RARE on Etsy: While I’m normally a gold girl, the silver with the black beading really just does something for me.
Honorable Mentions:
What terms were searched:
Beaded evening bag
Fre-mor beaded bag
DuBonnette beaded bag
Carnival glass bag
Welcome to Finder’s Keepers
This is the newsletter dedicated to leaving no vintage stone unturned. Each edition will cater to a rabbit hole that I fell down one night and include an assortment of vintage finds that make you question “Why did anyone own this?” followed quickly by “Should I own this?”
My method is simple: I attach a keyword or phrase to the item and go digging, spending hours each week combing through hundreds of pages of Etsy and Ebay bric-a-brac. It’s chaotic but satisfactory, like looking through every rack and bin at a thrift store for those that partake in the more visceral act of going in person. I like to sit on my couch.