I’m not sure exactly who it is that has righted the Kate Spade ship – creative director Deborah Lloyd? The designers she brought into the company? The marketing department? – but whoever it is, I sure hope that she is being paid handsomely. With every season, the brand once known for simple nylon bags with a signature black logo patch is getting better and better. The rate at which Kate Spade has come into its own is almost alarming.

Take, for example, the Kate Spade Little Anastasia Clutch. You can look at this little evening bag and automatically know what the brand’s about, even if you aren’t familiar with its new image. Fun femininity, bright colors, urbane whimsy – it’s all there, even when the package is so little.

Kate Spade makes a lot of great, reasonably priced bags lately, but the brand’s clutch game is highly underrated. Similar jeweled clutches had Megs and I both obsessed last spring, and mixing the colors and upping the scale of the rhinestones only makes me like this one even more than its predecessors. It’s small, so cramming my phone and keys inside might be a bit of a stretch, but I’d be willing to try for an evening bag this cute. The price is $345 via Neiman Marcus.

The first Monday back from a holiday weekend is so, so cruel. It’s like a little reminder of the immutability of life; no matter what we do, the calendar marches on while we cling to our leftover turkey legs and half-eaten pumpkin pies, trying to extend the avarice a bit longer. It’s Monday now, though, which means that it’s time for gluttony of a different kind. A handbag kind.

To make your return to real life as soft and comfortable as possible, we’ve assembled a gallery of the Alexander McQueen Spring 2012 Skull Clutches, which are always so much fun to look at. They don’t taste like stuffing, admittedly, but you probably don’t need another helping of that anyway. (Seriously, though, pass me that pie. I’ll eat it for breakfast.)

We’re readying a much more extensive guide to sparkly little bags for the holiday season, but while that’s in the pipeline, I couldn’t help but post about the Alexander McQueen Punk Skull Box Clutch – after all, it really deserves to stand on its own. Feathers and rhinestones and beads, oh my!

With the bag, McQueen manages again to do what it always does so well – successfully combine multiple heavy design elements in a way that doesn’t feel overwrought or silly. The company makes that kind of light touch look easy, but it’s not – just as whoever’s behind Christian Louboutin’s handbags. A clutch like this one is to be celebrated as something of an accomplishment.

As best as I can tell, that success comes out of the brand, even after the loss of its founder, having a very clear and unified vision instead of just a lot of ideas. When everyone involved in the design process has bought in to a single aesthetic ideal, it becomes easier to work toward fulfilling it everywhere, not just on the runway. The embellishment on this clutch would look right at home trimming the edges of a McQueen collection dress, and although the feathers might make this bag a little awkward to hold at times, I think that the attention to detail is worth it. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $2720.

Longtime PurseBlog readers already know how I feel about Alexander McQueen‘s skull clutches. They’re easily my favorite line of evening bags ever, and the legacy of McQueen as a brand always manages to shine through in their design, even though a box clutch is an exceptionally tiny canvas. If I had unlimited income, I’d collect these bags, and I can’t say that about any other brand on the market right now.

Without question, the Alexander McQueen Cathedral Skull Box Clutch would be the crown jewel of that collection. If I were to carry it, the bag would serve as a tiny gilded cage for my belongings, but let’s face it – this is the kind of bag that I’d want to display instead of use.

I’ve has this bag in one of my browser tabs since it first appeared on Net-a-Porter on Friday, and I keep returning to stare at it, particularly with the site’s ultrazoom feature. The details of the clutch are absolutely exquisite, and they live up to the “cathedral” name – this is like a tiny purse church, and I’m here to worship. The only damper on my enthusiasm is that the bag is made of silver-toned brass instead of sterling silver, which we’ve seen Bottega Veneta use in the occasional box clutch. Even with that in mind, this little evening bag is pretty close to perfection Buy through Net-a-Porter for $2960.

In general, I’ve always been a fan of little lucite (or perspex, if you’re British) clutches. Making the things you carry part of a handbag’s visual design is an interesting move, and a box clutch is small enough that you’re unlikely to be carrying anything particularly messy or embarrassing. Choose your phone cover and card case wisely, but other than that, there’s little over which to fret.

For those who are made slightly more nervous by the prospect of a see-through bag, the Charlotte Olympia Pandora Feather Clutch would be a beautiful way to dip your toes in the water. This new version of the Pandora for Spring 2012 features a little bit of privacy through inlaid feathers, but your bag’s contents will still be on display.

Texture, including feathers, is an ongoing trend in fashion, and these clutches allow you to experiment without running the risk of buying a handbag that’s prone to molting. For $995, this clutch may seem a tad pricey, but it allows you to try out two huge evening bag trends without committing wholeheartedly to either of them, which is not without its charms. If you’re so inclined, both colors can be pre-ordered via Moda Operandi, for those who have an account. Sale ends 10/21.

Vintage handbags still don’t have much of a draw for me because utilitarian leather items tend to degrade a great deal over time, which is where items with a heavy retro influence like the Valentino Laser Cut Patent Evening Bag come in. It’s the kind of thing I’d find in a second-hand shop and dearly love, except his one is brand new and totally pristine.

Sometimes, a traditional box or envelope clutch feels too obvious for a special night out, as does basic black. This little bag is still neutral, which means it can go into your regular rotation for evening looks, but it’s special and details in a way that little leather pouches usually aren’t. The tiny laser-cut flowers are beautiful, and the delicate gold chain strap is the perfect accent, not to mention convenient if you need the use of both your hands. Not only that, but for Valentino, the price is downright reasonable. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $595.

While we wait for the Milan shows to start in earnest, now seems as good a time as any to post the small but very beautiful collection of bags that graced the runway for Marchesa Spring 2012. I know that bags are an afterthought for the gown-heavy line, but they’re always so beautiful and special that I really wish Marchesa would do more. Like, lots more. One for every dress? Is that too much to ask?

It probably is, so we’ll have to deal with the four that the show gave us for the time being. For me, the clear winner is the lunar-beaded blue-grey option at top, which is so pretty that I’d like to sit it on my desk and gaze at it longingly while I blog. Maybe I’ll print out the picture, tape it to my wall and do the same thing. Check out the rest of the bags after the jump.

Judith Leiber is one of those brands that you don’t often see at a big discount. Leiber’s tiny, sparkly evening bags are a favorite of collectors and hold a special place in the heart of so many bag owners that seasonal discounts are often unnecessary; one of her bags is like dessert after a steady diet of functional, durable leather bags.

That’s why the Judith Leiber sale at Gilt Groupe is all the more exciting – these are some seriously good prices on some incredibly special bags. My favorite is at top right, the one with the large, lovely, emerald-cut multichrome crystals. Check out the entire selection via Gilt Groupe, but don’t delay – the sale ends tomorrow.