On and off the runways this season, we saw clutch bags small and large paired with daywear. We even saw small handbags with their handles made redundant as stylish women gripped them from beneath. Often pigeonholed as an evening-only handbag choice, more and more fashionable women are carrying them for day. If you, like me, carry your life around with you, this may seem insane.
Celine and Miu Miu, Fall 2011 runway
The thought of whittling my must-have items down to a precious few gave me anxiety, but recently, and completely by accident, I made the jump and here’s how it worked. In the morning I packed my normal handbag with a book, bottle of water, and miscellaneous beauty products but was running late and instead of switching my cards from last night’s clutch to my normal wallet, I just threw the clutch into my handbag. It really didn’t make an impact on my day until lunch, when instead of lugging around my large handbag, I just took out the clutch and went on my way. Similarly at night, an impromptu evening out was a perfect opportunity for me to quickly grab my clutch and head out.
Seeing how convenient this had been all day, I decided to try it out for a whole week. By the middle of the week I had stopped carrying my large bag and was just carrying the clutch. I felt free of the heavy baggage and made strategic decisions about what I wore and what I packed. I didn’t really need that extra cardigan or three lipsticks. It may not be ideal forever, I admit I have switched back to primarily using a larger bag, but even now the contents of that bag are few. With so many beautiful clutches on the market right now, and even more in the Fall, give it a test drive and It may change more than just your look.
Photos: JakandJill.com, Vincenzo Grillo for Imaxtree
