Does Mulberry have another hit on its hands with the Neely Tote?

Much has been made over fall’s leopard trend (in fact, much has been made by us), but it’s been difficult to crown a clear winner when trying to decide on the best leopard bag of the season. When we did a decidedly non-comprehensive roundup of some of the season’s spotted bags two months ago, many people liked the YSL option that cost a very unfortunate $3500.

I’ve found a bag that I like even more than that one, and for nearly a thousand dollars less. The only problem is that I’ve only “found” it in a philosophical sense – the Mulberry Neely Tote is sold out everywhere that I can think to look, including Mulberry’s website. It appears as though the brand has successfuly capitalized on the Alexa’s popularity and created yet another it-bag.

The beauty of this bag is in the simplicity of the shape combined with the vibrant, tactile pattern. A bag with intricate structure only interrupts a good print, and setting the two up to compete against each other is usually a recipe for disappointment. You probably have to be a leopard lover like me to understand how deep and true my feelings for this bag really are, but if I could find one, I’d snap it up right now. I can’t even explain how perfect it would be with all my winter greys and blacks. The bag retails for $2650 when available, and you can get more details via Mulberry.