Fantasy Friday – Make It Mine Byrdie Bags by Kate Spade

In my wish list post this month, I mentioned that I have never been much of a handbag person. Shoes have always been the thing that really sparked my interest and for for a long time, handbags were merely functional items. That isn’t to say I didn’t appreciate the aesthetics of a Mulberry Bayswater or Hermes Birkin – I thought them as handsome as the next person – but I never in a million years could have brought myself to part with the cash to buy one. Louboutins, for some reason, were another story, but when it came to bags I was more than happy to use the same old Primark handbag with pretty much every outfit.

I still can’t see myself feeling comfortable buying a genuine Birkin to be honest (though if I won the lottery I think I could be convinced to buy the odd Mulberry here and there….!) but in the last two or three years I have started to find myself increasingly drawn to bags, and really seeing how they can form a focus point for an outfit, not to mention the value of spending a little more to get better quality fabrics and some durability – lets face it, even the higher end high street bags will begin to look tatty after a while if they’re in regular use. So I have started to expand my collection somewhat. The downside of this, of course, is the more I buy the more I start to feel as though I need one in every style, print and colour available to make sure I have one for every eventuality! It isn’t good news for that Help To Buy ISA, not to mention the storage space in my house! Kate Spade though, in that creepy was she has of subconsciously tapping into my innermost desires, has just gone and introduced the perfect solution to this problem – the Make it Mine Byrdie, basically a mix and match bag!

Make It Mine Bare Birdie, £295 each, Interchangeable Flaps, £55 – £88 each

The ‘Bare’ bags are a small cross body style – one of my favourites as I have a lifelong hatred of having to carry anything in my hands, and a terrible habit of losing anything that isn’t physically attached to me – and come in two classic neutrals, black and nude. On their own they are already pretty perfect, but then comes the clever part! The flap which seals the bag is detachable, so you can purchase multiple other designs and styles to swap and change at your will! Currently there is a decent range available, mostly repeating the neutral tones with the odd splash of fuschia and of course one or two of the famous Kate Spade bows, but my favourite of all has to be the cat ears! I never could say no to stripes either though….

Normally I’d class this kind of thing as a bit of a gimmick, but I’m actually pretty taken with this idea. It still would take a lot to get me to spend more than £100 on a handbag, and the flaps themselves aren’t exactly what I would call cheap, but I do like the concept of being able to buy ‘add ons’ to you bag, which would really help me feel as though I was getting more ‘cost per wear’ value out of an expensive investment. For fickle people like me the thought of being able to have a reliable go to bag that you could regularly customize to match your outfit really appeals, especially where storage space is limited – when I like a pair of shoes, for example, I do tend to buy them in multiple colourways, but finding places to stash them is becoming a real issue right now, so this could really work for me! I’m sold!

Hmmmm. This could become problematic…! I told you it was Kate Spade’s fault didn’t I! How about you – are mix and match bags a yay or a nay?

Love,