Custom Design

I need a new bag. It’s been quite a long time since I bought one – far too long for a person that spends eight hours a day pondering the finer points of various designer purses. I’m moving to Atlanta soon and I think that getting a grown-up clutch would be a great way to mark the transition. You see, I’ve spent the past two years taking something of a post-graduation victory lap around my college town, and when you go to college bars, a fancy clutch is kind of a dangerous thing to have.

It’s not that I was afraid it would get stolen – that would have been the least of my worries. It’s just that my usual haunts are beset by sticky floors and puddle-laden bar tops, and it seemed like there would be dozens upon dozens of ways for me to ruin a nice bag in one of them. Now that I’m going to have the opportunity to frequent some slightly classier joints, I want something a little bit more appropriate. The only problem is that I can’t decide which clutch I want. PurseBloggers, I need your assistance. For your convenience, I have created a poll.

First, the matchup: I’ve chosen two large, black clutches for reasons that I think are obvious – the color and size provide the maximum versatility, and somehow, I don’t have a big black clutch in my closet yet. Both bags will fit everything that I need to go to a nice restaurant or upscale bar, and they’d both coordinate easily with most of my wardrobe.

Let’s take a look at the contenders. First, we have the Balenciaga Envelope Clutch. We all know that I’m a big believer in the Balenciaga gospel, and it seems almost natural for me to reward myself with yet another one of their bags. This would be my fifth bag and fourth different style from the brand, although none of my Balenciagas have been black OR clutches.

And then there’s the Proenza Schouler P̿ Pouchette. Proenza is much newer to the handbag game than Balenciaga is, but I so thoroughly love the brand’s aesthetic and previous work that I’m nearly salivating at the thought of adding one of their bags to my collection. With Proenza’s profile rising every season, this might be exactly the right time to get in on the ground floor while before their bags are widely coveted.

The ultimate consideration is usually price, but both the Balenciaga and Proenza Schouler clutches are in the same ballpark. The Balenciaga (which is also slightly larger) will set you back $1025 at Balenciaga.com, Proenza is a bit more modest at $895, also via their online store.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Against perhaps my better judgment, I really like the Alexander Wang Jena Laser-Cut Leather Clutch. And I mean, I like, REALLY like it. The shape is a bit odd and I typically stay away from oddly shaped bags. Don’t ask me why, it’s just what I do. Yet, this clutch, this adorable, edgy and versatile clutch has captured my attention and I’ve not been able to get out of its hold since.

The envelope clutch is brown laser-cut ridged leather. While I’ve been a fan of envelope clutches for a while now, this one is unique and stands out in comparison to others. I always give points to uniqueness. As you can see, there is two silver-tone zip fastenings at the front, a fold-over flap with a magnetic and zip fastening under the flap. I think the thing I like the most about this clutch is that it can be paired with a casual outfit just as well as slightly more fancy outfit. And there’s always something appealing about a handbag that you most likely won’t see the person next to you carrying. But, what do you think – what are the pros/cons to this clutch? Buy through Net-a-Porter for $525.

Original post by Shannon Mahoney

Well. That was quick.

We found out quite a while back that Marchesa was going to debut a line of clutches to compliment their gorgeous, highly detailed evening dresses, and since then we’ve seen no shortage of celebs toting them down red carpets from New York to Los Angeles. Finally, yesterday morning, they were available online! And then they weren’t. The recession might just be over, folks: the bags, priced $2274-$3475, sold out in a matter of hours. Pictures of all the bags you can’t currently buy (but maybe soon!), after the jump.

Marchesa Swarovski Crystal Clutch, $2885.

Marchesa Swarovski Satin Clutch, $2275.

Marchesa Swarovski Beaded Clutch, $3475.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Last week OscarPRGirl tweeted “For me a really good day clutch is a precious commodity”. I read the tweet and nodded my head. Then I opened up the photo she included and fell in love. You all know my love of clutches, I gush about them often on PurseBlog. Welcome the Oscar de la Renta Grafton Clutch to your screen. Now wipe up the drool and let’s get down to the details of this entirely swoon-worthy clutch.

