Complement your body con dress with an individually designed handbag

Once you have found the perfect dress – which effortlessly hangs in all the right places – there is still work to be done to ensure you have the complete killer outfit. There’s a smorgasbord of accessories to think about; sexy kitten heels, necklace, bracelet, earrings, watch/no watch, fascinator, and finally, the ‘piece de resistance’ the handbag! To overlook the handbag would be a fatal error – why go to so much effort finding the dress if only to pair it with an old handbag you’ve unearthed from the back of the wardrobe! And let’s be honest, one new handbag is an easy purchase to hide from the eagle-eyed male…he’ll never know!

The dress should be the star of the show, but handbags worn by celeb A-listers are often just as sought after as the dress itself, so keep that in mind. Nothing looks classier on the red carpet than a cute little clutch bag, something just large enough to hold the essentials (but not the kitchen sink). If your dress is one colour choose something that contrasts against it, think black dress teamed with stylish red clutch (bold bright colours are very in for Spring/Summer 09). Alternatively, make a statement with the material; reptile leather (fake of course) or perhaps silk for something a little more understated but no less glam.

Alternatively, why not treat yourself to an individually designed handbag to reflect your personality and style. There are lots of talented UK designers who make beautiful handmade handbags from their own studios which are often one-off pieces that no-one else will own. Choose well and we guarantee your friends will be green with envy and will want to know all your style secrets! Our pick for finding unique handbags is Boutique Gifts who specialise in handpicked bags and gifts which are either handmade by UK designers or have a fair trade edge.

Have fun in your quest to find the perfect handbag.