Nerdphanie

This Chloe Maggie Double-Fram Bag is heavily featured in Chloe’s ad campaigns, and it is pretty adorable. The cinnamon and mahogany trim constitute an unassuming color scheme that nonetheless packs a lot of personality. The leather looks smooth and smooshy and rich, and goodness knows Chloe can do great leather. The detailing is spot on – love the little closure on top, love the Chloe button, love the flap with the tiny turnlock, love the ruching that is so dangerously close to evoking cameltoe, but escapes looking just cute. The doctor bag shape is also enticing and the bag is pretty roomy, I believe, with a nice chubby look to it from the side. It doesn’t say frame bag, but it definitely is, and I like that unexpectedness. There are actually a few compartments, both push-locked and zippered, so practicality included. I love the bag. It would look super stylish with some sandals and casual summer tops and cropped jeans. But hold the phone. Maggie is going to cost you $2,895! Who authorized Chloe to charge Chanel prices? We’re going to have to have us a talk. If you can’t resist, you can buy her at Net-A-Porter. If you think 3K is a little much, sit back and sigh with me and urge your very very very wealthy friend to indulge in your place.

I saw this clutch at Neiman Marcus a week or two ago, and I’ve been searching all over for the picture online. It finally showed up on shopbop, so I want to share this gorgeous clutch with you all. Lauren Merkin is a fantastic brand, and I love not only the prices, but the numerous incarnations of handbags in a handful of basic adorable shapes. The Charlotte is a fantastic clutch. The shape is wonderful – cute and round with a lovely flap and just the right amount of feminine ruching. The shape itself has been around for a couple seasons now, but this is my favorite version yet. The patent is surprisingly luxurious, with a real pliable softness in its texture. When you look at it closely, there is a grain to the patent that deepens the color and adds richness. The color in person is really quite stunning, and on a little bag, it makes for a perfectly balanced statement piece. You can carry it day and night, and all for a measly $220 at shopbop.

Whatever your opinion is on sequins, you have to admit, they’re in again. I’ve hated them as much as anyone else, but boy do they sparkle, and in that flamboyant way, they’re kind of hot. I don’t know if I could stomach a big old sequin bag on my or anyone else’s shoulder, but I like this Maria Bonita Extra Embroidered Sequin Bag. It’s definitely an evening bag, and the solid black keeps the look chic and away from the land of tacky tacky tackiness that has swallowed so many sequined articles before. I love the jaunty shape, especially the curvature of the top of the frame. The tiny knob closure is minimal and adorable. I also enjoy the rustic look of the hardware. The duller silver provides a sobering contrast for the thousands of sequins and make for a mature evening bag with a whimsical twist. I’d actually wear this thing, and I don’t think anyone else should be afraid to, either. Get it for $325 at shopbop and add a modest piece of Vegas to your nights.

Another darling bag from Derek Lam, another one to coo over and long for…sigh… This Derek Lam Candida tote with zipper bottom is just too much! I love the contrast of leathers, and I love both colors. The brown and beige are very neutral, but together they have a sweet kick, especially with the prominent copper zipper separating the bottom compartment. The shape is adorable – plump and stout with little ears folded down on either side where the top zipper extends. I imagine this bag is pretty roomy as well, with the breadth of the main compartment compounded with the separate bottom. And then we have the handles – the handles really cinch this bag for me. They’ve got lots of flavor with the knots and the looped detailing where the handles are attached. The luggage tag is also a loveable touch. Like I said, I want it. Color me with envy by buying yours for $2,150 at eluxury.

Gryson has been hyped and hyped, but the bags do live up to all of it. I loved the first round last season, and the spring and summer bags are looking mighty fresh and lovely. Take this Gryson buckled shoulder bag, for example. It’s absolutely adorable! The green! The green!!! I love it! Both tones are rich and vibrant, and the contrast between the dark polished apple and the cheery forest is perfect. The gold hardware works really well with the green scheme, and I love all the hooks and studs. The two shoulder straps both detach, so you have some flexibility in how to wear the bag. The flap is interesting, and I might prefer that it actually folded over the whole opening of the bag, but it is very cute with the little tiny buckle-front. The luggage tag is another useless and very sweet touch. I love this bag for the coming season, and it would carry well into fall as well. Get it now for $725 at Neiman Marcus.

I think I have a mild prejudice against Cole Haan handbags. For the middle price range, I like to go with lesser known designers that can’t be so easily found at your local department store. Still, if I saw you toting this Cole Haan Village ruched satchel, I would ogle and demand to know where you obtained it. I’ve said it before, but I love pretty much anything with pleats, and this bag has got cute girly pleating down to a tee. There’s just enough that it looks playful and interesting without evoking an aging pug. The shape of the bag is very feminine overall, and the pleating works with the whole look. The little ovular buckles and white stitching down the middle add even more details to fawn over. Add then the Hermes fan’s favorite orange, a really fun hue for summer, and you have one irresistible, vibrant, and ladylike bag. And of course even if you don’t go to Cole Haan for innovations in design, you can count on them for quality craftsmanship and materials, and I’m sure this bag is a steal for $395 through Neiman Marcus. It also comes in a lovely beige with darker stitching. Buy yours now and tote it with pride!

I’m sorry, you guys must be so sick of clutches by now…but here’s another one. Check out this Botkier Power Ranger – sorry, Botkier Lola Clutch. It’s quite an interesting creature. There’s a little band in the back that you can slip your hand into for easy holding, so you get a kind of glued-to-your-hand effect. The way the model in this picture holds it amuses me greatly. The clutch looks like a boomerang or a giant morphing ring. I don’t know, some sort of alteregoed crime-fighting device. Adding to this effect are the sporty perforated leather, the very blue color, which is actually a very nice blue, and the darker blue accents. These accents are in fact patent leather, but I feel that they would be more appropriate to the clutch if they were made of plastic, and if you could press them down like buttons to summon your robot or communicate with the rest of your team of vigilante cartoon justice. The gold hardware – which, if you look closely enough, actually consists of cute little buckles – also adds to the mighty morphin’ feel of the bag. Now I am not saying this bag is ugly, and I actually think it’s kind of cute and interesting. Still, it recalls too many things that make me giggle and practice karate chops to tempt me to buy. If you would like to nurture the spandex-clad bad-ass inside, this is the bag for you. Get it for $275 at activeendeavors. Be sure to use coupon code “spring” to get 20% off.

I saw this Miu Miu calf soft clutch in gold at Neiman Marcus the other day, and it caught my eye. With measurements of 8 1/2″H x 17 1/3″W x 1 2/3″D, it’s kind of a monster of a clutch. The gold only increases the high visibility. At first, I thought, how ridiculous. What is the point of a clutch that’s bigger than the average shoulder bag? I had to know how it looked, though, and I picked it up and held it in front of a mirror. The thing is actually pretty damn cool! It’s lightweight, so the size doesn’t matter in that respect, and it fits comfortably in the crook of your arm. With the day clutch being hailed as a huge trend, this bag actually really works. Who said clutches have to be small? In a strange way, this monster clutch is a bit more practical for daytime use than its bitty friends. While the size is the most obvious feature, the bag also boasts other details that make it pretty desirable. I love the pleating! So feminine and fun. Pleats make everything better. And the subtle placement of logo is nice. The bag is enough of a statement that an obvious MIU MIU would be quite off-putting. The gold is very metallic, but the tone is a soft yellow gold that doesn’t offend. This bag may not be for everyone, but if you want it, get it for $715 at neimanmarcus.