As we’ve mentioned around these parts quite a few times lately, clutches are more important during this time of year than any other. Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah festivities give way to glitzy gatherings for New Year’s Eve, and odds are that many of you will find yourselves carrying evening bags more often over the next three weeks than you do during much of the year combined.

Christmas parties are tricky, almost universally. Except for one or two per year where you get to see your actual friends who don’t really care what you wear because they remember that time you thought adult knee socks were a good idea, the opportunity for judgment is rife. Not only is it important to strike an appropriate, chic note at your own office Christmas party, but at that of your significant other, where no one else knows you?

Last weekend, I found myself on a night out, carrying a great clutch, and without any place to put it. I don’t like clutches with chain straps because they feel old-fashioned to me, so I couldn’t hang the bag off my knee under the table, as I usually would. I also couldn’t put it on the table, because as nights out are wont to do, the table was wet in spots and fresh cocktails sloshed over the sides of their glasses when they arrived.

Have you guys noticed the facelift that our sister site TalkShoes got right before the holiday? If not, head over and check it out – there are lots of exciting footwear-related things in our future, and if you love shoes anywhere near as much as you love bags, we’d love it if you joined us over there from time to time to, well, talk shoes with us.

A lock and key on a bag isn’t anything new – Chloe Paddington, anyone? On the other hand, a door latch used as a clasp? That’s more unexpected, a little bit fabulous, and, dare I say, genius.

As my track record on this site would indicate, I tend to gravitate towards conversation pieces, and the Viktor and Rolf Lock Chain Clutch is definitely one of them.

Every week, I obsessively check Net-A-Porter new arrivals to see if they receive any additional Olympia Le-Tan Book Clutches. These book clutches are entirely realistic but also so artistically created that they will add an entire new dimension to your outfit. I have an obsession and it isn’t slight, my only problem is deciding which one I want and how exactly I can track it down.

We’ve showered a bit of love on another of Matthew Williamson’s clutches in the recent past, but now that I’ve seen the Matthew Williamson Bead-Embellished Suede Clutch, I feel the need to do it again. The last clutch was a hippie-chic take on opulent brocade, but this design approaches from the opposite direction: it’s a modernist take on the classic hippie look.

Without any context, who would have thought that carrying around a crystalized zoo animal would be so posh? Somehow, year after year, Judith Leiber makes its eccentric, idiosyncratic style work. The brand’s crystal-studded minaudière bags are Leiber’s most iconic pieces by a mile, and even though there are imitations, nothing beats owning the real deal. From the first teardrop-shaped minaudière, which debuted decades ago, Leiber’s designs have become steadily more unique and more daring.

We’ve been rounding up the best bag deals of the week for you every Friday, but sometimes, a great bag pops up before Friday and we must share. That’s exactly what happened when I was browsing Saks to find the best items to buy in their Friends & Family Sale yesterday; I clicked upon a great clutch from Clare Vivier, and not only is it incredibly beautiful, but it’s also incredibly affordable – even more so with 20% off.

Believe it or not, writing about luxury handbags has one itty bitty downside. It’s hard to believe there’s a downside at all, right? I mean, I get to look the latest handbags in the industry and analyze them and report back to you with the pros, cons and aesthetic pleasures (for the most part) of such bags. Again, what’s not to love?