Evening Bags

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.

Which brings us to the Celestina Roseanne Blacklip Clutch. I can’t imagine that anyone could look at this and have a negative reaction - it’s sleek and simple, covered in diamond-cut tiles of blacklip mother of pearl. The colors are earthy and warm, but deep enough to function as a cold-weather event option despite the material. It reflects a great deal of light and would likely change colors fantastically in different settings. If you were to take it to an event, you’d easily stand out in a sea of boring black evening bags. Buy through Barneys for $1290.

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.

Which is why I sorta like the Jimmy Choo Cara Suede Evening Bag. Suede is usually a bit too casual for an evening out, but the varied print that Choo uses to embellish this bag makes it glam enough to go with a modern Little Black Dress. The colors also work well together - the shimmery silver combined with the matte black gives the bag a bit of a glam rock edge. The chain strap is fully detachable, which allows the bag to be used on the shoulder or as an oversized clutch, and who doesn’t love a little bit of versatility. What I want to know is if the bag feels embossed in person - it looks like it might be, but the bag’s description doesn’t give us any information on that. Buy through Saks for $895.

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.

Clearly, this bag is still pretty small, but what makes it functional is the built-in mirror that has its own tiny compartment at the base of the bag. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen something like this, especially in an evening bag, and I consider it pretty innovative. The sepearate compartment also gives the bag an interesting shape, as if it’s one of those beach sacks, but much smaller and much fancier. And of course, the bag is in the traditional Pucci print; it’s pretty cool to know that the pattern on your bag is one that has been around for centuries. Buy through Saks for $1,495.

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. Well, not these folks. They specialize in using materials like wood, shell, and metals to craft incredibly inventive, stylish little bags for every occasion that you could imagine.

Here we have two excellent examples - first, their famous woven box clutch in what appears in be a new bronze iteration (they’ve done sterling silver in the past). The clutch is simultaneously subtle and complicated, a combination that is incredibly hard to achieve. The second clutch appears to be a completely new design, probably made out of sterling silver, which appears to have beautiful, glowing mother of pearl on the bottom. These clutches are typical of the Celestina aesthetic and I can’t wait to see what else they have in store in future collections.

Photo via WWD.com

I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a handbag so desperately while simultaneously having so little use for it as badly as I want and don’t need the Lanvin Liz Pouchette. Just look at it. It’s a sparkly, retro, crystal-encrusted reference to Art Deco and everything that was fabulous about the Roaring 20s. And since I wasn’t born until more than half a century later, I have to fawn over things like this to live vicariously through the era’s fabulous, rococo aesthetic.

In all seriousness, folks, I think this bag is pretty perfect. I’m not entirely convinced about the weird sort-of-tassel in the corner, but I think a more literal flower would have been a little too obvious and precious, and what I really like about this bag is it walks the line between fashion and costume really, really well. You wouldn’t have to be dressed as a flapper on Halloween to wear it, but the reference is well-played and people that aren’t devoted fashionistas would probably still understand what it was going for. And isn’t that the ultimate test? Fashion is at least somewhat of a democratic art form, and I think all of my friends would understand just why this little fantasy bag is so completely fabulous. Buy through Barneys for $1900.

Any time I see a bag like this from Fendi, I always get nostalgic for the early aughts and Sex and the City. Back then, baguettes ruled the handbag world and those four girls always had someplace to carry a sparkly, beaded, obnoxious bag (not to mention something fabulous with which to wear it). And despite the fact that I love the reminder of that period of time, I think that’s my chief criticism of the Fendi Beaded Clutch.

It feels just like Sex and the City did, which is to say it doesn’t feel new. Fendi, as a brand, seems to be stuck circa 1999 in their accessories department, and although the baguettes are an important part of handbag history, I wish they’d innovate a little more. The Spy bag was great, of course, and a lot of people liked the B-Bag, but if you’re only producing two popular handbags per decade, you need to get with the program. As a brand, they’ve got such amazing resources and possibilities, I’m not sure why they’re still living in the past. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $2140.

