How to Style your Leather Handbag

Over the years, style and trends have evolved tremendously, but ask any woman what their most prized possession is and most will reveal it to be their leather handbag. The truth is, not since denim jeans has there been a more worthy must-have for women; classic, timeless and sophisticated, its appeal knows no bounds.

Whether two tone, coloured, or patterned, there’s a leather handbag for the tiles, the terrace and everywhere in-between. Let’s take a look at some popular leather handbag variations and how to style them.

The Grab

For the Monday morning dash or that ultra important client meeting, the classic black grab bag is just the right size to store daily essentials or post-work drink heels! Professional looking and effortlessly chic, our Marla handbag is a modern twist on patent leather with an embossed croc finish and has been worn by the likes of Holly Willoughby. 

Style this bag with a little black dress, kitten heels and a statement necklace with a pop of colour or go monochrome by layering your outfit in shades of granite grey, midnight black and alabaster white.

The Satchel

For weekends, work and play, a satchel bag is so versatile. Making its debut amongst school children, the satchel has become one of the most sought after accessories in handbag world and looks great paired with tea dresses, plaid trousers or a flippy midi skirt. One of the best qualities about satchels is their strap, wear them slung over the shoulder, across the waist or simply hold by the grab handle.

The Cross Body

For those high street hauls and crowd filled music concerts, a cross body bag is the holy grail of accessories. Compact, yet roomy enough to store a selection of possessions, the across body is the ideal travel light bag. The hands-free accessory usually sits on the waist, so style with co-ordinating colours or clashing prints. 

For more leather handbag inspiration, view the Fiorelli AW leather collection. 

Handbag on Trial: Handbag.com Takes on our Leather Marla Bag

Handbag.com's Amy Lewis takes over Fiorelli Style Notes, sharing her style with our first ever leather bag, the Marla. 

Fiorelli's first real leather handbag collection in nearly 10 years has kicked off with the chic Marla Grab Bag. Designed to go anywhere and everywhere with you.

So, since a trusty everyday bag that's as good looking as it is practical is always tricky to come by, I've spent the last week putting the Marla through its croc printed paces.

TEST 1: A Normal Work Day
I don't know about you, but when I go to work I need stuff. Just loads and loads of stuff. Notebook, sometimes two, diary, a pen, lipstick, lip gloss, lip balm, makeup bag, hand cream, tissues, anther pen, sunglasses, actual glasses, phone, purse, keys, Oyster, one more pen, magazine, book, a bottle of water. That's just what I have in there right now. Sometimes I even need a change of clothes! So could the Marla take it? More than. She swallowed all my things easily, even separating it into various hunt-easing compartments. Nice.

NOTE: The zip pocket on the front is awesome. It's now my Oyster and iPhone home. So easy to reach while in mid-rush!

TEST 2: Day to night
Be it an evening work event, product launch or dinner with the girls, I quite often have to go from morning to evening in one swoop. While a change of clothes would nice every time, I often don't plan quite so far ahead, so it's more of a makeup top-up and shoe swap (if I'm lucky). An especially casual day bag however, can sabotage this in an instant. Sometimes, there's just not enough eyeliner and lipstick in the world! So how did the Marla do here? Impressive. She's so shiny, an evening shindig just isn't a problem even though she's rather large. Hurrah!

TEST 3: Work to Gym
My daily hours are long, and so there's rarely time to come home, change into my gym kit and then head back out again. So I tend to bring it all with me a few days a week, and call in at lunch time or on my way home. The problem however, is that carrying multiple bags gets on my nerves, and I have a mild style aversion to gym bags. So did I manage to fit my kit into the Marla? Kind of. Given everything I pile into it as standard, this was an ambitious plan for the bag. So while leggings and a t-shirt slotted in nicely, the trainers and towel were just never going to happen. A shame but hey, it was a big ask!

TEST 4: Weekend Wear

Overly formal bags paired with laid-back weekend looks, to me, is always weird. It's as though you spend so much time at work you've forgotten how to dress yourself once out of it. So to become the ultimate everyday essential, a bag really needs to be able to blend with everything. Can the Marla do downtime? Even though she's a shiny croc print leather tote? She can, and it's all thanks to the long shoulder strap. Despite a messy topknot, no makeup and baggy denim shirt, the Marla and I got along perfectly this weekend, while she offered plenty of room for my shopping too! I took a few notebooks out...

So after spending a week with the Marla in tow, what do I think overall? She's awesome!

The colour is bold. Despite being a rich burgundy, when the light hits the leather the redness is very visible. But even though the shade is quite 'statement' and carries a strong autumnal vibe, it didn't hinder any of my summery style choices.

In terms of size, there's plenty of room for you to hoard your clutter along with a few extras you pick up along the way, yet it's not going to slow your pace while storming through the ticket barrier. The compartments are awesome too. On the inside you've got two large pockets (one zipped) along with a phone holder and one of those slightly larger compartments I tend to fill with lipsticks. Then, on the outside, you have another super convenient zip pocket.

The whole bag zips up, which being quite security conscious I like a lot, while the two different carry options help you style it up or down.

