Out of my clutches (that’s a little purse pun for you)

garance dore

The other day something odd happened. I was trying to return a DVD (she’s the man, oh yeah!) to a dear friend of mine and suggested I bring it with me to dinner that night. She messaged back saying not to worry, she would be carrying a small bag and it wouldn’t fit into her bag. I thought nothing of this. When I arrived at dinner and saw all my friends decked out in their glitzy best. It suddenly became clear – she wouldn’t be able to fit the dvd because she was going out, and thus carrying a clutch. To me her message meant, I’m going to be using a small bag today. You know, clutches for daytime.

Perhaps I thought nothing of it because clutches for daytime is possibly my most favourite trendy trend. It all started with sex and the city, when Carrie and Co used to run around New York, accomplishing all sorts of things with nothing but a clutch (albeit ones varying from veritably teeny tiny to satchel sized behemoths) tucked under their toned arms. The final two episodes of season 6, when Carrie runs off to Paris, are punctuated by her beautiful vintage purse with silk lining ‘a hundred years old’ - completely elegant and chic. Carrie struts through Paris with this little purse in the nook of her arm and it sets the scene for unsurpassable, if impractical, sophistication.

the sartorialist

Clutches are like the last bastion of elegance, the one concession that girls (women?) make to the institutions of class. They might be all grunged up in ripped jeans and a loose men’s shirt, but they’ll be clutching a tiny little bejewelled clutch in one hand – the only remaining remnants of traditional femininity in their outfit. Clutches were conceived as ideal for women in the late 19th century and early 20th century, as what else would they need on a night out other than lipstick and perfume? Keys and money and other banal things were the dominion of the male escort. The woman’s only charge was to be beautiful.

Clutches today represent the rarefied glamour of those bygone worlds. Although we may need more than just a lipstick when we leave the house (I for one would not rely on any guy to bring keys, or even money, with them), we can squeeze almost anything into clutches these days, and grip them in our hands. They act as a buffer in awkward social situations and the most organic of accessories – they become a part of you and your hand movements.

the sartorialist

But that’s all for evening. I want to talk about clutches for day time. They are an instant outfit elevator, bestowing bundles of elegance to even the most simple of outfits. Regardless of design – the clunkiest of Alexander Wang zip clutches will do the job just as easily as teensy tiny satin slips of things – clutches symbolise a certain impracticality that can only mean wealth and privilege. To be able to ‘clutch’ a bag the whole day (to afford to do so, when your hands are often your meal ticket) is a sign of overwhelming privilege and class. And, whether this is a good thing or not, the fact remains that these ideas are irrevocably tied up with elegance and sophistication. To be chic is to be polished.

Clutches in the daytime are just that – a little extra polish. Regardless of how they look what they represent is a potent hit of extravagance. Even if (like me) you manage to squeeze money, cards, phone, ipod, keys, notebook, sunglasses, lipstick, mirror and gum into a structured woven raffia box clutch, you are still sending the message that you need only carry the necessities, and your necessities necessitate encasement in nothing less than chic evening wear. And it's not just the size that's important, it's the physicality of the whole thing. This is not just a small bag you can sling over your shoulder. This is something you have to grip, to move, to hold, to tuck, to clutch. It would be cheating to wear a tiny little shoulder bag or something with a handle you can slip under fingers. To reach that level of elegance it has to be properly held and clutched.

garance dore and the sartorialist

And it’s a little quirk you can make your own. I love mixing it up, I have a whole host of clutches from the ridiculous 80s glomesh number (a must have for every girl’s wardrobe, surely) to the oversized urban slip, the lacquered 30s box and the floral sequinned romantic pouch. You don't have to wear the same clutch every day (just like you don't have to wear the same bag every day). And wearing clutches in the day time shouldn't stop you from using them at night too, but the contrast and surprise of a shoulder bag with an evening gown can be remarkable. The point is - shake things up. If fashion, and life, has shown us anything these past 12 months it's that the tried and tested formula should be thrown out the window. Individualism is in (again). Be yourself and forget the rules. Wear spots with stripes, blue with green, white shoes at night... and clutches in the day.

You might not wear a ball gown in the glaring light of day (although, I would, but then that’s me), but you can certainly capture that same cinderella quality with a clutch. Next time you rush out the door, think about how much more elegant your outfit would look with a little clutch under your arm rather than a hunking hulk of a shoulder bag slung over your body. Get a clutch within your clutches!

the sartorialist

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