Sometimes I think that designing an eye-catching basic bag is the toughest thing to do in the accessories world. Not everyone wants to stand out with sequins, exotic skins or rhinestones, but even ladies who’d rather have a more demure option don’t want something generic. The CC Skye The Doctor Hyde Satchel does a fine job of finding the middle ground between those two extremes at a price point that many women can still stomach.

The metal bars at the top of the tote remind me a lot of a Tod’s bag from Fall 2010, but that bag wasn’t a huge enough hit for me to automatically assume that it was the inspiration for that touch or for this bag to seem unoriginal. Plus, it’s not like that Tod’s tote was the first bag in the history of accessories to feature such a detail – I’m willing to let it slide. Maybe. Well, more accurately, I’m willing to convince myself that it doesn’t bother me because I like this bag (and its price point) quite a bit.

Ok, so the design looks kind of a lot like that Tod’s bag. But obvious inspiration isn’t necessarily a bad thing, right? RIGHT? Particularly when the company who is inspired actually makes well-made bags out of nice materials? If the similarities don’t bother you, this tote, particularly in blush, would make a lovely springtime carryall – the pastel color gives the bag a lightness that such a large piece wouldn’t have in a darker tone. If you’d like something even closer to the aforementioned Fall 2010 design, it also comes in black. Buy through Bloomingdale’s for $650.