Evening Bags

I am well aware of the fact that my evening bag collection is lacking big time. Come to think of it, I am here in NYC with only small clutches and wristlets, or big big everyday bags, but no evening bag or bag for going out on the town. That *has* to change. Tonight I may be using my Wapity, but there are some chic clutches that could make do also. The Lulu Guinness Pearls of Wisdom Frame Purse is a black satin clutch handbag with detailed embroidery and beading detail. The pro is the beading is a bit cheaper because it is merely beads and not pearls, the con is you are not getting pearls. The embroidery reads ‘Pearls of Wisdom’ is available through Lulu Guinness for approximately $175.28.

On the search for a perfectly flashy evening bag I stumbled across the Ripani Jeweled Black Evening Bag. In my opinion, the style resembles Versace with its extraordinary glamorous accent in form of a goldtone metal front, adorned with Swarowski crystals. The handle is detachable and features a magnetic snap for easy access. For a mere $179, this clutch is a real steal.

When it comes to evening wear, I don’t think it is a bad idea to may an eye-catching statement. And since we are all handbag pasionistas, why not make the statement with an ornate evening bag. The Gucci Evening Bag shows off a catena chain strap, a push-lock bamboo closure, and a jeweled bloom charm. Since I am a Florida girl at heart, the flower in the middle of the bag just suits me very well. If Gucci would elaborate a bit more on the materials, I could give you much more info, but we gotta work with what we have. This evening bag measures 5.9 x 4 inches. I see this bag being worn by the bold and daring ladies who aren’t afraid to spice up their wardrobe. Buy it through Gucci for $1895.

To start off Metallic Friday with a shiny bang, let me introduce you to the Dolce & Gabbana Watersnake Mini Bag. This bag is totally in your face, quite possibly a bit too much in your face for many of us (including myself). But what I do know is whether the sun is shining or not, this D&G bag will be gleaming. Made from metallic watersnake, this mini bag shows off logo charms, has an adjustable strap, and has four card slots on the inside. mini bag with zip-around closure that opens up to center divider and four card slots, perfect for keeping your belongings organized. This little bag is not for me, but I knew it was a good way to start off the glitz and gold of yet another grey day. Sizing up at 4″H X 5″L X 1″W this bag is a whole lotta bang for such a compact little mini. Buy it via Saks for $395.

Well, it is quite nice for me to see that I am not the only person who has technical difficulties when it comes to technology. Apparently, so do the fine people behind BergdorfGoodman.com. While doing my daily search for bags, I ran into a beautiful evening bag. Catching, swanky, and showy I knew I had to write about it. But the picture for the bag is… nothing. It’s a half of a half. Damnit my hopes are down. Doesn’t mean I can’t write about this evening bag- the info stays the same and the picture is from the main page with some writing- but it will suffice.

The Toos Fringed Evening Bag is quite boisterous. I’m not sure if I could wear this bag, but I would sure love to try. Made of olive green silk satin with allover long fringe and a sequined body, this evening bag will make you the eye-candy of the night. The bag also shows off golden hardware and features a top handle with rings (7 4/5″ drop). Also, the framed top style adds a beautiful structured shape along with the faux-jeweled top clasp. On the inside you will find an inside pocket and full silk lining. Hopefully Bergdorf gets this picture straight before the bag comes in stock, which is estimated to be 11/07/2005. You can pre-order the bag if you’d like (luckily there is a picture to go off on the main page), or wait to see some better specs. This outlandish evening bag can be yours via Bergdorf Goodman for $1,475.

I think it’s perfectly fine to be attention whoring once in a while. Steal that attention from other gals and put yourself in the spotlight… go ahead, make them jealous. I know you ladies just love to stand out of the crowd, some more, some less, some often, some occasionally, but deep down inside, you all have the primal drive to outrun the fellow female Homo sapiens in the race for the prime male flesh. Denial is futile. In order to make your game a little easier, I’d personally suggest the Felix Rey Mini Metal Mesh Ruffle Bag. This small evening number stood out enough to catch our attention at the Bendel store, with its twinkling mesh exterior, reflecting the light beams like it was its only purpose. This bag would do great with a long black evening dress, and with its shine, you are guaranteed to attract everyone’s looks in the room that you bless with your attendance. For $195, available in gold, silver, bronze, or black.

