As the old adage goes, "It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind." We have the right — nay, the obligation — to stay true to ourselves (and act accordingly) when we have a change of heart, whether it has to do with a love affair, a professional endeavor, a hair style or an accessory.
See, women like options. Isn't that why we buy so many pairs of jeans? Skinny jeans, boot cut, stonewashed, black denim, deconstructed, bejeweled, high-waisted, and on and on… And don't get me started on handbags and shoes — we just hoard those.
And why? Well, it's partially because we're always looking for accessories to suit specific occasions and ensembles (hey, you wouldn't wear the same purse to work that you'd wear to a wedding). But it's also because we fall in love with certain new trends and want our accessories to reflect our fashion-forward styles — hence, why we'll buy sequin-covered purses, fringed suede hobo bags, Mondrian-esque clutches, etc. And, most of all, because we are complex creatures and there are different sides to our personalities — and our styles.
Keeping up with our latest style obsessions and indulging the various aspects of our personalities, however, can prove to be a pricey ordeal. We end up buying so many different bags for so many different occasions that it borders on absurd.
The answer to your problems: a purse that can multi-task, one that can be transformed through a simple, painless alteration and thus look like an entirely new design.
Enter Ootra, a clever line of customizable purses. All you have to do is select the handbag style you desire, the straps you'd like on your bag (assuming it's a messenger bag, tote, or other over-the-shoulder piece), and choose from a series of embellishments.
Take this gold silk velvet clutch, with an interior lined in a bold crimson-and-eggplant satin fabric: running along the length of it, is a thin velcro stip onto which you can attach a provocative, decorative strip. Two of the options are pictured above: a feathered plumage strip and a square-faceted crystal strip.But that's not all — you can add satin ruffles, hand-sewn flower details, dangling feather ball strips, and more.
You can literally give your purse a makeover as often as you like! Now, that's an option I like!
Ootra Gold Silk Velvet Clutch, $396. Feathered Plumage Strip, $176; Square-Faceted Crystal Strip, $196. Visit Ootra.com
