Handbag transitions can be hard. Not only do colors change from season to season, but so do textures and shapes. All three of those elements combine to give a bag its overall feel, and finding a finished product that can straddle two seasons is no small feat, especially when you don’t have an unlimited handbag budget. If that sounds like a problem you’re trying to solve, look no further than the Diane von Furstenberg 440 Mini Shoulder Bag.
First, the color of this bag is perfect if you’re looking for something to carry literally year-round. It’s somewhere between winter white and beige, with a slightly lighter central panel and a bit of very subtle lizard embossing on the top flap. This is the type of color that mixes well with either cutoffs or a chocolate brown wool coat, and there aren’t a lot of colors of which the same can be said. It’s a fine line to walk.
Then you’ve got shape. Summer is the season of mini bags, and often the same type of tiny purse can look out of place when the weather turns cooler. At 11 inches wide, this bag calls itself “mini,” but that’s only true relative to the satchel from which it takes its name. In reality, this is more of a medium-size shoulder bag that can be carried either as a crossbody or with the chain strap doubled, which means that the feel can be more casual and summer-appropriate or formal and fall-like. Also, the texture of the leather plays into the shape nicely – it’s not too rigid, but structured enough that the bag won’t look like a sloppy summer option that got carried over a little too far into October.
What’s nicest, though, is the price. At $295, this bag barely moves the needle as far as handbag prices go, and for that price, you get a versatile, well-designed bag that’ll be in your rotation well beyond the end of summer. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $295.
