Over the past couple of years, colorblocked neutrals have become a season-change staple. Because black, tan and grey leather, along with neutral exotics, don’t require a certain temperature or sunlight level in order to look appropriate, it only makes sense that they’re used to make pieces that consumers love, especially during the times of year when it might be 40 degrees one day and 70 the next. Mostly, though, it can be hard to find that kind of sophisticated look at an attainable price point, especially with exotics – until now.

Both the 3.1 Phillip Lim Mini Pashli and Loeffler Randall Rider Bag are designs with which you’re likely familiar (in fact, we just sung the praises of the Rider earlier this week), but we felt that these two particular versions not only deserved mention, but they deserved to be mentioned together. They both use a particularly alluring combination of neutral leather and real snakeskin, but both brands keep their bags below $1,000. In the case of Loeffler Randall, the price is far below four figures.

These bags are also both small crossbody options, although the Rider is appreciably larger than the Mini Pashli, which I sometimes find myself wishing weren’t quite so Mini. It measures nine inches across, but that’s at the flared top – the actual bag is more narrow. The Rider, on the other hand, is 11 inches wide, and the sleek design, combined with the ultra-reasonable price tag, wins this round of Bag Battles for me. Which do you prefer?

3.1 Phillip Lim Mini Pashli
$950 via ShopBop

Loeffler Randall Rider Bag
$550 via ShopBop