Of course I am immediately drawn to the Teal Lizard version of this clutch. Teal is a color that works well for everyone. It is one of those universal colors. And here we have it in lizard skin, which adds a slight sheen and additional dimensionality. It doesn’t hurt that this clutch itself is downright gorgeous. The style mimics an envelope and has a magnetic snap closure and a small side pocket. Buy via Oscar de la Renta for $2,190.

While the lizard skin version has my heart, due in part to the color, there is a non-exotic skin version that is equally as lovely. A closer look at the metallic caviar Grafton Clutch showcases a unique texture which comes from a stamping technique. But this bag is just made of leather, in another perfect hue for wear-ability, anthracite. Same bag, different color and material. Buy through Oscar de la Renta for $990.

Both versions of this clutch are interesting, both are beautiful, and either (hey, or both!) would be a great choice. The size is very spacious, 9.5″W x 7″H x 2″D, which works well for day or evening wear. We all knew Oscar de la Renta is a master of his domain, I am just happy to see his domain includes handbags.

Original post by Megs Mahoney Dusil

After Kate Moss was seen carrying it, it didn’t take long for the Derek Lam Elsa Leather Clutch to become trendy piece for models, starlets and those that aspire to be like them. And why shouldn’t it be trendy? I was skeptical at first, but in regular leather this little clutch is modern and fun. Don’t want to shell out almost $800 for it? We’ve got an option you might like for almost $600 less: the L.A.M.B. Camberley Surrey Clutch.

Sure, the L.A.M.B. clutch doesn’t come in the snazzy turquoise color that we’ve seen from Lam (side not: does anyone else find the L.A.M.B./Lam thing funny, or am I just easily amused?), but basic black will never lead you sartorially astray, and it won’t look dated when turquoise is no longer the “it” color of the season.

More importantly, however, the L.A.M.B. clutch has the major stylistic elements of the more expensive version without totally ripping off the design. It has an angled front flap, oversized tassel, and design flourishes that are not mirrored across the center of the bag. It’s young and modern, which is the most important thing, and it also costs way less than the Lam version.

Buy the Derek Lam Elsa Clutch through Saks for $790.
Buy the L.A.M.B. Camberley Surrey Clutch through ShopBop for $195.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Well. I guess we know what happened to the rest of Megs’ pink fox.

I’m sorry, that joke was inappropriate. I’m one of those people that makes terrible jokes at the worst times when I’m uncomfortable. And, suffice it to say, the Roger Vivier Foxtrot Clutch makes me really uncomfortable. I think it’s looking at me. It’s like one of those creepy haunted house paintings where the eyes move to follow you, and come to think of it, that’s exactly where this clutch belongs – in a house of horrors.

Let’s get this out of the way first: I don’t buy or wear fur personally, but I don’t have any ill will toward those that do. It’s not my business, just like it’s not my business if you’re a vegetarian or if you drive a gas-guzzling car (which I do, but I digress.) What I have a problem with, however, is bad taste and a gross disregard for those that have to look at you, and this clutch exhibits both.

I don’t think that anyone that buys leather bags would want a cow head attached to her purse, and as such, I don’t think that condoning the use or consumption of fur means condoning the idea of having an actual animal head hanging from your bag. I know that older furs often left heads and feet attached, and I can’t understand, for the life of me, why anyone would still consider that a good or fashionable idea. I also can’t imagine why Style.com would include something so poorly designed or that so gratuitously flaunts death in their Fall Accessories Report. Vivier makes some beautiful shoes and accessories, but this makes me look at the line in a new light, and not a good one.

Image via Style.com.

Original post by Amanda Mull

We’ve featured several non-leather clutches in the past few days that have had price tags north of two grand, and commenters seem displeased at such prices for bags that aren’t made out of some kind of animal-derived material. Well! We certainly don’t want anyone to be displeased, so I present for your consideration the Pauric Sweeney Tullio Lizard Clutch.

It’s made almost entirely of exotic lizard skin, it has clean, architectural lines, and the combination of neutral colors would go with a variety of nighttime looks. At only slightly more than $1000 for all of that, the price sounds positively fair when looked at in comparison with the clutches we’ve written about recently.

