Evening Bags

Some of my personal favorite handbags are ones that so accurately capture a bygone era that they could probably be passed off as really fantastic vintage finds. So much in fashion is predicated on what has been done in the past that a designer deftly recreating the mood of a time period can show a great deal of skill, if done correctly.

And with all the glitz and glitter that’s popular for winter, I can’t help but think that the Judith Leiber Sunburst Clutch is totally disco-tastic.

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With the popularity of animal print this season, it stands to reason that before long, someone would make a bag that is actually an animal-print animal. And of course that person was Judith Leiber – who else could it have been? And she’s really the only one that could get away with it; she has a gimmick and she sticks with it. Even if you don’t like her bags, you’ve got to give her that. But I can’t exactly decide how I feel about the Judith Leiber Jaguar Clutch.

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I think I’m in love.

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Marchesa has realized what most fashion watchers already know: handbags are one of the most profitable categories of products that a brand can make. They don’t take the sizing and fit of a dress, they’re seen as useful and more worthy of expenditure by consumers, and they can be sold in a larger variety of stores than a ball gown. They provide an introduction to the brand for new customers and increase awareness and familiarity among potential clients. Any high-end designer would be crazy not to make bags.

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Sorry, Marc Jacobs, you’re going to have to do something more interesting to get me to sit up and pay attention than what you did with the Marc Jacobs Studded Satin Bag.

Yes, yes. Quilting, tonal studs, chain handle, we get it. And it’s on-trend, but for some reason it’s just not exciting. Or maybe it would be more exciting if this bag, which is made of absolutely zero leather, were priced in a more appropriate way for a non-leather bag. So exactly how much is it?

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I’ve made no secret that I’m a huge and adoring fan of almost every clutch that Celestina has ever made. The materials used are those that are rarely found in such abundance in other clutches, and they’re used to amazing effect. The level of intricacy is unbelievably high on everything that they make, and they leave no detail unattended. But that doesn’t mean that their clutches are overdone – they’re usually sleek and modern-looking, despite their incredible uniqueness.

Which brings us to the Celestina Roseanne Blacklip Clutch. I can’t imagine that anyone could look at this and have a negative reaction – it’s sleek and simple, covered in diamond-cut tiles of blacklip mother of pearl. The colors are earthy and warm, but deep enough to function as a cold-weather event option despite the material. It reflects a great deal of light and would likely change colors fantastically in different settings. If you were to take it to an event, you’d easily stand out in a sea of boring black evening bags. Buy through Barneys for $1290.

There’s nothing that spices up a normal, boring evening bag quite like a little bit of fun and games with texture. And sometimes, when you’ve seen as many handbags over the years as the average purse enthusiast, unexpected textural touches are the last frontier of interesting things that can be done to a bag. Let’s face it – we’ve seen most of the other bag gimmicks already.

Which is why I sorta like the Jimmy Choo Cara Suede Evening Bag. Suede is usually a bit too casual for an evening out, but the varied print that Choo uses to embellish this bag makes it glam enough to go with a modern Little Black Dress. The colors also work well together – the shimmery silver combined with the matte black gives the bag a bit of a glam rock edge. The chain strap is fully detachable, which allows the bag to be used on the shoulder or as an oversized clutch, and who doesn’t love a little bit of versatility. What I want to know is if the bag feels embossed in person – it looks like it might be, but the bag’s description doesn’t give us any information on that. Buy through Saks for $895.

What a blast from the past. I haven’t seen anyone carrying a Pucci bag in forever! But this Emilio Pucci Satin Evening Mindanao Print Bag will certainly remind you that yes, Pucci is still here, and still making bags (among other things) that are cute and functional. Who would ever think that an evening bag could be functional? I mean, evening bags are practically made to only carry lip gloss, a credit card, and if you’re lucky, a tiny cell phone.

Clearly, this bag is still pretty small, but what makes it functional is the built-in mirror that has its own tiny compartment at the base of the bag. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen something like this, especially in an evening bag, and I consider it pretty innovative. The sepearate compartment also gives the bag an interesting shape, as if it’s one of those beach sacks, but much smaller and much fancier. And of course, the bag is in the traditional Pucci print; it’s pretty cool to know that the pattern on your bag is one that has been around for centuries. Buy through Saks for $1,495.

Not a lot of news to report on this subject, but I thought you ladies might enjoy seeing a picture of what’s to come from my personal favorite clutch designer – the Celestina Cruise 2010 Collection.

One of Celestina’s strong suits is making clutches out of unexpected, non-traditional materials. Most handbag designers limit themselves to animal skins and maybe some straw or canvas, but beyond that, there’s little creativity. Well, not these folks. They specialize in using materials like wood, shell, and metals to craft incredibly inventive, stylish little bags for every occasion that you could imagine.

Here we have two excellent examples – first, their famous woven box clutch in what appears in be a new bronze iteration (they’ve done sterling silver in the past). The clutch is simultaneously subtle and complicated, a combination that is incredibly hard to achieve. The second clutch appears to be a completely new design, probably made out of sterling silver, which appears to have beautiful, glowing mother of pearl on the bottom. These clutches are typical of the Celestina aesthetic and I can’t wait to see what else they have in store in future collections.

Photo via WWD.com

I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a handbag so desperately while simultaneously having so little use for it as badly as I want and don’t need the Lanvin Liz Pouchette. Just look at it. It’s a sparkly, retro, crystal-encrusted reference to Art Deco and everything that was fabulous about the Roaring 20s. And since I wasn’t born until more than half a century later, I have to fawn over things like this to live vicariously through the era’s fabulous, rococo aesthetic.

In all seriousness, folks, I think this bag is pretty perfect. I’m not entirely convinced about the weird sort-of-tassel in the corner, but I think a more literal flower would have been a little too obvious and precious, and what I really like about this bag is it walks the line between fashion and costume really, really well. You wouldn’t have to be dressed as a flapper on Halloween to wear it, but the reference is well-played and people that aren’t devoted fashionistas would probably still understand what it was going for. And isn’t that the ultimate test? Fashion is at least somewhat of a democratic art form, and I think all of my friends would understand just why this little fantasy bag is so completely fabulous. Buy through Barneys for $1900.