Is it worth £149? If you love it like I do, then yes. You really can take it EVERYWHERE!

Looking to work the Marla into your AW13 wardrobe? Choose from burgundy or black and find it on the Fiorelli website here. 

Introducing Rosie Bella

We asked you to choose the design of our latest charity bag in aid of Cancer Research UK

- you told us that every Fiorelli woman was looking for something functional and chic in

colours that would transcend the seasons. So, we present you with our latest charity bag

in an updated bowling bag design, with elegant long handles to tote over your shoulders,

finished with accessible side pockets for your daily essentials.

Previewed at Race for Life events across the country, we had runners and supporters

lusting after it in your hundreds. Available in rich autumnal tones; tan, chocolate, red and

monochrome, it is the must-have bag of the season and, with £10 being donated to

Cancer Research UK it’s AW13’s feel-good accessory too.

Once the design was chosen, we gave you the chance to dedicate our charity bag to

 someone you love, admire or are inspired by. We received over 80 entries at Race For Life

events and on Twitter using #FiorelliCharity.

We are now delighted to reveal to you the name for our latest charity bag - Rosie Bella.

Chosen by Kiran who took part in the Race for Life in Richmond, running for her nieces

Rosie (5 years) and Bella (3 years) who sadly lost their granddad to cancer a year ago.

During his illness Rosie and Bella were an inspiration for their granddad, sharing many

magical moments with him. Kiran tells us that “this bag is a gift from me to them”.

We hope that the Rosie Bella bag in aid of Cancer Research UK will be a symbol of hope

and inspiration to all - with every purchase bringing us one step closer to kicking cancer,

together we can make this happen.

Our Rosie Bella bag is now available on the Fiorelli website, so you can start styling your

Autumn look straight away. Buy it here and Tweet to @Fiorelli_Bags to show us your style

with the Rosie Bella.

A Bag is a Girl's No.1 Accessory - Guest Post by Lady M Presents

Rachel Montague-Ebbs from Lady M Presents takes over Fiorelli Style Notes with the new season Joey Lauren bag.

When Fiorelli asked me to take part in their #Fiorellihandpicked blogger campaign to celebrate their Autumn/Winter collection launch, I jumped at the chance.  I got even more excited when a bright red bag arrived on my desk here at LadyM Presents... The Joey Lauren.  One of my New Year's resolutions was to “embrace red more” and this was a fabulous way to do so.  Simply gorgeous. 

My #Fiorellihandpicked challenge was an easy one.  Style the Joey Lauren bag, test it out, see how much I can cram in (a lot!) and review the bag. You can read my review here...

I've already taken the Fiorelli Joey Lauren to the office for the girls to coo over, out to dinner at a Jazz Festival in Tunbridge Wells and out for some adventure at the Aston Martin Centenary Race Day.  I've been fully converted from the lover of a clutch and a barrel bag, to a full on tote lover.  

The Joey Lauren has a fab iPad pocket at the front – which this weekend housed three iphones (two mine, one the boyfriends) and an oyster card. Definitely room for all your gadgets!

The large inner pocket with a fab top zip closure can host a whole bunch of “essential” items for my day to day life.  I'm a busy lady and I need to carry a lot of things in my handbag.  The Joey Lauren is perfect for this.  

Here's where I've shown off the Fiorelli Joey Lauren this weekend:

Richmond Park and Gaucho Restaurant, Richmond

Styled with: Banana Republic Multi Stripe Ponte Dress & Mia Piacci Green Wedges

Contents: Sun tan lotion, book, makeup, cardigan, sandals (for when the feet hurt), bottle of water, purse, three phones, oyster card. 

I had so many lovely comments on this dress and the Joey Lauren really makes the colours in the outfit pop!

Woods in the Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells – coffee with fellow twitter fashion lover @pantileslady

Styled with: Ted Baker Lock and Key Vest, Gap Polka Dot trousers, Adidas Slim Court Shoes.

Contents: Two phones, purse, notebook, sunglasses – not much for a sunday morning coffee. Just the essentials.

This bag was talked about a lot over coffee; the colour, the size, the shape, the touch, the style. Available now in black and tan and in September in Port and Choc – I might just go for one in each!  Super practical, gorgeously stylish – 10 out of 10 from the new tote convert!

#AskFiorelli's first ever Twitter Q&A with Head Designer Lisa!

“Fiorelli literally means little flower, it's about making women feel special and confident”

This week we held our very first Twitter Q&A, #AskFiorelli , with our Head Designer, Lisa.

We opened up our design studio doors, whilst shooting our SS14 collection, to answer all your questions about working in the industry, the latest trends, inspiration and design philosophy behind Fiorelli products and the Fiorelli brand story.

As the top creative mind at Fiorelli, Lisa has been with Fiorelli with 15 years, travelling to the world’s fashion capitals for inspiration to ensure we produce a stunning collection of must-have, on trend handbags, that you love each season.

If you missed our Q&A, don’t panic, we have a summary below. Keep an eye out for our next Fiorelli Q&A where we will be covering our AW13 range #AskFiorelli. 

@RachelFarshi: What was your inspiration behind the SS13 collection?

