For some reason, I didn’t see this studded clutch trend coming. I don’t remember seeing a plethora of studs on the runway for Spring 2013, and heavy metal embellishments are usually more of a staple of fall collections (more on that tomorrow, actually). The more I thought about it though, these bags may have come about, at least in part, as a response to the enduring, perhaps even increasing, popularity of the Valentino Rockstud line, which has enjoyed seasons of success because of its smart combination of traditional femininity, luxury and toughness.

It has come to my attention that St. Patricks Day is this weekend, which makes me worried. Not because I find something inherently terrifying about green beer or drunk people with a theme (although those two things are, arguably, inherently terrifying for a whole slew of reasons), but because “drinking holidays,” as days like St. Paddy’s are often termed, mean that somewhere out there, a girl is going to have one too many Irish car bombs and lose her clutch.

One of my favorite things about Moda Operandi is that the flash sale site’s staff has an eye for new talent and smaller designers that are ripe for their big breaks. On any given day, you’ll find a relatively unknown upstart listed alongside the Valentinos of the world, which is exciting for anyone looking to be the first person in her group of friends to wear or carry the Next Big Thing.

I love expensive bags just as much as the next girl, but just because I talk about them often doesn’t mean they magically appear on my doorstep when I wake up. I might not be the best deal hunter, but I am great at finding beautiful bags at great prices. Lately, my go-to has been BCBGMAXAZRIA, who continues to prove that a great design doesn’t always need to cost thousands of dollars.

Last week, Vlad and I went to Woodbury Commons, which is one of my favorite places to shop because even though it’s an outlet mall, it has some of the most incredible outlets in the world – think Oscar de la Renta, Gucci, Balenciaga. Whenever we want to expand our wardrobes, we always take a trip to Woodbury Commons to see if it has anything to offer, because even though outlets are hit or miss, the possibility of a hit is always alluring.

If you’re a bit of a magpie, listen up – we’ve got enough shine and glitter to keep you entertained for minutes on end, thanks to the retro-modern box clutchery of Edie Parker. Contrary to what the midcentury styling and name of the brand might indicate, the brand is named after designer Brett Heyman’s daughter, not Edie Sedgwick or Jack Kerouac’s wife.

By now, we’re all well familiar with the Marchesa aesthetic – all girly details, all the time. The brand isn’t girly in a young, innocent way, though; instead, Marchesa goes for full-on luxury of the highest order, including all the rhinestones, Swarovski crystals and pale exotics leathers that you can possibly stand. If you ever wanted to be a princess when you were growing up, Marchesa is prepared to make your dreams come true.

I was prepared to write about the Charlotte Olympia Perfume Bottle Clutch all by itself – the design is a continuation of designer Charlotte Dellal’s strong history of whimsy and irreverence – but then I got to thinking that the concept sounded familiar. Not in a ripoff way, but in a way that made me feel like another designer had also thought of the idea this season.

Today marks my last day of interning with the PurseBlog team. This has been an incredible experience, and I’m so happy to have been able to write and share my thoughts with everyone! I thought that, as my last post, I would like to talk about one of my all-time favorite brands: Alexander McQueen. I’m a particular fan of the McQueen skull-clasp cluthes, and as soon as I saw this Alexander McQueen Floral-Embellished Skull Clasp Clutch, I knew it was the perfect bag to cover.

I associate the holidays with sweet treats because it seems that everywhere I turn, there is a different delicious dish in my face. And while I’m passionate about my desserts, I don’t often see them transformed into something appropriate for the handbag world. Surprisingly, though, Charlotte Olympia has done that with her pudding clutch. Ok, so the Charlotte Olympia Christmas Pudding Clutch may be totally kitschy and over-the-top, but aren’t we all a little holiday crazy with our ugly sweater parties and as much bling as possible?