All these posts about summer handbags have me wondering about mine - and yours!
In the summer, I like lighter handbags - lighten in colour and often in weight - but they still have to fit my descriptor of Urban Luxe.
I prefer them to be made of calf leather, preferably in Italy. I just find that Italian calf leather is so luxe and beautiful - its sheen elevates any outfit. I can't always swing this (my eyes water at the price of some of these beauties) so sometimes I make trade offs, or sometimes i just buy fewer handbags and make sure that the ones I have, I love.
I like to buy my bags in what I call pop-neutrals; neutrals that have a bit of pop on my outfit so they stand out, but aren't too loud.
My go-to for summer is Rebecca Minkoff's Je t'aime bag in baby blue suede. NOT Italian calf leather, but a great casual mid-size bag that I can thrown on and go. It fits my phone, wallet, keys and sanitizer, and looks nice doing it.
In March, after months of saving up, I treated myself to a Mulberry Leighton bag in rust-coloured calfskin. I ADORE this bag - to me it is the perfect blend of structured and unstructured, dressy and upscale casual. It's the only bag I've ever found in 10 years that comes close to my Tod's D-style bag that is nearly 15 years old and going strong. I bought a colour that I hope will take me through all 4 seasons at work and be the pop in my earth toned outfits. I took it to work a handful of times - and then the pandemic hit!
A bag I just purchased - that I think will serve me well during this casual pandemic lifstyle and beyond - is M0851's Origami bag. I have talked about this brand a lot - I probably have collected around 10 of their bags in the past 15 years. They are made of beautiful leather and beautifully lined, out of Montreal. They pay such attention to details like zippers and key cords, and they age tremendously well, even with a ton of wear and tear. My first bag, 16 years on, has that aged leather sheen that makes it even more beautiful. It's a mini messenger in chocolate that I wear with everything from gear to casual wear - at least twice a week for 16 years.
This blue one is made of sky-blue Italian calfskin. I hope to throw it on with anything form a linen dress to shorts, and throw in my requisite kindle/book, planner, phone, etc.
What bags do you take for summer? What are their different uses? What do you look for in your summer bags? Do tell!
