The king of accessories is of course the handbag. I have to confess I often have bursts of severe bag envy, and only last night found myself gazing in a covetous fashion at a black fringed beauty sat over the arm of a chair in a restaurant. Not one to let sleeping bags lie, I got home and googled it. The best feeling of all is when ones fashion perving pays off, and the item is accessible – the bag in question last night was a current season Paula Ryan number. The best part of seeing it in action was that I would have hitherto put this particular bag in the ‘day’ category. Spying it work its magic after dark confirmed that with the right accessories, it was also a lady of the night. 

Now whilst fashion is at best a statement of individualism, the spectrum of demands on a bag means that this is an area where logic has to come to the party. Your bag is serving a purpose, whether for day or evening, so it doesn’t just have to look amazing; it has to serve that need. Personally I’m an absolute sucker for suede, but I have to accept that suede has its limitations. So yes, I buy suede but I don’t thrash it. A leather bag, on the other hand just gets better with age. The more knocks and scratches it gets, the better it looks. The more it is chucked on the seat of the car, the softer it becomes. I even managed to accidentally empty an entire water bottle into the inside of my leather bag, and it still came back from the challenge triumphant.

The looks that have prevailed for the upcoming seasons are really as varied as the needs that they will fulfil. While the boho vibe of the 70s is strong it stands to reason that handbags will reflect this. The cool detailing on the Oran range certainly has more than a hint of this. However, it’s not just the funky woven feature or the eclectic style that win with this brand. Brought in from Australia these bags are a connoisseurs dream, but without the hefty price tag. The soft, soft leather of the Oran is why these bags are flying out of the door.

Now another look that simply won’t go away – and with very good reason, because we love it – is fringing. The aforementioned Paula Ryan number has taken it up a notch by using patent leather, which elevates it into a more sophisticated bracket. If this level of fringing is just too much, then try a tassel. The Lily Zip Tip is a great size, roomy to a fault, and butter soft leather to boot. Equally the Lily Need is capacious, tasselled – and in red is totally on point this season.

Whilst often size is key to a day bag, for evening we can be a little more whimsical. For this reason the current mood is moving smaller and smaller – until possibly the question will be asked when is a bag not a bag? I’m inclined to keep my evening bag big enough that it can hold the bare essentials, and I can still locate it if I put it down after a few drinks. The Elk Box bag has the geometric shape that is hitting the catwalks, but you can still fit your keys in it. If you want to go teeny tiny then who’s to know if it’s a makeup bag? Check out Le Forge in sequin.