Fall Must Have: Brown Leather Bag

Every year when fall comes along, I suddenly have so many must haves for my wardrobe. To be honest it is kind of stressful all of a sudden realizing your wardrobe is completely inadequate for the changing weather. And that you are lacking in so many staples. And as much as I try to prepare, it always comes around every year.

So this year I've decided to categorize my must haves and do a little research. My funds are seriously lacking so I doubt I'll be purchasing any of these any time soon. But with the proper funds my first must have I'd purchase for fall is a large brown leather bag. I have a smaller brown purse but it just doesn't cut it for commuting and around the city. And I've always loved the look of oversized leather bags.

My thoughts on leather bags are that they are an investment. A staple for your wardrobe that you can use for many seasons. And while I wouldn't normally drop several hundred on any clothing item, I believe if you save and plan ahead its a good investment. So with that warning all of these options are on the pricier side, but all good investments.

I am going to start with my absolute favorite. Yes I know, save the best for last, but I just can't do that. This bag from J.Crew is just too beautiful. And lately I've really been into the bags you can put over your shoulder or across your chest. Maybe its the very slight hippy artsy in me. Also just look at that gorgeous leather. It is also $395, so unless J.Crew has the ultimate sale of sales, I will probably never own this bag. But I'm still shoppingnotesing it just in case.

So this purse from Anthropologie is a lot more casual than my other choices. And I'm not exactly sure if it is the ideal leather brown commuting/work purse for most. But I like to push the envelope in my work attire and let people write me off as the artsy graphic designer who refuses to conform to corporate culture. I also love how unique this bag is with the leather flowers. Slightly more reasonable than the J.Crew purse coming in at $178, I could definitely splurge on this purse.

Another slightly more casual choice from Anthropologie. But I just couldn't resist, look at those beautiful shades of leather and suede. Coming in at $358, I would probably just splurge for the J.Crew purse at that point. Which is a lot more versatile. But this is still a nice contender.

This Lucky Brand purse is a great compromise between all the purses above. A little casual, but still nice and simple. And the stitching adds a touch more personality to it. Also so far it is the cheapest contender, coming in at $158. Not too bad at all.

Who can really resist a Dooney and Burke purse? And this one is great if you do some serious commuting and need lots of room while still looking put together. I can see myself throwing gym clothes and a book for the metro in this bag. And sadly $195 isn't too bad for a large Dooney and Burke purse.

Even though I don't own a single thing Cole Haan (sad I know), it is a huge weakness of mine. They are so classic and all their leathers are so gorgeous. This woven purse is simple in its shape but so beautiful in its details. The light contrasts of different shades of browns is such a nice addition. Unfortunately $498 is exactly why I do not own anything Cole Haan.

I love the pleats and knotted handles on this Hobo International bag. It is a nice shade of dark leather that keeps it professional but still a good weekend bag as well. For $298 it comes in right in the middle of all the contenders.

So what leather bag am I going to choose? Well to be honest I was not as good of a planner with my fall wardrobe investments as I should have been. So it may be a while until I can make a big purchase such as one above. But my top picks would be the two cheapest options, either the Lucky brand slouch tote or the Anthropologie leather flower bag. Both are practical and well made, yet not over the top expensive.