The Handbag! — The Silver Kat

I have never had a lot of handbags. Never as many as I have shoes! I buy one, and continue to use it until I get fed-up with it, at which point it’s unceremoniously slung to the back of the wardrobe. Start again!

The only one I've not tired of is my Mulberry Messager bag which I got for my 40th birthday. It's not the most practical bag, it has no separate compartments so everything is all together. When you delve in you gamble: will I retrieve my keys, tampax or a mouldy banana? And my partner well... he’d rather not take that particular gamble. Apparently my phone has more bacteria on it than a toilet seat (it is admittedly always a sticky mess). And the handbag might as well be tantamount to the Twilight Zone.

Bags are I think very personal - some like big, some small, cross over, rucksack, boho, tote - there's many to choose from. One thing though is for sure, an expert on designer bags is like the purveyor of fine wine or an avid collector of watches or antiques. There is a distinct appreciation for quality, style and craftsmanship. I have a few friends who will buy nothing but designer bags and if you can afford it, I totally get it.

Since I've been on Instagram I've started to appreciate a handbag more, it can give a splash of colour to your outfit or just that certain je ne sais quoi that completes your look. So handbags could very well be my new spend!!! ;)

I'm loving the coloured bags, especially red. & Other Stories is my personal favourite.

The mint velvet bag on the left is a lot smaller than the Topshop one on the right, which I have had in my basket for some time now ;)

Let me tell you a bit out this brand - The Bottletop Foundation - was launched in 2002 by Cameron Saul and his father Roger (Founder of British luxury fashion brand Mulberry) through a design collaboration with Mulberry. At the heart of the campaign was a handbag made from recycled bottle tops in Africa that was lined with Mulberry leather in Europe. Bottletop Foundation, uses contemporary art and music to raise funds and awareness for education projects that tackle delicate teenage health issues such as HIV/AIDS, drug abuse and teenage pregnancy.

These two are great slouch bags.

Upping the budget now, Rag & Bone handbags. I just adore these.

If you're a Mulberry fan like me there are a lot styles to choose from. These are my favourite, I just love an over-the-shoulder bag. For me they're just easy.

AND/OR are a new brand for John Lewis. Their clothes and shoes are fantastic too, definitely worth a look.

Partial to a bit of yellow at the moment, it's everywhere and if you can't wear it (as I can't) then a splash of yellow as an accent on a handbag or shoes is ideal.