Valentino offers up an unexpected evening bag

I don’t mention it much in these parts, but I’m a big, enormous vintage fan. At a certain point, I think I hit a wall with regular shopping – I felt like I had seen everything before it hit stores, so once it was there, I was often underwhelmed and ready for something different. The curse of working in the fashion industry, eh? Which is why so many fashion girls are unrepentant vintage hounds; it’s the final frontier of clothing consumerism, where only those with the best eye will survive.

Vintage handbags still don’t have much of a draw for me because utilitarian leather items tend to degrade a great deal over time, which is where items with a heavy retro influence like the Valentino Laser Cut Patent Evening Bag come in. It’s the kind of thing I’d find in a second-hand shop and dearly love, except his one is brand new and totally pristine.

Sometimes, a traditional box or envelope clutch feels too obvious for a special night out, as does basic black. This little bag is still neutral, which means it can go into your regular rotation for evening looks, but it’s special and details in a way that little leather pouches usually aren’t. The tiny laser-cut flowers are beautiful, and the delicate gold chain strap is the perfect accent, not to mention convenient if you need the use of both your hands. Not only that, but for Valentino, the price is downright reasonable. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $595.