Clutches

Everyone seemed very enthusiastic about the Marc Jacobs Safety Pin Stam that we talked about last week, even though I was personally feeling a little bit Stammed out. Well the very next day, this bag right here appeared on the Internet, and relations between Mr. Marc Jacobs and I once again returned to normal. Because I love, love, love the the Marc Jacobs Safety Pin Clutch, particularly in this uberchic combination of blue and black (which may be my second-favorite color combination of all time, after dark red and black).

The way that the material is faux-wrapped and then safety pinned in place in the center of the clutch reminds me a lot of a traditional Obi belt, but it’s not so literal and obvious that it will be out of style when the Japenese influence that we’ve been seeing in some parts of fashion lately runs its course. The safety pin is oversized enough that everyone will notice the clutch’s cheeky little details, and of course it’s a great (but understated) way to reference this season’s 80s punk inspirations. I haven’t liked one of Marc’s clutches this much in quite some time. Buy through Nordstrom for $595.

Fusing the organic with the fabulous, designer and former model Tina Maristela-Ocampo developed the brand, Celestina. A gorgeous collection inspired by the natural beauty, the Celestina collection is comprised of materials found in Maristela-Ocampo’s native home in the Philippines.

Using native materials including abalone shell and shagreen (stingray) Celestina’s designs are created by local artisans. Celestina’s collection of jewelry and clutches take on a dramatic architectural feel softened by natural materials. We are especially drawn to the mother-of-pearl wooden “Pina” oakwood clutch and tagnipis stud embellished Ebony “Macassar” clutch shown here.

via The Find

I wrote about another Mulberry bag with this finish a few weeks ago, and I love it so much (and so did a lot of you guys, to my everlasting surprise) that I had to bring you guys the Mulberry Ava Chain Clutch when I saw it.

Because, I mean, look at it. It’s got all the great parts of the last bag, but this time in a cute, bite-sized portion. It’s like a fun-size candy bar, but the purse version. But it’s still got the amazing, dark silver, shiny, croc-stamped leather, and I think it might go with just about any cute dress that I’ve got in my closet. And, honestly, most of the not-cute dresses I have, too (because, fess up, we all have them). And because of the finish and the color, I doubt it would show wear very quickly, making it a perfect going-out bag for a night of clubbing or barhopping. And really, I just want something-anything-made out of this material. Buy through Mulberry for $495.

So, last fall, it was purple. This spring and summer, some people say it’s yellow and other people say it’s blue. But according to Women’s Wear Daily, next season, it’s going to be green. Didn’t we just have green a few years ago? Like, circa 2004? I guess there are only a certain number of “it” colors available, so they probably circle around pretty quickly. Let’s just be glad it hasn’t been chartreuse yet – not everyone can wear that stuff. And by not everyone, I mean almost no one.

So now, green. How do we feel about green? I love these sort of blue-green pieces that are featured in WWD’s story, but I fear that when the trend is translated to downmarket retailers like Forever 21, it may become more of a seafoam nightmare than I’d like. But if everyone can stick to true greens, and maybe a few blue-greens, then I’ll be happy to hop on this bandwagon along with everyone else when fall’s new stuff starts hitting shelves.

Oh, and wondering about the bags in the picture? They’re not available in those colors yet, but you can buy Mulberry’s Oversized Bayswater Clutch for $695 via Net-a-Porter. Similar Kotur snake clutches are available via Singer 22.

First of all, I’d like to wish all of you mothers out there the happiest of Mother’s Day! I always tell my mom and grandma how I think being a mother is the most important and difficult job out there. I hope that I show my mom how much she means to me on a daily basis, but I love giving her a little more love an attention on a day dedicated to her! So, when it comes to Mother’s Day, you don’t have to spend oodles of cash – it is the thought that counts. But, I am sure it comes as no surprise to you that a new handbag for mom is always in the back of my mind.

The Stella McCartney Gem-Embellished Clutch is my handbag pick for this Mother’s Day! The champagne twill clutch boasts silver-tone hardware and multicolored gem embellishments. The fold-over flap on front opens to show you contrasting taupe satin lining. The embellishments are soft, feminine and gorgeous. One of the best parts of this clutch? It doesn’t look too much like a gift made just for Mother’s Day. You know what I mean? Pick this up for your mom or yourself through Net-a-Porter for $995.

