If you haven’t had a chance to scoop up a fabulous clutch for your New Year’s Eve party, we’ve got a good option for you. (Forgot about that NYE bash, didn’t you?  After all, the holidays do keep you mighty busy…but don’t let your outfit be an after-thought to your Christmas soirees. Plan ahead!) Catherine Rapetti is a new accessories designer on the scene that you should definitely consider for your perfect party purse.  After working at Sak’s Fifth Avenue’s marketing division, Catherine was inspired to create a line of accessories that are refined and elegant.  She went back to school at the Parsons School of Design and got her degree in Fashion Design; now, she’s producing fabulous, luxurious leather goods that you can imagine having in your closet forever.

For the holidays, our pick is the JoJo Clutch, which has a classic rectangular shape. Available in black tan or pink, each clutch is made of gorgeous embossed croc leather with a magnetic closure. Measuring 14″W x 8″H, this is definitely an oversized clutch that will fit all of your night’s essentials.  The clean, sleek lines, along with the high quality, make this an investment piece that you’ll still be able to use 20 years down the line.  Order at catherinerapetti.com.

Editor’s Note:  We will be taking December 24 and 25 off for the Christmas holiday, returning December 26.  We send our best wishes to you and your loved ones, and have a very merry Christmas!

When the holidays roll around (and my birthday shortly thereafter), a handbag never fails to make my wishlist. Though I’m still obsessing over the Luxembourg Satchel in Black Crackle Patent, it might be the Lock Day to Evening Bag from Andrea Brueckner’s Aspen collection that makes the list this year.

“My original training was in tailoring and clothing design, so I find I am always inspired by construction and design details. For the Aspen Collection, I utilized a couture technique called Trapunto stitching, which is one of the techniques I was taught in a couture design class,” says Andrea. “This collection includes a satchel shape, a day to evening bag, and a clutch. I chose to work with brights this season, because it is very out of my element, and I wanted to try something new.”

Why is the Day to Evening Bag my pick? I adore the sumptuous glazed goatskin leather in combination with the stitching, and the lock closure really is darling. I also adore the elegance of the short top handle, but for convenience, there’s also a longer strap included.  It’s actually also quite roomy, measuring in at 12″L x 4″W x 12″H - making it ideal for toting around everything a girl might need on a day-to-day basis, yet still looking chic! It’s also available in a variety of colors - from a gorgeous dark taupe (my fave) to a bright cobalt to a practical black. Now, if I drop enough hints, do you think someone will buy this lovely bag for me?

If you’re looking for a great clutch to invest in, my pick right now is the Arabesque Clutch from Michelle Vale in Metallic Plum.  A gorgeous Italian leather with ostrich detailing, the interior is lined with suede and has a zipper compartment where you can tuck away your credit cards on a night out.  The color is gorgeous - it stands out and is a nice change from basic black, but will still go with a lot of different outfits, so it’s very versatile.  My favorite part about the clutch is that it comes with removable chain straps in two different colors, so you can wear the clutch three different ways - without a strap, with a silver strap, or with a gold strap.  What a genius idea.  All bags should come with this option!  The clutch also comes with a suede lined leather jewelry pouch where you can store the straps when you’re not using them (helpful for those of us who tend to lose things like that!)

The Arabesque Clutch comes in Metallic Plum, Jet, and Metallic Navy in leather/exotic materials (retailing for $695), and in Jet, Cloud and Caramel in leather (retailing for $550).  To find out more, visit MichelleVale.com.

Looking for a new clutch for the holiday season? Look no further! We’ve found the perfect one at Jalda. Retailing for $335, the Gold Sea Snake Deniz Clutch is a cute flat leather clutch with a magnetic flap closure and turquoise bengaline lining. We totally love it and think it’d be perfect for all those holiday parties, dinners, etc. Jalda is kindly giving the clutch away to one lucky TDO reader! Want to win? Just follow the instructions below!

TO ENTER:

• Comment on this post and tell us what you’ll wear the clutch with!
• Make sure to include your name & email
• Anonymous posts will not be counted since we won’t be able to identify you
• One entry per person
• Must have a U.S. shipping address
• The winner will be chosen at random
• You have until Sunday, December 14 at midnight (PST) to enter
• Come back on Monday, December 15 to find out if you’re the winner!

Bonne chance!
The TDO Team

Jalda is one of our favorite handbag designers.  They use exquisite leathers and create elegantly shaped styles that are 100% obsession-worthy.  As we head into the holiday season, I’m naturally looking at a new clutch to use for holiday parties and such.  

