Marc Jacobs l Christy Shoulder Bag

When it comes to Marc Jacobs, I am not sure if he is just talented and brilliant in a multifaceted manner, or sometimes kind of schizophrenic, or simply has a workshop full of random people coming up with equally random craziness. I do love the man for his quirky ads and affordable chic, but how does this beautiful, refined, and polished Christy shoulder bag come from the same MJ family tree as this mutant?! I will not try to comprehend this "bag-on-bag" action and simply move on with my Christy - otherwise my head might blow up.

As you might have noticed, I'm on a kick with what I consider "evergreen" bags that you can invest in and keep for years to come. The MJ Christy shoulder bag - not the aforementioned mutant - comes to mind as one that would be perfectly suitable for everyday use, considering its neutral gray tone, which could be also played up with pale lilac, cream, or earthy toned clothing. I'm thinking sheer scarves in those colors would pair perfectly with the bag, loosely and gracefully tied around your neck, or if it gets warmer, around the handle of the bag a la fictional Miranda Priestley. What I like about the Christy bag are the ample zipped pockets, especially the two front ones that stay in place with magnets. That's right, ladies, those little tabs are magnetic closures. I'd hate to fiddle with them every time I opened or closed the pockets, and the tabs would end up dangling around wildly, if they hadn't been magnets. Brilliant.

The only thing I'm not crazy about this bag is the belted handle, which allows you to adjust it from a 7" to 8.5" drop. I'm usually a fan of having multiple options - like detachable shoulder straps, etc. - but for a shoulder bag of this size (13.5"x 12"x 4"), there really isn't a need for the belted handle unless I decide to put on a winter coat thick enough to make me look like Bibendum (who is this Bibendum, you ask? It's the actual name for the Michelin man - who says reading blogs don't teach you things). Otherwise, the hardware for the belt just ends up leaving unsightly imprints on the beautiful leather, and this is one instance I would actually choose beauty over functionality. The belted shoulder strap aside, I still love me some Christy, which is available for $995.

Image: Courtesy of eLuxury.