Margaret Thatcher, The Iron Lady, died today in England. You might wonder why I am writing about Prime Minister Thatcher on my vintage fashion blog - but even though I may not have agreed with her politics, you have to admire Britain's first female Prime Minister - and longest serving at that.
She was also a fashion icon - of sorts...
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| Margaret Thatcher with Zandra Rhodes |
She favored suits with soft silk blouses, pussy cat bows and pearls. But as much as a uniform, I think it was also her armor.
and then, of course, there was the hand bag...
"Why don't we start? The handbag is here." Nicolas Ridley during a meeting with Margaret Thatcher when she had briefly left the room.
The hand bag as weapon is a classic: you know, some old lady beating a purse snatcher with her hand bag.
And the handbag as a symbol of power is particularly British: The Queen is rarely without a handbag. Margaret Thatcher even had a political term coined "handbagging" regarding her often brusque style - and her hand bag.
Someone said Mrs Thatcher's bag was a "portable filing cabinet" (I don't know about your bag but mine is a portable - and very messy - desk).
In 2000 a black Salvatore Ferragamo bag that belonged to Margaret Thatcher sold to a Scottish businessman. It was a gift for his wife who remarked, "It's a lovely bag - the sort you can take anywhere. But I don't think I will take it shopping."
It was bought for 82,110 Pounds!
In 2011 a black Asprey bag that had belonged to Mrs Thatcher sold for 25,000 Pounds.
Margaret Thatcher and The Bag:
And have you seen the movie The Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher?? Her performance is uncanny - I actually did not totally love the movie but Meryl, Bless her acting soul, does Mrs Thatcher proud.