The clutch may be simple, but its details are perfect, and that’s what counts in any design. The smooth, black patent of the small top flap provides and excellent foil for the nubby texture of the tan lizard below, and the gentle dip in the metal bar separating the two is a well-edited flourish.

While this clutch may not be cheap, it certainly presents a better overall value than a lot of options that we’ve seen recently. Plus, the bag is timeless enough in its lines and composition to be a closet staple for years to come. Buy through Luisa Via Roma for $1088.

Original post by Amanda Mull

I usually kind of wish that Stella McCartney used leather for some of her bags, even though I can understand and respect why she chooses not to. Often, though, I find myself wondering if faux leather bags (or worse, simple canvas or nylon totes) are worth the steep price that she usually charges, and those thoughts have somewhat turned me off to the brand.

If there was a better way to get me reinterested than doing something stupendously odd like the Stella McCartney Wooden Accordion Clutch, however, than I can’t even imagine what it would be. This little bag is inventive but retro, technical but beautiful, and has 100% of my attention. I feel like I could play with it for hours.

Something about this clutch makes me think that Eames would enjoy it, but at the same time it reminds me of the old-fashioned structure behind the women’s clothing of a bygone era. The vintage duality of the curved wood is both minimal and ornate, but it makes me think that the clutch would be nearly ruined by actually using it.

I’m not saying that it would be physically harmed by use (although it might be, based on the strings that hold the wooden slats equidistant from one and other), but the lines that make the bag so fantastic would be interrupted and you’d lose a bit of the effect. That fear is at least partially justified by pictures of the bag with a removable satin pouch inside, which makes the little clutch’s structure hard to understand. This may be a great bag to look at, but it’s one that I’d want to own as a collector’s item, not a functional clutch. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $2045.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Just when I think that nothing a handbag designer does could possibly surprise me, someone goes and figures out a way to make me look twice. Thank God for innovation, even if it’s a little weird – without people trying new things, we’d all be carrying around the same black leather tote, and it takes a lot of ingenuity to go from the idea of a plain, utilitarian bag to the creation of something as fantastically weird as the Maison Martin Margiela Reflector Clutch

Yep, that’s right. Reflectors, meaning the little plastic things that people stick on the backs of their bikes so that cars won’t run them over at night. The clutch is embellished with those.

The chunks of plastic reflector, some of which look cut, others look more jagged and rough, are attached in a mosaic pattern to a simple leather clutch. The effect that this technique creates may not be something that everyone wants to carry, but I was taken aback at how well the chunks of plastic mimicked sequins. Since reflectors are, of course, created to reflect light at a variety of angles, they have a good bit of sparkle that gives this post-modern evening bag enough glamour to be more than just a conversation piece. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1275.

Original post by Amanda Mull

Ummmm. This, my friends, is the very first time I have been completely confused with a Bottega Veneta Knot Clutch. I have to admit, I feel completely, 100% without a doubt, in love with Knot Clutches when they first and continued to appear. The design of these clutches wasn’t completely unique and in fact the designs themselves kept repeating one another over and over again. However, I appreciated every aspect each one had to give: the leather, the detailing, the simplicity, the eccentric-ness (is that even a word?). And then, and then I came across this version and I am not really sure.

So, folks, here is the deal – I really do like this clutch. However the practically-centered side of me can’t help but wonder: If I were to buy a BV Knot Clutch, would this be the one? Now obviously, if money was not an issue, the answer would be: “yes, of course this is the one”. Yet, not all of us have that kind of money to throw around.

Look, there is no denying the fact that this Bottega Veneta The Knot Leather Clutch is really cute, feminine and flirty. I do really like the clutch. The purple and pink leather play off one another in the perfect Spring-tastic fashion. These are the colors I love to see everywhere in the Spring. The purple scribble-effect stitching gives this grown-up clutch a fun twist. Really, to be honest, I’ve seen this same design on a bag I carried when I was, perhaps 8 years old. Was it BV? Absolutely not (not… knot, nice play on words, right?). Either way, this bag really is great, I’m just not sure as a BV Knot-less gal if this would be the first one I would splurge for. You? Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1180.

Original post by Shannon Mahoney