Wardrobe Holes: Satchel & Wallet

I'm not normally a bag girl, so this is a bit of a departure for me. I was never really a wallet person and in college I was like all the other coeds running endless small clutches into the ground. 


But now that I'm a big girl, I have to admit that having a gorgeous cross body bag with an actually attractive and fashionable wallet is uber convenient. I've accepted that I can always just carry my wallet like a clutch if I'm popping out somewhere, but overall, it's so convenient to be able to throw my wallet between bags depending on my needs that day. 

Because I'm picky about bags but terrible at pulling the trigger on bigger buys, I had this baby on my wish list for almost two years. I was so, so lucky to receive it as a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law and am just thrilled. The Cambridge Satchel Company is in the UK and makes exquisite handcrafted leather bags, originally inspired by the Hogwarts school uniform. 

I went with the classic oxblood color and have the same size as the lovely lady in the fourth photo. It's my most frequent weekend bag because it's amazingly structured, but can still hold a decent amount. I love the way it's slightly unusual with it's satchel shape, but is clearly great quality leather with nice detailing.

In my bag life, I balance my satchel with an old vintage Coach bag that I bought on eBay two years ago (Happy Valentine's Day to me). The leather is really worn in and soft, and I like the way it's tiny with a low profile. But don't worry, we'll hear more about vintage Coach later ;)

My wallet was a birthday present for my 26th. I was really, really into the scalloping trend and wanted something small. I never carry a full checkbook so I don't need a massive rectangle, and I wanted something snug enough that it would fit in both my purses and attractive enough that I wouldn't mind carrying it solo sometimes. I think that the Kate Spade Lily Avenue Kieran really fits the bill!

I don't change my bag seasonally (told you I'm not a true bag girl) so I thought this cheerful cherry red/pink would work for all seasons, and I like seeing it nestled in my brown Coach bag, my teal Coach work tote, or my oxblood satchel. I've been thrilled with the quality of both purchases and I'm really glad that I held out for the ones I wanted. For me, bags and wallets are an area where I don't like to recycle through endless cheap options. Like watches, I think they serve as great outfit foundations and I don't like falling in love with a $20 bag only to have it fall apart in a few months.

What's your bag style? Do you like to lug half your house in it, or are you a minimal clutch girl?

SaveSaveSaveSave