Kate Spade

I wrote on Purse Blog not long ago that I wasn’t feeling the bicolor trend, and I may have spoken too soon. Although many of the bicolor bags this season feature the browns, tans, and dark greens that make me unhappy, I’ve found one that’s right up my proverbial alley. The Kate Spade Belmont-Malva Bucket Bag is in beautiful purple suede trimmed by ostrich-embossed black patent leather, a combination that I adore (although I’d rather the black patent wasn’t ostrich-embossed). The colors are deep and fall-like, and purple suede is a material that I need more of in my life. The bag is also uncharacteristically slouchy for Ms. Spade - her bags normally have corners so sharp and hard that they’d put your eye out. I fear that, once seen in person, this handbag may not look particularly expensive (something about the ostrich-stamped patent is throwing me off, and the corners are still a bit hard and poke-y), but from where I’m sitting right now, I’m mighty pleased with it. Buy through Nordstrom.

Animal print is back! I guess when I think about it, animal print never goes away completely, but like many trends, animal print continues to cycle itself back into popularity. Just this week, we all went to grab a bite to eat at a restaurant in a mall. As we passed stores and did a little window shopping it was certainly evident that animal print is everywhere right now. The Kate Spade Spring Island 2 Evan with Rose clutch is a perfect example of what I am talking about. This is a classic clutch with all the features you would expect: flashy purple interior lining, back wall zip pocket, top flap with a magnetic snap closure and for a little extra something, a yellow rose accent. I am not sure how I feel about the rose accent, but maybe it is something that would grow on me. Other than that, I think the clutch is quite a hit. Usually, I am cautious about animal print because I hate when it looks like too much; kind of like this Charles David Satchel. But, in this case I think there is just enough animal print to make the clutch a spicy addition to your outfit. You can buy this ferocious clutch through Zappos for $299.