‘Tis the season, you guys. For gifts and days off from work and family togetherness, of course. Oh, and also for sparkly clutches for use at holiday parties. Don’t forget that one, it’s important.

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.

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.

I think I’m in love.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.