Back in Time Today
The 1970s marked an era of personal expression, practical necessities, and distinctive style choices that extended right down to what women carried in their purses. These handbags weren’t just fashion statements – they were portable survival kits containing everything a woman might need throughout her day. From beauty essentials to everyday practicalities, what a woman kept in her purse told a story about life before digital convenience dominated our daily routines.
1. Virginia Slims Cigarettes
Long, slim, and marketed specifically to women with the famous slogan “You’ve come a long way, baby,” Virginia Slims represented the merging of feminism and consumer culture. The distinctive packaging made these cigarettes instantly recognizable when pulled from a purse.
Women often carried a matching lighter or collected matchbooks from restaurants and hotels as functional souvenirs. Some purses even featured special cigarette pockets.
During an era when smoking was still socially acceptable and even considered sophisticated, offering a cigarette was a common social gesture that broke the ice at parties or during workplace breaks.
2. Plastic Rain Bonnet
Folded into a tiny square and tucked into a small plastic case, these transparent bonnets were lifesavers for women who’d spent hours at the salon. Hairstyles of the decade – from bouffants to Farrah Fawcett feathers – required serious protection from unexpected showers.
Fashion-conscious women often matched their rain bonnet cases to their purse colors. The sound of plastic rain bonnets rustling during sudden downpours became a common soundtrack in shopping centers and downtown sidewalks.
These practical items remained popular until compact umbrellas became more affordable and widely available in the early 1980s.
3. Love’s Baby Soft Perfume
The sweet, powdery scent of innocence captured in a pale pink bottle, Love’s Baby Soft was the signature fragrance for countless women and teenage girls throughout the decade. Its subtle fragrance evoked talcum powder with light floral notes.
The small size made it perfect for quick touch-ups during the day or before an important date. Many women kept it in their purse’s side pocket for easy access.
Despite its childlike name and marketing, the fragrance represented a form of feminine rebellion against the heavier, more mature scents that dominated previous decades.
4. Metal Comb or Pick
Hair maintenance was serious business in the 70s, making a sturdy metal comb or pick an absolute necessity. Black women used wide-toothed picks to maintain perfect afros, while others needed them for feathered Farrah Fawcett styles or Dorothy Hamill wedge cuts.
These tools often featured colorful handles in bright oranges, greens, or yellows – reflecting the decade’s bold aesthetic. Many women attached their combs to small chains inside their purses to prevent them from disappearing into the depths.
Unlike plastic versions, metal combs could withstand the heat from blow dryers and curling irons that were becoming bathroom staples.
5. Miniature Address Book
Before contacts were stored digitally, women carried tiny address books bound in vinyl or leather, often color-coordinated with their purses. These palm-sized directories contained handwritten phone numbers, addresses, and important dates for friends, family, and business contacts.
Many featured alphabetical tabs and decorative covers in popular 70s colors like avocado green, harvest gold, or burnt orange. Some women personalized theirs with stickers or their initials.
The pages often showed signs of frequent updates – crossed-out numbers, address changes, and new entries – creating an evolving record of social connections that would be unimaginable in today’s smartphone era.
6. Certs or Clorets Mints
“A Certs is two mints in one!” went the famous jingle for these popular breath fresheners that no 70s purse was without. The distinctive sound of the roll rattling inside a purse was instantly recognizable.
After a cigarette, coffee break, or lunch date, women discreetly reached for these mints before important meetings or social encounters. The small packaging made them perfect for purse storage – though finding them sometimes required a thorough search through other essentials.
Clorets with chlorophyll were marketed as particularly effective against strong odors, making them especially popular among women who enjoyed foods with garlic or onions.
7. Compact Mirror & Pressed Powder
The flip-top compact was the smartphone of its day – constantly checked and absolutely essential. These metal cases contained pressed powder on one side and a mirror on the other, allowing for quick beauty touch-ups without visiting a restroom.
Many women chose compacts from brands like Cover Girl, Max Factor, or Revlon that matched their skin tone and came in decorative cases worth displaying during powder touch-ups. The satisfying ‘click’ of a compact closing became associated with the conclusion of a beauty ritual.
Some high-end versions from Estée Lauder or Elizabeth Arden featured engraved designs or even semi-precious stones that doubled as fashion accessories.
8. Wrigley’s Chewing Gum
The distinctive green and yellow packs of Doublemint or the orange wrapper of Juicy Fruit were staples in virtually every woman’s purse. Unlike today’s blister packs, 70s gum came in foil-wrapped sticks that were easy to share with friends or coworkers.
Women often offered gum as a social gesture or used it to freshen breath after meals or smoking. The packs frequently emerged from purses slightly bent from being wedged between wallets and cosmetic cases.
Catchy jingles like “Double your pleasure, double your fun” made these brands instantly recognizable, and the wrappers sometimes accumulated in purse corners until the next cleaning day.
9. Change Purse Full of Quarters
The gentle weight of coins jingling inside a small pouch was familiar to every woman carrying a purse in the 70s. These miniature money holders came in leather, vinyl, or handcrafted macramé and crochet designs that showcased the decade’s crafting boom.
Quarters weren’t just spare change – they were essential for payphones, parking meters, vending machines, and laundromats. Many women developed the habit of saving quarters specifically, separating them from other coins.
Some change purses featured kiss-lock closures that snapped satisfyingly shut, while others had zippered compartments to prevent coins from spilling throughout the larger handbag.
10. Discreetly Wrapped Tampons
In an era before sleek packaging and open conversations about menstruation, women wrapped individual tampons in toilet paper or facial tissues before placing them in their purses. This extra step provided privacy in a time when feminine products were rarely discussed openly.
The bulky nature of 1970s tampons, with their thick cardboard applicators, made them difficult to conceal. Women often created special hiding spots in their purses – tucked into interior pockets or beneath other items.
Friends commonly asked each other in hushed tones if they had a “spare” when needed, developing a subtle language and solidarity around this shared experience.
11. Bonne Bell Lip Smacker
The colorful tubes of flavored lip balm represented the perfect blend of makeup and candy that appealed to women of all ages. Dr. Pepper was the runaway favorite flavor, offering a subtle tint along with moisture and a sweet taste.
These affordable treats hung from keychains, sat at the bottom of purses, or peeked from outer pockets for easy access. Young women often collected multiple flavors, trading them with friends and discussing which tasted most authentic.
The slightly sticky formula left a noticeable shine on lips that captured the decade’s move away from matte finishes toward the glossier looks that would dominate the disco era.
12. Handwritten Lists and Coupons
The 1970s energy crisis and rampant inflation made budget-conscious shopping a necessity, not a choice. Women carried carefully clipped newspaper coupons in envelopes or folded between the pages of small notebooks containing handwritten shopping lists.
These lists often appeared on the backs of used envelopes or scraps of paper, reflecting both environmental consciousness and frugality. Specific brands were noted alongside staple items, with stars marking the most important purchases.
Grocery calculations were often scribbled in margins as women tracked spending down to the penny – a critical skill when a gallon of milk jumped from 33 cents to over a dollar during the decade.
13. Polaroid Photo or Wallet Snapshots
Before smartphones captured every moment, women carried tangible memories in their purses – often protected in small plastic sleeves or tucked into wallet compartments. These treasured images showed children’s school photos, vacation highlights, or romantic moments with significant others.
Polaroid instant photos were particularly popular, with their distinctive white borders and slightly overexposed quality. Their chemical development created a unique scent that mingled with leather and perfume inside purses.
Unlike today’s digital images, these physical photos developed character over time – corners bent, colors faded slightly, and fingerprints accumulated – making them even more precious as tactile connections to important memories.