That Girl Vintage - Date Unknown



Although we here at the Bagatelle Museum have absolutely no idea where this came from or what it was for, we love the That Girl vibe to it. In fact, is it us, or does the hat on the far right look identical to the one in the opening credits?

Also, if you get a minute, watch this adorable "Behind the Scenes" video about "That Girl"!


Reminiscence - New York City, early '80s



If you lived in Manhattan any time in the early 1980s you probably stopped in at Reminiscence once or twice. At that time it was just off 8th street under the Capezio store. It was, along with stores like Unique and Canal Jeans, the place to go for one of a kind vintage clothing. They had a whole series of these bags and they would give you one whether you purchased a gown or a pair of socks. Now it's a bit of a hodge-podge of novelty goods and clothing but you have to admire its longevity. 

P.O.S.H. - Chicago, 2011



If you've never been to P.O.S.H. in Chicago you must go immediately. It's one of those stores that's really well curated and carries everything from modern stationery to great flea market finds (not to mention some fabulous early 20th-century coronation souvenirs.  Make sure to check it out when you're in town. 

Bergdorf Goodman Vintage Envelope



We here at the Bagatelle museum feel there's a cold place in Hell for whoever decided to do away with this adorable design. In fact, we're thinking of starting a campaign to bring it back--who's with us? 

Eloise







We don't know about you, but we thought this bag was rawther wonderful! If you haven't been to the Plaza Hotel lately there's a pretty amazing boutique dedicated to New York's most famous six year old, not to mention rooms for tea parties, ballet lessons and even cooking classes for Lord's sake! Just tell them to charge it, please!

Jeff Koons for H & M





Anyone who's ever seen Jeff Koons' work in person knows he does things in a big, big way. Like the time he wrapped the H & M flagship store in pictures of his balloon dog sculpture. Not only did the image make it on to a handbag, but on the store's shopping bag as well, making it an amazing piece of portable art work. 

On a totally different note, if you ever need someone to make balloon animals for a party, this guy is amazing. 

Patricia Field



Talk about the end of an era. This spring, Emmy award-winning costume designer Patricia Field will close the doors of her iconic east side store, leaving holes in the hearts of the New Yorkers who've shopped there for the last 50 years. Everyone from Bergdorf Blondes to drag queens to safety-pinned punks came here for one-of-a-kind items like halter tops made of Beanie Babies or metal bunny ears. See it now, because once this store goes dark, so, too, does the existence of a certain time. Here's to you, Patricia!


Victoria and Albert Museum



We here at the Bagatelle Museum love the city of London more than be expressed and the first place we hit every time is the Victoria and Albert Museum. Dedicated to design, this museum is a must for anyone obsessed with textiles, graphic arts, fashion and the like. Not only do we love the museum but we get a kick out of the name--can you imagine a "Bill and Hilary Museum" or, heaven forbid, a "George and Laura Museum"?

By the way, the "V&A" as it's more commonly known has a really cool interactive feature on its website right now that lets you design your own 18th-century wig. Here's the one we designed! 


de Gournay



We can't look at this bag and not think of the "There's so much beauty in the world" scene from "American Beauty."  Creator of some of the most beautiful wallpapers in the world, de Gournay is experiencing a resurgence of sorts and we couldn't be happier about it. We here at the museum don't even want to think about what we would do for just a little sliver of one of their breathtaking hand-painted murals. 

We thought posting this bag would get 2016 off to a beautiful start! 


Neiman Marcus British Fortnight



In 1957 Neiman Marcus started a tradition called "Fortnight" in which they celebrated the wares, traditions, and people of other countries, even flying in luminaries like Princess Grace from those countries to glam up the event. Lasting two weeks, the event was meant to get a little shopping excitement going between the delivery of fall merchandise and the Christmas rush. It must have worked because it ran until 1986 (the very last fortnight was for Australia). 

Starting in about 1963 a theatrical costume designer named Alvin Colt designed the graphics and would continue to do so until the final fortnight. Since we spent New Years weekend binging on Downton Abbey and we're in an English kind of mood, we thought we'd pay tribute to Alvin and his work. 

On a side, note, this is one of the funniest "fortnight" themed cartoons we've ever seen.