These are what make the La Femmes utterly distinct in the car hobby. I owned a '55 La Femme that was in rough, unrestored shape. However, it came with the world's only known accessories that were still in un-used, still-in-factory-box condition. In the three decades since I sold the car and the accessories, the Internet arrived.
I have found various La Femme images online, but the ones with rulers alongside them were mine from the 1980's, re-scanned to provide the best accuracy and detail...
Image credit: unknown, modified by Tony Lindsey
1955 La Femme accessories in Walter P. Chrysler Museum. I strongly believe that all items came from my own collection... since the accessories are un-used, and there is no raincoat. I will talk more about this later.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Oddly, I DO have this close-up image of the 1955 rain coat and its clasp.
Image credit: unknown
The rain coat is often referred to as a "rain cape" in Dodge promotional literature. It is a fully-sleeved rain coat, with pockets and four gold-colored snap closers. It's proportioned to fit a medium-height, slightly plump woman.The (Non-Existent) Rain Boots
There appears to be no proof that there were rain boots supplied with the 1955 La Femme. Perhaps it was too hard to supply all customers with a size that would fit them. The 1955 La Femme sales brochure is the only source that mentions them.
Purse And Seatback
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
This seatback panel fits onto the backside of the front passenger seat, so that the driver can reach over, lift the lid, and slide the purse out of the keystone-shaped opening. The interior of the storage-box is lined with pink vinyl, silk-screened with the same pink-rose pattern as the interior cloth.
Image credit: unknown
1955 Dodge La Femme Purse
Hands down, THE most important accessory, desired and admired everywhere...
The purse is keystone-shaped, lined with medium wine-colored watered-silk, forming inside pockets. Each pocket is specially shaped to contain the many accessories.
"IT CAME WITH A PURSE?!!!!" is what people say when they first learn of 1955 La Femmes. The original, factory-supplied purses are rare, rare, rare. I saw a purse for sale online in 2021, and folks were griping that the $10,000 asking-price was too high.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
No, it really isn't.
Folks who don't have the purse try to make up for the lack by buying antique 1950's lady's luggage and having them re-upholstered with reproduction La Femme upholstery from SMS Auto Upholstery. That way, the luggage goes with the car when it is on display. Better than nothing!
The gray-and-gold Evans box held all of the accessories.
Notice that the round golden medallion on the purse is meant to be engraved with the owner's name, and face outward toward the back seat.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
The remainder of the accessories (rain hat, rain coat and umbrella) were meant to fit into the seatback compartment behind the driver's seat. I refer to the umbrella-sleeve as the "Giant Pink Condom", since that's what it resembles.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
1955 La Femme umbrella, fully opened The cardboard box is the one that held the accessories, presented to the original owner.
All 1955 Dodge La Femmes came with a pale pink umbrella. The upholstery's rosebud pattern is duplicated on the umbrella's plastic material, only the background is pink, and the rosebuds are transparent plastic with dark pink centers. The umbrella measures nearly 3 feet across when opened, and folds down to a very compact 12 inches in length. There is a 9-inch zippered plastic sleeve supplied with the umbrella to keep it neatly folded while stored.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
"Evans Elegance" insignia on top of the 1955 La Femme accessory box.
The 1955 La Femme came with a gold-colored cardboard box, with a dove-gray lid bearing the "Evans" crest. This high-quality box contained the pink calfskin purse, along with everything else on this page.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Umbrella Sleeve, supplied to hold the folding umbrella.
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Umbrella, Closed - The umbrella folds smaller than this, in order to fit into the sleeve.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
The "Sou'Wester"-style Rain Hat.
You also got a plastic rain hat with your brand new La Femme. This hat is conical, with a wide, curving brim. It's described as a "Sou'Wester" design, which means it could probably be worn with aplomb while trolling for mackerel off the Atlantic coast. It measures 15" from front to back, and was designed to fit any feminine head.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Rain Hat - close-up detail, showing the pink rosebud pattern.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Mirror (Backside) - Made of the same wine-colored fabric as the change-purse and the inside-lining of the purse itself.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Mirror (Front) - Clearly needs re-silvering.
I have seen two of the 1955 La Femme vanity mirrors. Mine is mirrored on one side, with the wine-colored cloth on the other side. The other one is double-sided mirrored glass with beveled edges, with its own little cloth sleeve.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Lipstick Holder, Side View. This item has never held lipstick, because the original owner was supposed to supply her own favorite shade ("Jungle Red", perhaps?) and never did. Notice that even the little "tassel' is made from pink calfskin.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Lipstick Holder, Top View.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Lipstick Holder, Bottom View.
The makeup compact, cigarette holder, lighter, and lipstick holder are made of gold-colored metal and covered with pink calfskin.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Cigarette Lighter. This lighter still has the original flint and will throw sparks, though it has never held any lighter fluid.
All purse accessories are extremely well-built, and this is particularly true of the cigarette lighter. It's heavy for its diminutive size, and bears the legend "EVANS FUEL" on its bottom filler cap. It's an Art Deco masterpiece of gold-colored components, wrapped with pink calfskin.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Cigarette Lighter, bottom view. The port on the right is for refilling lighter fluid, and the one on the left is for replacing the flint.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Makeup Compact, open. This makeup compact still has the original facial powder, and has the "Evans" logo on the ribbon.
The compact is 2-1/2" round, with pink calfskin on the top surface. The rest of the exterior is gold-colored metal, and the entire bottom surface is covered with concentric circles. Inside, there is a flat, soft felt powder puff. Evans provided a pale pink cake of face powder with the compact. There is a round mirror on the underside of the top lid.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Makeup Compact, top view. Beautiful pink calfskin.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Makeup Compact, bottom view. This shows the ribbed-gold pattern that is also on the comb and cigarette-case.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Comb, front view. Note the flat area in the center that I assume was for the owner's monogrammed initials. The comb is plastic with a tortoise-shell pattern, along with the gold-tone spine.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Comb, rear view.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Cigarette Case, top view. In 1950's America, cigarette smoking was the epitome of cool and glamour. Hollywood icons such as James Dean and Humphrey Bogart were never without one. Screen beauties such as Audrey Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich made smoking look sensual and sophisticated.
Then, in the early Sixties, lung cancer was officially linked with smoking.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Cigarette Case, bottom view.
The cigarette holder holds 12 older, non-filter-tipped cigarettes. It's only three inches wide by two inches, and snuggles in its own pocket in the purse, next to the lighter.Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Cigarette Case, open. It is ideally-sized for unfiltered Camel cigarettes.
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Change Purse, Side View. The change-purse is attached to the purse with a gold-tone chain (to avoid pilfering perhaps?)
If all of those accessories weren't enough to thrill any sane woman, a thin gold chain was attached to the inside of the purse. This led to a change purse, made of the wine-colored watered silk, containing a card bearing the words; "Original Model by Evans".
Image credit: Tony Lindsey
Change-Purse, open.
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