The bag that caught my eye is Jalda’s classic Croc Bean Clutch in a stunning embossed Italian leather, of which I’m totally loving the treatment. Truly versatile, it can be held folded as a clutch (as shown above) or as a mini-tote if held upright by the handle. The bean-shaped handle is made from brushed brass, which just adds another luxurious touch. I can imagine wearing this with most of my cocktail frocks this holiday season, along with just jeans and blouse for a night out.  Ready to order? Head over to Endless.com, StefaniBags.com or Amazon.com.

P.S. If you are in the Los Angeles area, they are holding their annual sample sale on Friday, Nov. 14 at 11564 Pico Blvd. from 6pm to midnight. See you there!

It’s not easy finding the perfect bag that can be used for both work and play.  I’m always on the search for a bag that I feel is work appropriate, yet stylish enough to bring out to meet a friend for after work drinks.

I think I’ve finally found my ideal in Sang A’s Large River Tote!  There are a few things I love about this bag: first, the lovely python patent.  I always equate fall with patent leather and think it lends a sophisticated polish to any outfit.  Secondly, I love that you can carry the bag in 2 ways: either by the handles or by the strap, for me to switch to when I get tired of one or the other. Third, I love the large size of the bag.  Like most girls, I have a million things in my bag - not including random papers from work and a spare change of flats for when my heels are killing me.  It’s not easy to find a bag that can fit all of those things in one and this fits the bill.

Additionally, I adore the combination of clean and slouchy in the bag.  The strap and rounded corners of the bag give it just a hint of bohemian edge, making it ideal for carrying after hours - while the structured rectangle shape make the bag look clean cut enough in a corporate environment.

If my validation of this bag isn’t enough, Blair Waldorf also carried this bag in last week’s Gossip Girl episode.  If it’s good enough for Blair Waldorf, it’s good enough for me. You can see more pictures of it here.

Gray bags are totally “in” this season. All of us having been searching for a fabulous gray bag for fall - and the Paxson Bag by Pallie is a fantastic, ladylike option.

The Paxson is a structured bag that has an elegant vintage vibe. (Truthfully, it reminds me of a bag that a screen siren like Grace Kelly would carry.) Each bag is made of super soft Italian leather and lined in suede - so you’re getting luxury inside and out. Measuring 9″ T x 13″ L x 3.75″ W, it’s nice and roomy so you can fit your work files, just along with your Blackberry and zillion lip glosses (if you’re anything like us).

The gray hues will work with so many pieces this fall. It would look pretty fabulous with your go-to LBD - or maybe a new one like this. I would also be very into pairing it with my standard straight-leg jeans, floaty top and flats for the work day; then, I’ll swap in a silky top and heels for night.

Go to palliebags.com for more info and to purchase.

I’ve been very into the little black dress lately, but while I love the classic look of one, they can be a little… boring.  So I’ve been trying to brighten up my look with funky accessories when I wear one.  This Ted Rossi clutch would be the perfect bag to pair with a LBD (or even with jeans a cute top!) It has a genuine exotic patchwork exterior with a khaki suede interior (don’t you love how expensive bags always come with a fantastic interior as well?)  It has a zippered pocket inside, so you can carry around your essentials without worrying that they’re going to spill out, and a double magnetic snap closure, so it won’t pop open at an inopportune moment, spilling lip glosses all over the table (for some reason, this always seems to happen to me!)  The patchwork clutch comes in three color combos: brown, black/natural, and grey, but I’m loving the black/natural the most since it will go with virtually everything in my wardrobe.

The clutches retail for around $748, so they’re a little out of my price range, but I definitely plan on visiting them online at TedRossi.com every time I get the chance.  (This would be the perfect time for the Gods of Online Sales to make one happen.  I hope they read The Daily Obsession!)

As much as we’d all love to have a new designer bag (Gucci, Prada, Derek Lam - take your pick!) this season, we can’t all necessarily afford it. Instead, we like to turn to the cheaper alternatives to get our handbag fix.

Surprisingly, Gap has some great options for fall. My favorite is the Leather Satchel in plymouth rock, which is a lovely gray hue.  I think the gray is such a versatile color and is just a softer neutral for fall.    (It’s also available in black if you prefer.)  It’s a really fantastic everyday bag that you can use to fit what you need for day.  At night, just fold over and use it as a clutch.  There’s some tiny studding at the outside flap over the zip pocket; it gives it a slightly tougher, durable look.  Plus…retailing for $150, it’s fairly affordable.

Pick it up at Gap.com!