Last updated on December 27th, 2021 at 11:06 pm

Have you noticed that the “Harper Girls” have a different viewpoint on color? We talked about it in our Colors of the Year post  — one of us loves color and one of us loves neutrals!  Do you know who’s who yet? Just as it applies to clothes, it also applies to handbags!  While we do differ somewhat, we do agree on one thing – while we both own black handbags, all handbags don’t need to be black!

Jen’s Handbag Selections

I’m not super adventurous with what colors I wear, so it’s probably not a surprise that I’m not very adventurous with my handbags too. But here’s a surprising twist – I don’t just wear black handbags! 

My personal style philosophy is to spend more money on bags I can wear with anything, and less on trendy clothes that go out of style. 

This doesn’t mean just designer bags, I have a lot of high-quality bags that I got for anywhere in the $100-200 range! 

I spend more on bags that I can wear everyday with almost any outfit. And less on bags that I can wear with specific outfits and certain occasions. 

Part of that too is because I don’t have time to be changing my bag to match my outfit. When I was going into the office everyday it was easier to keep using the same bag so I wasn’t forgetting anything (like my badge!).

As far as a diaper bag goes, kids need SO. MUCH. STUFF. it’s easier to keep it in one bag so you have whichever of the million things your kid needs at any time. 

My Everyday Bags 

Louis Vuitton Saintonge – in Black and Monogram Canvas
I like having a crossbody bag a lot of the time so my hands are free. I consider the Louis Vuitton monogram canvas a “neutral”, so I’ll wear this bag with anything. It’s not overly fancy that I feel like I can’t wear it every day, but it does help elevate a more casual outfit. I got this bag on Poshmark, so I didn’t pay full price! I will scour listings to find the best deal!

Madewell Transport Tote – in English Saddle 
This is my carry everything-I-could-possibly-need bag. It’s super high quality, beautiful, and can carry so much stuff! I can carry all of my things, plus some diapers and a change of clothes. 

Jansport Backpack – in Black 
The black Jansport Backpack has been my go-to diaper bag for a while. I had my sister personalize it with an embroidered Mickey head, and I add and change out Disney pins! (Note: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Telfar Shopping Bag – in Dark Olive
When Aunt Dianne told me about Telfar, I thought the bags were gorgeous. They sell out in minutes, so you have to be quick, and you have to know what you want. When I got the email that dark olive was going to be available soon, I decided to go for it. There’s so many gorgeous colors I would get multiple! Gravitating toward color and not neutrals is super weird for me. 

Because I wear a lot of neutrals, this olive green bag looks good with most outfits too. I love that it’s structured and has different handle lengths. It holds a lot, and is a little dressier than my Transport Tote. 

Dianne’s Handbag Selections

The “matchy-matchy” era is very familiar to me. This is the era where everything has to be coordinated, especially your handbag and your shoes.  Even though that rule has changed, I can find myself drifting that way and need to pull myself back.  So I’ve tried to settle somewhere in the middle.  Not everything has to match, but if you can add a pop of color, well, why not?

I’ve always been one to change my bag for every outfit. When I worked full-time in the office, it was not unusual for me to change my bag every day. I love to change things up and a handbag is an easy way to do that.

The bags I selected for this post are among my most recent favorites, especially heading into spring.  I have handbags in all price ranges. For more expensive bags, I will lean towards classic colors. But, I do have more inexpensive bags in trendier colors, that may only go with one outfit. But, it’s a great outfit!

You are probably surprised to see a black bag, after I went on and on about color. Truth is, I still love classic black handbags – and I especially love one with a white dress.

So, here are my top selections:

Telfar Shopping Bag – Jen already talked about her Telfar bag and I feel the same way about mine.  It is a perfect size to carry a lot of things and I tend to carry a lot of things.  I love the multiple handles and the fact that they are attached to the bag.  The double long straps are extremely comfortable for wearing as a cross body.

Coach Georgie Gem Crossbody – I call this my “gotcha” bag because it kept showing up in my social media feeds until they got me.  I love red bags, especially in the summer.  One of my most favorite combinations are black and white with a pop of red and this bag does it.  It is a perfect true red and I love the shape.  I do tend to look for smaller bags in the summer time because this is the time of year that I end up going hands free.  I am anxiously awaiting the return of concerts, farmer’s markets and street festivals and the crossbody is perfect for them.

K. Carroll Accessories Kelsey Crossbody – This bag is amazing and not just for the color.  The way it opens to give you additional carrying space makes it perfect for a vacation bag.  It holds so much more that it looks. The best part is, it’s only $45, so it’s easy to indulge in a color that you might not wear very often.

Dooney & Bourke Pink Plaid Satchel – I bought this bag on a girls’ weekend shopping trip and was worth getting it in my suitcase to take home (along with other purchases).  I love the femininity of the pink plaid and the classic print and color will be in style for a very long time.  I can see me wearing this for years.  A little bigger than a crossbody but not as large as a tote, it’s a great size. (Note: The link above is to a similar pattern, but not exactly the same. I did find a similar bag to mine on Poshmark, if you really like my exact plaid.)

Chanel Classic Flap Crossbody – This was a special treat that I bought for myself, a few years back.  It had been on my bucket list for a long time and I decided that I had waited long enough.  I didn’t want to wait until I was 80 to buy it and then only have 20 years to use it :-). The reason I added it to this collection was because, in true form, I couldn’t buy black, I had to buy a color. I chose blue because I was working in a casual workplace and thought it would be perfect and more versatile with jeans.  It’s one of my prized possessions, like a Babe Ruth baseball card would be to my husband!

Which one of us are you more like when it comes to handbags? Do you go for different colors to match your outfits, or stick to a neutral color palette? Or are you stuck in a rut with black handbags? We’d love to know some of your favorite bags!