WHITING & DAVIS: The History, Signature Pieces & Where to Find It Vintage
Some women make an entrance. Others make an entrance that clinks.
There is something wildly glamorous about metal that moves like silk. A Whiting & Davis mesh bag doesn't sit politely on your arm. It pours. It shimmers. It catches every candle, every camera flash, every jealous glance across the room. And the most delicious part? This house has been dressing women in liquid gold for over a century, and most of us have walked right past it at the thrift store.
Not anymore. Not me.
Vintage Whiting and Davis Silver Metal Mesh Chainmail Halter
THE STORY
Whiting & Davis traces its roots to 1876, when Wade, Davis & Company was founded. Charles Whiting joined the business, and in 1892 he is said to have handcrafted the company's very first mesh purse, about three inches square. By 1896 he and Edward P. Davis had bought the company, and it became Whiting & Davis.
Back then, every single ring of mesh was linked by hand. That changed after 1909, when inventors patented machines that could make mesh links automatically. Suddenly, the impossible became wearable, and the flappers of the 1920s carried enamelled mesh purses in Art Deco patterns to every party worth attending.
The house kept company with legends. Paul Poiret designed a "Poiret Pouch" for them in the mid-1920s, and Elsa Schiaparelli was brought in during the 1930s to modernise the designs. Since the 1970s, the firm has also made mesh jewellery designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.
And in September 1983, Christie Brinkley wore a Whiting & Davis metal mesh dress on the cover of Cosmopolitan. If that isn't 80s glamour in one image, I don't know what is.
SIGNATURE PIECES
The mesh evening bag: gold or silver tone, with a frame clasp and chain handle.
Enamelled "Dresden" and "Baby Fine" purses: printed mesh in Art Deco patterns, popular from 1910 to the mid-1930s.
The mesh clutch: sleek, envelope-shaped and very 80s.
Mesh jewellery and dresses: collars, belts and the occasional show-stopping gown.
FUN FACTS
The first Whiting & Davis mesh purse was about three inches square.
At their peak, the mesh machines could make 400 rings per minute.
Jane Russell wore a Whiting & Davis dress in the 1952 film Macao.
A Whiting & Davis bag connected to Clark Gable drew a high bid of $1,526 at auction in 1999.
Lady Gaga has been photographed carrying a silver-tone Whiting & Davis mesh bag.
WHO IT'S FOR
Party Girl · 90s Supermodel · Evening Glamour
Whiting & Davis is for the woman who believes evening wear should feel like an event. If you're a minimalist, a sleek silver mesh clutch with an all-black outfit is the most elegant drama you'll ever carry.
HOW I'D WEAR IT
(The Gala) For a gala, I'd go silver, because mesh looks like liquid moonlight. A cobalt satin bias-cut gown with a cowl neck and an open back, a silver mesh clutch and silver chandelier earrings. Then my black patent stilettos with the red soles, which flash with every step on the stairs. Cobalt and silver feel cool and modern, and the open back is the surprise. For daytime, I'd carry a small mesh bag with a striped shirt and jeans, because evening pieces in daylight always look a little bit rebellious.
HOW TO FIND IT VINTAGE
Search terms:
"Whiting and Davis gold mesh bag"
"vintage Whiting Davis mesh clutch"
"Whiting and Davis enamel mesh purse"
"Whiting and Davis Dresden purse"
"80s gold mesh evening bag"
Tips:
Look for the Whiting & Davis name stamped inside the frame or on a small tag.
Check for broken or missing links and stretched sections, especially near the frame.
Enamelled mesh fades, so ask for photos in natural light.
Retro reproductions exist. Compare the stamp, the weight and the frame closely.
IF YOU LOVE WHITING & DAVIS, ALSO SEE… Hervé Léger · Monet, Napier and Trifari · Ferragamo
XOXO,
Emsy💕
Sources:
The complete history of Whiting & Davis (The Vintage Compact Shop): https://thevintagecompactshop.com/blogs/antique-and-collectible-history/complete-history-of-whiting-davis