Our SS14 collection is a strong mix; with monochrome playing a huge role with clean & function.

@KatieFinger1: Happy birthday @Fiorelli_Bags!! What's your favourite bag from all the designs ever made?

I love the Electra East/West grab bag. I got really excited about our lizard print drawstring bag 5 years ago!

@SusannahMaze: Would you ever team up with a Celebrity for a new range?

This is definitely something I'd love to do. I love Sienna Miller, she has understated British style.

@Tashnineberg: What is your must have accessory this summer?

Would be the Harper bag & Deva bag from our SS14 range. They're great bags, bold in colour for day & evening style.

@TheResourceList: Love the story about a Fiorelli bag lasting 7 years lost in a bush! Durable quality VS quick trends - your thoughts?

We ensure that there is durability in the core design of the bags and add colours and prints to stay on-trend.

@TollDollyPosh: Would you ever collaborate with an emerging designer and create a range?

I'd love to work with an emerging print designer like Jonathan Saunders. I love his signature ombre dot print!

@TollyDollyPosh: If you had to choose a bag which had ‘you’ in it, which would it be?

It would be our everyday Hobo bags. I love their shape and ease for every day style.

@SocialBeautify: Which bag is the most iconic design that is modified and released in different variations season after season?

The Lucinda bag is our best seller. For SS14 the Harper will be the new iconic bag.

@TollyDollyPosh: what inspires you most when you design a new bag?

My starting points is always colour and materials - this then tends to pull together the design.

@Fiona149Turner: What are the bag trends for the coming season?

For AW13 we're looking at wide shoppers and bowling bags in moody colours like violet, teal and red.

@SocialBeautify: Who would you say is a Fiorelli woman? Who do you have in mind when designing a new collection?

She wants an everyday bag that makes her feel good. I'm inspired by all the ladies I see toting Fiorelli bags.

@TollyDollyPosh: Do you have a target for what you are trying to put across? What is the meaning of Fiorelli Bags?

Fiorelli literally means little flower, it's about making women feel special and confident.

@TollyDollyPosh: What made you want to do fashion? What inspired you? Why did you think it would be a good idea?

My dad's an artist so I grew up with design. At art college I saw fashion & textiles as the direction for me.

@TheFashionNetUK: Whats the best piece of advice you've been given that you would pass on to aspiring designers?

Be prepared to work hard and don't be afraid to be yourself, let your true colours show.

@TollyDollyPosh: What would make a designer stand out for you?

I think the main qualities to look for in an emerging designer are an eye for detail & bags of enthusiasm.

@Pink_syd: Do you have a favourite season to design for?

I love designing for winter so you can play more with metallics, faux fur and faux animal skins.

@Iamnrc: What’s the best way to store handbags?

Keep them in a storage box away from light to avoid discolouration. It's good to keep them stuffed to keep their shape.

Name our new Charity bag

You helped us choose the design, now we want you to name our new charity bag!

Our Charity bag is part of our ongoing project to raise money for Cancer Research UK. With every bag purchase £10 will be donated to the amazing cause, so we’re asking you to name our bag after someone you love, admire or are inspired by. 

To dedicate this beautiful bag to someone who has touched your life, simply Tweet your entry or send in a photo to us at @Fiorelli_bags using #FiorelliCharity, alternatively, you can email us your entry at charity@fiorelli.com. The name will be announced on 31st July.

The name will be published with the bag and you will be the first person to receive it. Worn on the arms of stylish women all across the UK - put your own stamp on the Fiorelli charity bag and make it an unforgettable gift for a special someone. 

The new Charity bag is available in red; the catwalk colour for AW13, monochrome, for an on-trend look for every outfit, or your staple all-season accessory; in tan and chocolate at £39.  

You can sign up to receive a notification when the bag is available to buy on the website by clicking on your colour of choice on our online shop, so you can keep on top of your fashion game.  

Fiorelli are showing their support to Cancer Research and now you can too with our Charity bag. 

Update your wardrobe in the Summer Sale

With the sunshine finally out there’s no better time to revamp your wardrobe with summer style and we’ve just launched our Summer Sale with up to 50% off. 

From classic shapes that you’ll wear all season long like our Clara May bag in Tan (was £49 now £25) to our heart shaped Knightsbridge cross body bag (was £25 now £12.50) for ultimate summer style, we’ve got every outfit covered.

These offers are available exclusively online here so make sure you’re a savvy shopper and get your hands on your favourite handbags at a great price before they go.

It’s never too late to tap into seasonal trends and we’ve got some great fashion buys in the sale. The Marion cross body bag (was £35 now £17.50) is one of our favourites for monochrome colour contrasts. Say it all with your bag; the oversized zips and unique opening give it a unique twist so that your style stands out. If you’re looking to go bold this summer then try colour blocking with our Marion bag in Orange. 

For a style that works just as well in the office as it does for weekend picnics, the Sophie satchel (was £49 now £24.50) won’t leave your side this summer. Available in three different colours, Watermelon is our top choice for wearing with summer’s lighter pastel shades. 

Have your eye on another style? There are plenty more in our sale so make sure you visit the website to treat yourself to a summer style injection. Happy shopping!