Bella Blithely

Grab a Book

Pocket books and purses disguised as books are becoming quite popular. I can’t guarentee that toting one around will boost your literary cred, but they are a cute idea, with loads of vintage appeal. Provided that no actual books were harmed, of course! Here are some of my current favourites.

Femme Sud

The Femme Sud Ex Libris pocket book is the original book-shaped purse. The collection was originally released in 2008 and featured cheeky embroidery, a handy mirror and even a cute little coin purse. When you could still manage to find one, they sold for roughly $500 each.

Kate Spade

These sleek purses debuted in 2010 and feature such titles as Pride and Prejudice (above), Emma, The Great Gatsby, Great Expectations, and The Importance of Being Ernest. I love the gold-tone hardware and the adorable black and white striped lining. $325 from Kate Spade.

Chanel

Chanel included two book clutches in the 2011 Spring Ready to Wear collection. Apart from Diane Kruger bringing one along to the Berlin Film Festival that same year, they were never seen or heard of again. A pitty really.

Olympia Le Tan

These amazing clutches have popped up in the hot little hands of everyone from Natalie Portman to Tilda Swinton. Michelle Williams has a few herself, which is quite an investment considering the $1,300 price tag. Classic titles include The Great Gatsby (above), Dracula, Lolita, Doctor Zhivago, In Cold Blood, Madam Bovary, and The Portrait of a Lady.

Laguna Moon

Laguna Moon‘s embroidered book-shaped bags are adorable. Spiral-bound and featuring a handy chain, they’re also made from synthetic leather and come in at about $120 with current exchanges rates. Making them one of the more affordable bags on this list!

ASOS

Lest I speak too quickly, this clutch is the cheapest of them all! Wherever there is a trend to be had, ASOS is usually all over it. This lovely little blue and gold clutch fetches for $40. And really, who can resist that tassel?!

Too many to choose from really! If you’re game enough, this is the kind of thing that you could very easily whip up yourself one rainy afternoon. Arianna, Kate, Marlena and Jenna have all shared their DIY secrets, though these involve slicing up real books. Over on good ol’ Etsy, there are several people selling old books converted in to handbags and Kindle covers. But my favourite so far has to be Bromeliad, who made hers out of an old DVD case, as opposed to cutting up a perfectly good book. You could even choose a different cover for each outfit, which is very clever really!

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Five avant garde bags & the women who own them

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Valentino Noeud d’Amore Clutch

The owner of the Noeud d’Amore clutch is a marketing assistant which a penchant for Mucha’s art nouveau paintings. She takes this clutch, teamed with red satin kitten heals, to the chic bar down town where she & her friends giggle over old school stories while drinking Chambord & lemonade. Inside she stashes pink-papered cigarettes, kiwi flavoured bubblegum, colouring pencils & a photograph of her pet hamster, George.

Leiber Ganesh Collectors Clutch

The woman who owns the Ganesh clutch is a bit of a nomad. She discovered Ganesha while on the trek across India & now elephants are her favourite animals. She likes to drink iced tea while sunbathing in her front yard on Wednesday mornings when she knows the cute postal boy will come by. The movie Bambi makes her cry every time, though when she thinks no one is watching she will sometimes eat a plate of beef tatake while out at sushi restaurants.

Marc Jacobs Iris Sequined Evening Bag

This woman is married to a lawyer & likes to spend his money on manicures & shoes. After her hair appointment, she meets her friends at a café in the middle of the city where they drink wine, talk about each other & plan shopping expeditions. She bought this Iris sequined evening bag because the frog reminded her of her university days when she wanted to work in environmental conservation. Though she tells everyone that it’s because the sequins match the colour of her Louboutin’s perfectly. One day she thinks she would like to own an art studio. But not right now, as she’s too busy.

Fendi Artist Baguette

This woman bought the Artist Baguette on a whim one Saturday morning because she liked the pens that came with it. She doesn’t regret her decision. When not working at her café, she is always listening to music on her headphones & imagining what it would be like to live underwater. She collects fluffy teddy bears & pet rocks, giving each one a unique name. Once a week, she takes this clutch with her on a shopping trip to the sweet shop across town where she buys big bags of pastel coloured peppermints.

Leiber Humble The Penguin Minaudier

When she was a little girl she watched the penguins while on a trip to the zoo & this Humble The Penguin bag reminds her of those sunny summer days when she wished desperately for the animals to talk back to her. When upset, she recites Desiderata inside her head. She wears this clutch with soft cotton dresses in floral patterns to the ice-cream parlour down the road where she & her girlfriend eat waffles, hold hands under the table & talk about their favourite films. When she grows up she wants to be an actress, or a pastry chef. She can’t decide.