One complaint I’ve long had with Balmain’s handbags and shoes is that they never seem to embody the luxe-punk aesthetic of the brand in quite the way that the clothes so convincingly do. As the old saying goes, it looks like I should have been careful what I wished for.

For what it’s worth, the Balmian Safety Pin Leather Clutch is a bag that finally looks like it belongs under the same name as Christophe Decarnin’s ready-to-wear.

This may seem like bold talk, but casual clutches are a totally under-appreciated and under-carried type of handbag. Please allow me to use the brand new Mulberry Alexa All In One Clutch to explain why.

On the surface, clutches may have a rather singular purpose: to look cute and unobtrusive with a nighttime outfit. But really, a good one can be so much more than that.

We found the perfect holiday clutch for every party on your list, the Oscar de la Renta Grafton!

Depending on who you ask, feathers can be the most loved or reviled adornment in all of fashion. Some people find feathers cheesy and costume-y and prefer not to wear them, others think exactly the same things about them but feel that those are actually admirable qualities. I normally find myself in the second group, if only for variety’s sake, and the Maison Martin Margiela Feather Clutch is something I’d wear without a second thought.

The aptly named LaLucca Art Bags are comprised of a usable clutch shape which has been interpreted in canvas and leather and hand-painted by artist Aleksandar Kirilov.

For one reason or another, some designers go absolutely bonkers when it comes time to decorate a simple little box clutch. I’m not sure if it’s because the small proportion lends itself more easily to making big ideas wearable or if the structured feel of the bags makes them easier to decorate intricately, but it seems as though Corto Moltedo Spring 2011 takes note of both of those advantages.

There’s nothing to dislike about the Yves Saint Laurent Printed Calf Hair Clutch and I won’t let you or anyone else tell me otherwise!

Anyone who watches Project Runway with any regularity knows that Michael Kors is all about classic American sportswear, and his handbags usually reflect that ethos. They’re rarely fashion-forward or challenging, but they’re almost always made in functional shapes and of beautiful leather.

The Michael Kors Hadley Python Clutch is about as edgy as Kors gets, but as the old saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

We usually feature bags from Lockheart over on PurseBlog Savvy because of the brand’s very reasonable price points, but sometimes a mid-range bag impresses us so much that it richly deserves to make the jump to and be considered alongside much more expensive bags. The Lockheart Priscilla Fanfare Shoulder Bag is clearly one such occasion.

Lockheart is a master of intricate texture at a reasonable price, and the Priscilla Fanfare bag fits perfectly into the brand’s aesthetic.

If someone were to tell me that they were going to design a bag based on an oversized jewelry box, that might sound like kind of a bad idea. Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly, depending on how much you follow the brand), Maison Martin Margiela was able to do so with a signature minimalist flair. The Maison Martin Margiela Jewelry Box Clutch might look like it’s supposed to hold a pair of very, very large diamond studs at first, but it’s really meant to hold your night-out necessities.