Handbag styles names are very interesting. Â Have you ever wondered where the names for leather handbags and purses come from? Â It seems that most names originate from utilitarian bags that have been used by peoples throughout the ages. Â Clutch NY has always used utilitarian names for our handbags since the inception of the first design, the Mail Bag. Continue reading
New York City Style has to be one of the most sought after styles of  fashion  in the world.  And yet, no one even thinks of NYC in these “branding” terms.  As a New York City Stylist for 20 years and a handbag designer for 15 years, I can conclusively say that the fashion street inspiration you see in NYC  is definitely a sought after style of fashion around the globe. Continue reading
Two handbags are better than one, or so they say. Â And who says this? Â Well, we do, your professional handbag team at Clutch NY. Â We have been taking careful notes on what we see trending on the streets and subways in New York City, and what we see is a woman in defiant demand of two handbags a day. Continue reading
The Evening Bags from Clutch Bags NY are the newest edition to the Clutch NY family of leather handbags and purses.  Made in New York City, this little evening clutch is an heirloom accessory to any woman’s world, be it for a wedding, a bride, a bridesmaid or as  the most special little bag for any evening event.
When I was designing this little clutch, I kept thinking of what inspires me. Continue reading
The Feed Bag is a great holiday gift idea
It’s that time of year again when everyone will be inevitably sourcing the perfect holiday gift ideas for friends and family. So, we here at Clutch Bags NY thought it might be a good idea to give you a profile of a couple of our best selling leather handbags and clutch bags. We thought it might make it easier to pair the bag with the personality of the person you are shopping for this season. We chose four of our top sellers to tell you about. We are hoping some of our male audience is paying attention to this blog…it will sure give you guys some helpful hints for shopping. Continue reading
                            Macy’s Day Parade
As the end of November approaches, so does that very palette pleasing last Thursday of the month we all know of as Thanksgiving. As it draws near, it is again time for us to reflect on the meaning of the holiday. At Clutch Bags NY we feel that gratitude, appreciation and thanks are in order as well.
When living in NYC, one can easily forget what there is to be thankful for. Let’s be honest here. As a New Yorker living in the city, the smelly streets, cramped subway cars, and overpriced apartments can become annoyingly overwhelming most of the time which can make it difficult to appreciate. The big city lights do not excite a New Yorker like they might excite the city’s tourists; which at times leaves the tourists standing still on a corner that happens to completely block your path. This over-populated, highly vibrant, and constantly moving city can feel like a big drag sometimes. However, we have to keep reminding ourselves why we live here by asking, “why is it that people want to visit THIS city?â€Â Continue reading
Clutch Bags NY, my Labor of Love
Today, I have pondered the meaning of Labor Day and what the meaning of the day means to my company, Clutch Bags NY and to the prosperity of my country.
In the United States, Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a celebration of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of their country.
This is the perfect day to take some time and think about your own contributions to the American work force in this country and what part you play in that force, be it worker or consumer. Continue reading
              Let me begin by wishing everyone out there a very happy, healthy and refreshing New Year from Clutch Bags NY!
What a great opportunity we have every year on this day to transcend old habits into new ones. I like to say, “Out with the old habits and in with the new vows!” Or, as George Williams Curtis says, “The new year begins in a snow-storm of white vows.” That is some very nice winter imagery for us, isn’t it?
So, doesn’t that make us reflect on what our new vows should be? I know that I have been thinking not only about the habits I need to break, but also about the vows I need to begin implementing. January 1st is the perfect time for the birth of new habits.
So, where do we begin with breaking some habits? Lets start with the definition so we can figure out what it is we need to change. Wikipedia says: “Habits are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously. Old habits are hard to break and new habits are hard to form because the behavioral patterns we repeat are imprinted in our neural pathways.”
So, habits are habitual and hard to break. Possibly, we can break them by making some promises to ourselves with some new vows. Webster defines a vow as such: “a solemn promise or assertion; specifically : one by which a person is bound to an act, service, or condition. Okay, we have it. Vows are a bound to an act. Let’s start with that and bind ourselves to some acts.
What acts would we like to bind to ourselves with in this new year of 2013? After giving all of this some thought, I came up with the following list.
Laura Dotolo’s Vows for Clutch Bags NY in 2013:
1-Build Clutch Bags NY into a stronger brand for people to believe in
2-Write more blogs so people can read more about the workings of Clutch Bags NY
3-Get the message out to the world that Clutch Bags NY are made right here in NYC…and America is a pretty cool place to have things made.
4-Tweet inspirational mentions from Clutch Bags NY daily
5-Always strive to be a better person 😉
So, my January 1st has begun in a productive way with some positive vows. As Jim Ryun has been quoted saying, “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” Here’s wishing that all of you are able to make a vow that becomes a very good habit for 2013!!!!
Happy New Year 2013!
kisses,
Laura
White is not just a color. It’s an attitude.  Take a look, open your eyes.  White is making its appearance in the form of hip and cool.  Yeh!  The color white has finally arrived!  It has taken quite a few years in the fashion journey for white to creep  down to this level;  the no frills street level that is.  Sure, white is nice.  It is pure. It is sweet. It is bridal, first communion,  innocence, purity  and cleanliness.  It is also bright, fresh, and blinding.  It is so very  healing and germ free.  Let’s face it,  it is the king of all neutrals. Continue reading
Great new video by Clutch Bags NY featured photographer and videographer Demetrius Fordham. Demetrius was instumental in helping us capture on film all of the great street scenes showing off all our collection of Designer Handbags and purses and all things clutch bags. What he also brings is such a great sense of street style that our readers have come to expect from our blog showing off all the latest trends being worn on the streets of New York.
