I’m a satchel and clutch gal, and generally not into crossbody bags. I like the visual vibe of the crossbody, but I normally find them uncomfortable on the neck and shoulder. They bruise my hips and feel cumbersome to carry on my side. But I’ve changed my mind about the crossbody after finding a very specific silhouette that works for me. 

Two years ago I came home with a darling little crossbody from Amsterdam because I loved the tomato red and the dressy gold chain-handle shoulder strap. I realized that I do like crossbody bags when they’re relatively small, structured, somewhat classic, and have some glitz factor.

Unless I’m traveling, my bag’s contents are minimal. This makes it easy to swap out my bag to suit my outfit. As long as I have my wallet, lipstick, tissues, keys and large iPhone — I’m sorted. The lightweight, small crossbody doesn’t aggravate my neck, shoulder or hips like larger styles do. It adds a relaxed urban touch to my outfits, and I enjoy being hands-free. 

Since I reached for that little red crossbody from Amsterdam a lot more than I expected (creating an effective complement with red shoes and scarf), I decided to add a couple more small crossbody bags to my handbag capsule. A dear little pet in blush to match blush loafers and belt, and a rock star in olive with guitar strap to incorporate into an olive capsule I’m creating for Fall. The exact items are represented in the collection below. 

I’m enjoying my wildcard crossbody bags. It feels good to sport something fresh for my style after years of satchels and clutches. I was in Salt Lake City for ten days earlier this month, and the small crossbody bags with dressy chain-handle straps were very popular there too. They were styled into dressy and very casual outfits, and looked fabulous. Some were sporting them with a work tote, satchel or case as their second bag. 

Who else is celebrating the small crossbody bag with me?