Pursebloggers, I am confused by the Barneys New York Chic Chain Bag on a few levels.

First, I’m confused that Barneys really makes house-brand bags. Of course, I knew on a factual level that they did, but really? Do luxury goods customers want house brands? Even if the house is a good house? I can’t imagine anyone looking to spend a large amount of money on a bag would look first to something not even made by a proper design house. As much as I like buying supermarket-brand milk and cheese at the grocery store (it’s the same stuff! Cheaper!), I would never do the same with money that I saved up to by something special and luxurious.

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We all know that my taste can be, at times, questionable. Loose. On the tacky side. I like loud bags in general, probably because I wear so much freakin’ black and grey (even in the summer). Without a statement bag, I feel a little naked or under-dressed. Formal occasions are no exception - not that I have many formal occasions. Or any at all. But if I did, I’d surely want to carry some sort of ridiculous, bling-tastic, over-the-top, questionably tasteful super luxe evening bag. Which is exactly what the Judith Leiber In the Wild Clutch is.

Because you see, my dears, it’s not just super sparkly. It’s super sparkly AND animal-print. At the same time. And that’s a stroke of quasi-tacky genius for which only the folks at Leiber, the home of the bedazzled watermelon bag, could be responsible. It’s combination of two of the tackiest bag idea inspires me to continue to find the awesomeness in all things moderately distasteful, and since I’m not cool enough to have anyplace to take it, I sort of want to have one just to sit it on top of my TV and admire it’s twinkling, zebra-ish glory. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $3895.

Mother’s Day is right around the corner. While you might be planning a huge gathering which includes all the mother’s in your family or you are working on finding the right card and/or gift to send to your mom. Each year, I end up doing something a little different. Years past, I’ve flown into town and surprised her and other years I’ve sent a card with a Starbucks gift card (her daily must-have). This year, I am toying with the idea of getting her a new handbag.

The Salvatore Ferragamo Leather Evening Bag is a great contender for an ultra-fabulous Mother’s Day gift. The soft textured leather it topped with a bow trim on the chain strap. The lavender colored leather pictured here definitely hits that Mother’s Day/Spring Time feel. However, if you don’t want to seem too limiting, go for the black leather and let mom look fashionable with several outfits throughout all seasons. Buy through Saks for $520.

What are your plans for your mom or yourself on Mother’s Day? Share with us!

Doesn’t everyone need a bit of glitter in their lives? I think so. When Megs sent me a link to the Christian Louboutin Glittered Pump this morning, I couldn’t NOT write about it. Despite the fact that I can’t wear heels (a long-ago broken ankle, painful story), I could be easily convinced to risk personal injury for these stunning shoes. They’re a complete fantasy - like ruby slippers for a grown-up, urban Dorothy - except instead of taking you back home when you click your heels, they take you to a fabulous party with an open bar.

And what pair of over-the-top shoes would be complete without a similarly fabulous bag? I think that, in this case, a solid-color bag in the same shade would be a bit much, and I generally warn against an exact handbag-shoe match in almost every case. Instead, go for the glitter theme in a small proportion. The Judith Leiber Morning Dew Minaudiere strikes just the right note; it’s glittery but avoids the dyed-to-match look that trying to match a powerful shoe can often create. The color of the shoes appears in an important part of the clutch, but it doesn’t fall into the matchy-matchy trap. You’ll have to really work it to pull off this much shine, but with a solid-color dress (call me crazy, but I’m thinking maybe the green in the clutch could be that solid color…it’d be a totally unexpected but would pull together really well with the bag) and limited jewelry, I’d totally work it. I’m not sure where I’d go, but by God, I’d find somewhere to wear it.

Christian Louboutin Glittered Pump can be bought through Neiman Marcus for $745. Buy the Judith Leiber Clutch through Neiman Marcus for $2395.