Sigh.
I can’t help it. I’m in love with the color of the Lauren Merkin Lucy Glossy Croc Clutch. It’s just teal enough to be eye-catching without being bright and obnoxious. It would go with a variety of neutrals and brights and either stand on its own or blend in a bit. I’ll even forgive the fake stamped croc.
Boo, I’m bored. I’ve sat looking at this handbag intermittently all day, and the more I look at it, the more depressed it makes me. It’s making the walls close in on me.
I started out liking the Lauren Merkin Bailey Saddle Bag, but it has somehow managed to take me prisoner with it’s overwhelming blah-ness. Ms. Merkin makes a lot of great, functional bags, but I think this one is a miss.
I am so used to thinking “clutch” when I come across a Lauren Merkin handbag that I could hardly believe this bag was a Lauren Merkin. But once I got passed my initial shock, I decided the bag was worth a real look. My first thought was, I really wish there was a different background. The color of the bag and background are so similar that it is a little distracting.
Here at Purse Blog and Purse Blog Savvy, we love Lauren Merkin. For those of you who frequent our sites, this is nothing new to you. However, I would like to share some information about the amazing sample sale Lauren Merkin is putting on.
In fact, if you are in the NYC area you are really the lucky one. Head over to the Lauren Merkin Showroom: 231 West 29th St Suite 201 (between 7th & 8th ave) Tuesday, August 11 – Friday, August 14th between 11 am – 7 pm or on Saturday, August 15th between 11 am and 4 pm to see which great bags you can snag. Know this much… not only will you get a great bag, but it will be yours at 40-70% off! Talk about fabulous! And while I wish I was there to see what I could call mine, if you have a chance to attend, make sure to come back and share with the rest what you picked up with the rest of us.
From time to time I totally hit a clean-lines-only kind of mood. Today is one of those days. I chalk that up to the fact that I just moved into a new apartment and am still sifting through boxes and bags everywhere I look. So with all the clutter I am trying to make sense of, clean edges are super appealing.
Lauren Merkin did a nice job with this clean black and white clutch. The Lauren Merkin Silk Satin Blake Clutch is the kind of handbag that demonstrates how the less is more idea can be executed nicely. Smooth black and white satin come together in an elegant yet fun way. This is an unbelievably amazing option when you are going for that sleek look. Buy through Luna Boston for $275.
I’m always a bit reticent to use superlatives when I talk about bags. Not only does arbitrarily proclaiming things to be the “best” or “worst” or “weirdest” seem a bit disingenuous and histrionic, but it’s also rarely true. There are thousands upon thousands of handbags out there in the world, and it’s pretty much impossible to find any particular one that beats every last one of them in any specific way. Yet, my first reaction when I saw the Lauren Merkin Diana Metallic Bubble Clutch was, “Wow, this is the best clutch I’ve seen in a long time, particularly for the price.”
And despite the use of the superlative, I stand behind that initial reaction. The clutch really is beautiful; the texture of the leather combined with the dark gunmetal color sort of reminds me of asphalt shining in the sun after a hard rain (and I mean that in the absolute best way possible). It’s not overly bling-y or glam, but it has a subtle elegance to it while maintaining a bitch of the edge, probably because of the shade of silver used. Pewter or gunmetal are my favorite color to wear in a clutch since they’re seasonless and go with virtually everything, and this unique texture and low price point just can’t be beat. Buy through Bloomingdale’s for $195.
Remember when you were younger and you would leave birthday parties with party favors? Well, Lauren Merkin is celebrating 7 years as a handbag designer and she wants to share some party favors with you! Head over to Lauren Merkin now and sign up for her newsletter. On July 31st, 7 lucky winners will win a bag of their choice!
We’re all pretty familiar with Lauren Merkin’s little pleated clutches. They’re adorable. But this one, this Lauren Merkin Ostrich Lotte Clutch- it really takes the cake, in my opinion. It’s the epitome of cutesy sophistication, of dainty tea party style combined with a sly innocence. It would look at home held a white-gloved hand, or by one with nails painted a slick black.
I think it’s the ostrich that takes the cream color to another level. By itself, a cream clutch might be a bit… ordinary. But the ostrich, it makes it so versatile. At once, I can imagine it with a Rihanna-esque rocker ensemble (and I do think this would look amazing), a 50’s wasp-waisted dress with a tiny hat, and of course, with the timeless LBD. This clutch is really all about the texture: the soft bumps of the ostrich skin mesh seamlessly with the pleats and the rounded shape. And that, I believe, is what can take this clutch right from rocker to the Ritz. Buy through Shopbop for $250.
I’ve seen peacock feathers slowly emerge as a small trend over the past few months, and I totally and completely support the idea. They’re exotic without being too loud, give things lots of texture and visual interest, and work really well as a pattern or as color inspiration for clothing and accessories. I also love the feathers themselves attached to bands and worn as retro hairpieces – the headband trend is kind of old, but the feathers make it new and fun.
The fact that I love the trend so much makes me all the more disappointed in the Lauren Merkin Silk Feathers Lotte Clutch. This bag COULD have been so cool, but it misses the mark, mainly because of the colors chosen for the feather pattern. Peacock feathers are full of teals, bright blues, rich greens, and deep golds and browns and have some of the most beautiful color combinations that I can think of. Why, then, did they choose olive green and aqua as the principle colors on this bag? Not only do they not go together, but they’re not the nearly the first colors that come to mind when someone mentions peacocks. Overall, this clutch seems like an opportunity wasted. Buy through ShopBop for $200.
Sigh. I’m a big Lauren Merkin fan in general. I like a designer that knows what she’s good at and doesn’t venture too far into other territory. There’s something to be said for carving out a niche and really perfecting it, and that’s what Ms. Merkin tends to do with her cute little clutches.
I cannot, however, get on board with the Lauren Merkin Ava Jeweled Clutch. It’s not terrible, per se, it’s just kind of…meh. And I wouldn’t so much call it “jeweled” as I would call it “with rocks randomly attached.” The color and finish of the leather are a little too granola-y for me, as are the color and the general appearance of the “jewels.” The whole thing just isn’t inspiring to me, and clutches have such an infinite ability to be fun and adorable that I’ve come to expect more from Ms. Merkin. Buy through Shop Bop for $325.
Sigh.
Boo, I’m bored. I’ve sat looking at this handbag intermittently all day, and the more I look at it, the more depressed it makes me. It’s making the walls close in on me.
I am so used to thinking “clutch” when I come across a 
