Mulberry Handbags and Purses (Page 3)

This past Saturday, I found myself on a bit of a walkabout. New York was rainy and grey all of last week, but for a few hours on Saturday afternoon, the sun shone brightly and the air was warm and it felt wrong not to be outside. Twenty blocks later, I looked up and saw that I was passing by the Upper East Side Mulberry boutique and couldn’t help but take a look inside. And that’s where I saw the Mulberry Alexa Bag in this brilliant green; it very nearly came home with me.

Mulberry Postman’s Lock Leather Bag, $1200 via Net-a-Porter.

As I’ve mentioned ad nauseum, I’m a little obsessed with hands-free bags at the moment. Major lifestyle changes require careful accessories planning, no matter how silly that sounds, and my collection needs a few more light, compact crossbodies like the Mulberry Postman’s Lock Leather Bag as soon as possible. This bag is already a strong contender for my affections because of the separate pocket on the front – perfect for easy cell phone access.

Since the handbag fame of the Mulberry Alexa, there have been a few other bags that have made a name for the brand but none of them have ever come close to the Alexa craze. I am sure Mulberry aims to change that with their new Taylor collection.

The Fall 2011 collection for Mulberry found inspiration in the Great British countryside, bustling hedgerows and effortless English glamour. The Taylor collection delivers a brand new style that feels reminiscent of heritage shapes.

Mulberry’s Lily Bag was an instant hit. There was nothing overly inventive about the design, but the design just works. And the price, compared to many other shoulder bags, is fairly reasonable.

For Spring 2011 Mulberry decided to give us an option of the Lily that is not only much more expensive but also blinged out. Yes, I just used the word bling because it is so fitting in the case of the Mulberry Jewelled Lily.

Fashion Month is half complete right now. As much as we are checking the fashion week shows to dish on the upcoming trends, we are also loving people-watching those who attend the shows. One of the must have bags of the moment is the Mulberry Tillie.

Following the huge success of the Alexa, Mulberry decided to follow up with the Tillie. The debate has ensued whether or not the Tillie is as covetable as the Alexa.

There’s plenty to love about Mulberry Fall 2011, but one thing that I continually appreciate about Mulberry in general is that the brand always remembers where its bread is buttered: Handbags. Some brands only show a light smattering of purses on their runways, if any at all, but Mulberry knows that a huge proportion of its clientele exists because of the brand’s famous bags, and accordingly, it provides plenty of accessory eye candy during its seasonal presentations.

Fall 2011′s bags include many that will look familiar to Mulberry watchers, although the brand tweaked the Bayswater, Alexa and Tillie bags in a few detailed ways to update the designs for the new season. A few pieces fell flat, most notably an awkwardly studded Bayswater and a small hunter green satchel that didn’t seem to fit the mood of the rest of the collection, but on the whole, I spotted almost a dozen bags that I’d love to add to my closet immediately.

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. Depending on your lifestyle and the size of bag you carry normally, this thing could do double-duty as everything from an oversized wallet to a tampon-obscurer to a place to neatly organize your travel documents. Or it could be all three of those things at once, plus act as a clutch on the weekends. Bags like these have many talents, even if they’re only marketed one way.