Envelope Clutch: A Wardrobe Staple

IF YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE: YOU NEED AN ENVELOPE CLUTCH

Today’s post takes a look at one of the wardrobe staple bags that every woman needs to have in her closet. That is the envelope clutch. This little gem is the perfect transitional piece that adds elegance and function to your style!

You’ve definitely seen them before and you hopefully have one. If you don’t, however, I’m going to explain why you need one in your life.

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The reason for an envelope clutch

To be clear, I’m using the phrase ‘envelope clutch” loosely. Technically, an envelope clutch is constructed in a fashion that resembles an envelope.

As you can see the lines of the true envelope clutches shown, it has the foldover components just like an envelope. The only difference is that I would consider the “FACE” to be the backside of the clutch, whereas the “ENVELOPE BACK” is what I call the front side. That said, the construction, as you can see from the diagrams, is very similar.

An envelope clutch typically has no depth. It’s a slim case to hold just your essentials, such as your phone, credit cards, and a lipstick.

Where I take liberties in this post, is to call any slim silhouette bag an envelope clutch. We can call it a literary license 😉.

Inside, you won’t find lots of extras. The entire point is to have a slim line that is unobtrusive. Many designs today, however, do take a cue from wristlets and have slots for credit cards.

Here are the top 5 reasons that you must have one available for your use:

1. They are a classic glam look from way back when glamour was the word used. Think of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961).
2. Most are timeless so you can have the same bag for decades.
3. They fit perfectly inside a tote bag. That makes them the perfect transitional piece to take you from a day out into date night!
4. The highlight a beautiful manicure, rings, and bangles bringing the attention to a lot of your other accessories.
5. They are age-neutral. A young girl can carry one just as easily as a mature sophisticate of 70 years and beyond.

I’ve had one go-to clutch for ages now. It’s from Vera Bradley and is completely the opposite of what you think of when you think of Vera Bradley. I really wish they still had this line because it was fabulous and works all year and with both blacks and browns.

If you have read my post on animal prints, they are classic and trendy all at once. That makes this bag perfect to keep for as long as it holds up, which so far is many years. I honestly don’t remember how long ago I bought it but probably about 10 years ago.

You don’t have to take my word for it alone. Check out this fantastic post from Society19.com, which is a site with great posts so you should subscribe there too!). The post is called, “20 Fashion Essentials All Well-Dressed Women Own“.

I have a lot of different ways to use a clutch on my Pinterest Board, Classic Fashion for Women. You can also find these bags in more affordable designs, unlike those that I’ve shown above (yes, I like to show designer bags that cost A LOT!!!). For some examples, take a look at the four I found on Amazon:

Our take on the envelope clutch

If you follow our designs then you know that we love to mix leather and fabric. That’s the reason why the design allows for any color leather that works best for your wardrobe (or get a couple!) and a fabric that works for you.

My suggestion to you is a classic pattern that you can keep using for years. BUT there’s no reason for you not to use a pattern that’s just fun and trendy.

This envelope clutch was really fun to make. It combines machine and hand stitching and a lot of attention to the leather edges. The gold hardware works great with the exterior fabric and the interior metallic gold cheetah print cotton.

If you want a bag similar to this one, please email me.
A bag similar to this will cost approximately $125.

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XOXO, Ali.