According to one of my college graphics professors, blue is the favorite color of an overwhelming majority of Americans. Before dropping this tidbit of knowledge on us, she demonstrated her point by going around he room and asking each of us, one by one, what our favorite color was. Every single person said blue. Except me. I said red. I like being contrary. But if I’m the only holdout, then the designers at Alexander McQueen chose very wisely when designing their Crystal-Print Clutch. It contains blues of every type in its retro-modern silk print, and it would look sophisticated against a monotone dress in any number of shades.

The one thing that’s tripping me up, though, is the bag’s price point versus its construction. The price IS very reasonable for a McQueen bag of any type – I don’t think I’ve ever seen another one this far below the thousand-dollar cutoff (if I’ve ever seen one below a grand at all, come to think of it). But the clutch itself probably isn’t work upwards of $500 – its construction is very simple and kind of flimsy-looking, even if the print is nice. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $540.

What is going on here? The first image I came across was a straight on view of this handbag and at first glance, it looked kind of like a pillow. I couldn’t figure out where to open the clutch, how it would store my essentials or how it would feel. When you think of leather or satin you can pretty much imagine what the texture of the bag would feel like. But, what does woven sterling silver feel like?

The Celestina Woven Silver Filigree Clutch uses a very eclectic combination of material. Who would have ever thought that sterling silver, kamagong (wood from a fruit tree which boasts very dense wood), filigree (wire work) and embossed wood would be used in one bag. Personally, I think the bag is a little over-the-top, but then again, I am sure there are plenty of you out there who would absolutely rock this clutch! Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1695.

Help me out here. Is this a hit or a miss? Usually I would ask that towards the end of my rant, but it is at the forefront of my mind. I came across the Emilio Pucci Frame Bag and I’ve done nothing but go back and forth between love it and hate it. It’s a fairly simple bag when you think about it. A simple silhouette adorned with multicolored silk. Here’s one of my many questions, what could you fit inside of it? Your key(s) and ID perhaps a credit card. Other than that not much else.

Then I move onto the colors. They are ok. Nothing too out there. I guess that can be good or bad. Good in the sense that you can wear it with a lot of outfits, bad in the sense that it doesn’t really add a whole lot of “WOW”. Do you agree? I do like the detachable bangle wristlet. I think it is cute and I am sure it will receive much more use than the bag itself. So tell me, am I missing something here? Buy through Saks for $995.

Oh Christian Louboutin how you intrigue me, time and time again. We’ve had countless mini-debates about what we think about CL handbags. For the most part the feedback I get is that CL shoes are totally amazing while CL handbags, although sometimes amazing, are always a bit overpriced. I can’t say I disagree.

I came across the Christian Louboutin Pillow Clutch and once again found myself kinda wanting it to be mine. The clutch seems so disco-fab, don’t you think? The clutch is comprised of gold metallic leather, pleating throughout, zip detailing, a gold chain shoulder strap (that I actually might use) and of course, the signature red satin lining. Sure, it will set you back a bit, but it might just be worth it! Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1295.

You know what I love? An exotic bag of any kind for under a grand. It’s hard to come by, even in snakeskin, and particularly from a well-known designer. Well, the Michael Kors Templeton Snakeskin Clutch meets all of those requirements. It’s a beautiful cobalt clutch made of real snakeskin that any of us would be lucky to have in our closets. And it’s not tiny, either. It’s a full foot wide and looks like it would easily be big enough to hold my BlackBerry, oversized key ring (I’m a janitor at night, don’t tell anyone), and a lip gloss or two.

And then there’s the great color; it encompasses shades shades of bright and deep blue and several in between, and would look amazing with almost any kind of sundress, particularly a white one. It’d also work during colder weather – just imagine how much it would pop when worn with a black dress and a great pair of boots. The price is great for an exotic from any designer you’ve ever heard of, and it might still be more than I want to pay for a clutch, but I’m going to ignore all of that and just imagine taking it out this weekend. Buy through Nordstrom for $895.