You know something that really grinds my gears… when a store advertises a bag a certain way, and then you later realize there are various parts you have to buy to make it look that way. I know it is all about presentation. But even online? You mean to tell me that online they do that too? Well they do. I ran into this Prada Leather Envelope Bag and thought it was so tastefully done. But read the specs a little further to see that the butterfly trick is sold separately. Is that not false advertisement?? (Ok it’s not since they mention that it is sold separately but still the picture really got my hopes up high) The rest of the bag is really quite cute. It is made of gold leather, with a detachable silver chain strap, and silver metal hardware. The dimensions of this little one are 5″H x 7 4/5″W. The leather bag is actually quite reasonably priced for Prada, $334 via Neiman Marcus, and the butterfly trick (which adds such a beautiful touch to the bag) is of course a whopping $138 also through Neiman Marcus.

While looking at this bag, Vlad’s first comment was, “Why is that picture in black and white?” Nice to see that I turned him into such a fashion guru. I had to inform him that the colors were indeed the color the bag was meant to be. I think it’s stunning. The Gucci Evening Frame Bag is the definition of purse sophistication. The bag comes with chain straps, a push-lock closure, the circular Gucci charm on the outside, and an inside pocket (which must be very small by the look of things). The dimensions are 7.7 x 1 x 4.5 inches. Unfortunately for me, my wallet, and my man, I of course drew a liking to the most expensive version of this bag. Hey, what can I say- it’s a skill. The bag that features dark grey metal fringes and silver hardware will most likely make you cringe at the price tag: $5950 (all I can say is good thing they didn’t round up to $6000). Gasp! How I wish I could have this bag! There is also a version with black suede with black baroque embroidery, black lizard trim, and silver hardware which goes for $1595. Next a version with black tulle and black crystals with silver hardware which costs $1950. And lastly the bag can be done in dark blue velvet with black flower embroidery and silver hardware for the cheapest of them all $1195. If I had my choice, I’d still pick the expensive metal one (if my father is reading this he is shaking his head with a big YES and giving me- through the computer- that look I get. The “What have I done wrong you can’t afford that look”). All of these evening beauties are available through Gucci for their various prices.

By the looks of the new fabrics coming out, it is evident that fall/winter 2005 is on its way. It seems like only yesterday I was looking forward to summer. Well summer is here and almost over (my 2 month vacation is reaching its half way point- dang). But the new handbags are making their way out- which we have all noticed- and it has me quite excited. Realizing that I haven’t featured enough evening bags, I wanted to find a fun one for the upcoming season. I got it! The Kate Spade Olivia Velvet and Gold Evening Bag intertwines a bright and bold color of summer with a fabric of fall/winter – velvet. I consider this bag quite bold for Kate Spade (although the designer has been making more statements lately than the older more plain bags). Made of pink gathered velvet and gold hardware, this bag is sure to brighten up any outfit. There is also a gold chain which you could opt not to use and simply carry the bag as a clutch or you could use it as a strap. The inside of the bag contains a small pocket and is lined in a taupe colored satin. This bag could make your outfit a hit for $335 through Net-A-Porter.

*Check out this posh and fun dress Net-A-Porter models the clutch off with! The dress is made by Anna Sui and will be available soon for those of you who can pull a number like that off!

The name of Calvin Klein’s new evening clutch suggested something futuristic, perhaps along the lines of droid, Metroid, R2-D2… you get the idea. After doing some research on rhodoid, the shimmering variegated paneling indeed revealed to be quite fancy:

Cellulose acetate is an unusual plastic as it is made from purified cellulose, with wood or cotton linters being the raw material rather than petroleum. Wood cellulose is cheaper, but cotton cellulose is superior and used in quality products such as jewellery. The vegetable oils are completely removed during cellulose purification. The solid cellulose reacts with chemicals derived from acetic acid after which it becomes a viscous and clear slurry. The final material is dissolved in acetone and cast, usually into solid colour, transparent or translucent sheets. Vegetable and mineral pigments are used to give the sheets a huge range of colours and patterns. By repeatedly cutting and laminating these sheets, many more designs can be created.

Interesting, you learn something new every day. No doubt excellent craftsmenship was applied to turn the raw materials into this bombastic clutch, which would look just superb with a long, elegant evening dress. A fine satin-finished interior and a magnetic snap closure round off the clutch and turn it into your favorite evening companion for long nights out. For a steep $825.00 via eLuxury.