A while ago I realized that my handbag collection was following a James Herriot theme...All Creatures Great And Small. By that I mean that I have a good variety of bags...floral, striped, and multi-patterned...but, apart from a shaggy Martin Margiela evening bag, I didn't actually have one that was basic black. Yes, the humble "black, go-with-everything" staple was missing...so the hunt began.

My first thought was Chanel but, as I've mentioned before, I have a love/hate relationship with their bags and cannot rationalize their prices. I knew that I wanted that feel though...the dress-y bag that works well with more casual looks...like you borrowed your grandmother's bag to wear with your t-shirt dress. After looking at a lot of bags that had no personality whatsoever...does black necessarily have to equate to dull as ditchwater?...I came across Mayle's patchwork Jeanne bag. The brass chains give the dressed-up look I wanted and the patchwork effect of the leather means I won't mind if it becomes scratched, beaten up, and generally abused by day-to-day use. I'm quietly optimistic that my search is over, though I won't know with certainty until the UPS man comes next week.