It's All In The Bag

Dream bags often come with eye-opening prices, but there are ways around that.

By Heather Summerville

A good handbag is one of those justifiable splurges. There's the "I swear I'm going to wear this until it falls apart" excuse. Or my most recent favorite: "It could double as a carry-on, so I'll use it when I fly," which I've never actually done, but it gets me out of the store almost entirely guilt-free. Recently, though, I fell in love with a bag that in all likelihood I won't carry forever and is certainly not the most functional. But it is pretty. Really pretty. And the thought of toting it around all summer in my cropped jeans and an oversize white T-shirt makes me unbelievably happy.

Because of course that's the secret of a really cool bag: You can be wearing your gym clothes and you'll still feel glamorous and chic, as long as you're carrying it.

But is my vision of casual, beachy happiness worth the $1,720 price tag that comes with my newest obsession: Matthew Williamson's gorgeous hand-beaded shopper (see photo)? Sadly, I have to say, probably not. So I've been searching for some alternative, more wallet-friendly options to fill this void in my handbag collection--and I've found some pretty great substitutes.

Like the red kashmiri embroidered tote I spotted at Anthropologie. Okay, it isn't beaded, but the design still has that great bohemian feel that initially caught my eye on the pricey designer option.

Then I found a soft leather shoulder bag by Mayle. It has a beautiful handcrafted feel with twisted leather strips that fan out across the top. Plus, I like the idea of an easy-access drawstring opening.

I also remembered seeing a cool Hawaiian designer who makes her bags from vintage Hawaiian fabrics that she's collected over the years. After taking a look through Meleana's site, I found a classic tote with a punchy floral print that goes straight through the middle of the bag. It was colorful and exotic, which is exactly what I was after. (And while the crazy amount of interior pockets and waterproof lining were added to make it baby-friendly--possibly one of the cutest spins on a diaper bag I've ever seen--for me, it makes it that much more perfect to take to the beach...or on a trip...or a picnic...and so on.)

So even though--in moments of bag agony--I've come close to closing my eyes and hitting the purchase button on my dream Matthew Williamson bag, I've always had the good sense to save that money for other, slightly more important causes (like rent!). But now that I've found so many fun substitutes, I can at least live out my happy little beach fantasy--bright tote and all.

Heather is the senior editor at