Runway To Real Way: Late Winter Bags that Transition to Spring (A Few of our Favorite Things!)

February has arrived! And though we’ve had the mildest winter in the Midwest in recent memory, February still marks the milestone of making it over the hump of January leaving little more than a smooth, easy slide into spring. February also marks the start of Fashion Week season, inspiring us all to start the springtime closet clean out a little early. And while we can (maybe, just maybe) start to push those fleece leggings to the back of the closet, one thing to keep front and center is your collection of winter bags. Every style-savvy starlet needs to keep an arsenal of these versatile bags handy, ones that are both sturdy enough to brave the elements of winter while light enough to start the transition into spring. The last months of winter are the best ones to enjoy all the sumptuous fabrics the season has to offer. This means taking it beyond your coat and scarf and injecting a dose of luxury into your handbag. Fur-accented bags were all the runway rage for Winter 2016, with Jason Wu leading the pack. His elegant crossbody styles with their decadent fur flap had us running to the sites to get our hands on something that would feel as good as it looked. Luckily, the Olsen twins came through in a major way. Their Cynnie Nano Shearling Crossbody by Elizabeth and James is fiercely chic in a winter white and a completely feasible option to snap up without breaking the bank. It’s not to say that a satchel is only a fall or winter handbag style. We all know it holds rank all year round, but the leather, suede and other heavy fabric options are best paired with the wool and cashmere and fur of the cold weather seasons. Narciso Rodriguez, the guru of high-powered feminine modernism, crafted gorgeous confections in leather for his Fall 2016 collection. There’s nothing like a strong black bag to feel like you can take on the world. But it doesn’t always have to cost the monthly salary of a CEO to get that femme fatale look. We fell for this sleek and sophisticated shape by Vera Bradley, which is a far cry from the quilted carryalls the brand is known for. For less than $200, it packs a serious places-to-go-people-to-see punch. We touched on crossbody styles with fur, but the traditional saddlebag crossbody is worthy of a genre all its own. The long, often embellished strap and structural, minimal body is the perfect accent to just about any winter ensemble. With all the rampant black and gray, we felt more drawn to the brown spectrum, especially the looks at Calvin Klein. Eschewing the chunkier link strap for a simple leather one, we found an amazing deal from Nine West that would allow us to buy one in each color if we so chose. The half crescent shape is reminiscent of See by Chloe but we love the smaller and unfussy shape that will easily take us from now through festival season. This final style may seem a bit impractical since you have to hold it under your arm in the winter chill. But just think of all the potential glove options that could go with it! The oversized clutch has gained popularity over the past few seasons as a staple shape, worthy of holding court with the rest of the silhouettes on this list. it’s funkier, edgier, but still practical due to its capability of being able to accommodate more than just a phone and lip gloss. Sally Lapointe‘s stone-colored clutches offered a wintry neutral palette and a clean silhouette which we loved, but thought we could infuse a little color into the mix in order to prep the look for spring. This zesty pattern from Scoutmob could cheer us up on a blustery day and the handy little leather strap that goes all the way up your arm allows for frigid digits to be tucked back into pockets, gloves or not. 1. Fur Flap Runway: Jason Wu Fall 2015 Collection Real Way: Elizabeth and James Cynnie Nano Shearling Crossbody Fur Bag, Vanilla, $235 2. Satchel Runway: Narciso Rodriguez Fall 2015 Collection Real Way: Vera Bradley Morgan Satchel, $198 3. Crossbody Runway: Calvin Klein Fall 2015 Collection Real Way: Nine West In the Loop Crossbody Bag, Now $39.99 4. Oversized Clutch Runway: Sally LaPointe Fall 2015 Collection Real Way: Scoutmob Hand-Painted Marks Oversized Zip Clutch, $74 –Alia Rajput Image Layout: Fountain Of 30