Balenciaga Lune Large

I don’t know why, but Balenciaga sounds like the name of a place to me. Vacation? Oh yes, I’m going to Balenciaga, dahling. You just have to follow Balenciaga with dahling. It’s a rule. Ok, it’s a rule I just made up, but whatever. Maybe it’s because it sort of sounds like Valencia. Maybe it was supposed to be called Valencia, and somewhere along the way, someone misspoke, or coughed while they were relaying the name, and it ended up as Balenciaga. What, like you never make up little scenarios like that in your head? No? Just me, huh? Hmm…all righty then. Whatever the case, and however it ended up with that name, Balenciaga makes some pretty freaking awesome handbags. I don’t usually go for green leather. I only have one green handbag, and it’s a deep emerald color. There’s another I’m considering adding to my collection, and that’s the Kate Spade Tarrytown Quinn in a grassy green, but other than that, it’s not one of my first choices for a handbag. I was drawn to this one, though. Something about the richness of this green. It looks like some of the color is just going to melt out of it at any moment because the bag can’t possibly hold it all in. It’s not too bright, not too dark, not too lime or too olive. It’s a beautiful, true green. Meet the Balenciaga Lune Large.

Let’s just call it the Lune, which is sort of odd considering it only comes in this green or a deepest black, just as saturated as this color is. You’d think being called Lune, it would come in white, or silver, or at least gray. I can see it in a luminescent, pearly white leather that would almost glow when the light hit it, just the way the moon does. But seeing as how the designers at Balenciaga didn’t consult me, it’s available in black and green. Anyway, it’s a large tote, made entirely from calfskin leather. It has a removable shoulder strap, leaving the small, dual handles for carrying. The patch pocket on the front provides a little extra storage, and would be great for keeping your cell phone handy. The interior is fully lined in fabric, with a zip pocket and embossed leather Balenciaga tag. On the back are two leather-covered, pyramid-shaped studs, and the bottom has metal pyramid-shaped studs for protection and stability. All the hardware, including the twist-lock closure, is gold plated metal. And that’s not a luggage tag hanging from the bag. It’s a leather-framed mirror, just the right size for touching up your lip gloss. Put it all together, and it’s true decadence, which is also evidenced by the $2,595 price tag. Get it—or just go look at more pictures of it—at Balenciaga.com.

Budget Saving Alternative 1

So once you’re done with the math and you’ve come to the conclusion that yeah, $2,595 is pretty steep, and you’re not willing to give up luxuries like food and shelter to get the Lune, you can start thinking about alternatives. Let’s face it. Not many bags are going to be as luxurious, or as green, as that Balenciaga Lune, but if that’s your color of choice, you do have options. Take this Latico P.S. Front Pocket Whipstitched Tote, for example. I’ll wait for you to get through that unnecessarily long, silly name. Ready? Ok, it’s made from antiqued leather in a nice kelly green, with rich brown leather trim along the bottom, in the zipper pulls, and in the dual, whipstitched handles. A detachable shoulder strap is also brown leather, and gives the bag a 26-inch drop, as opposed to the 10.5-inch drop of the handles. Floral print fabric lines the interior, and the top zips securely closed. In addition to green, the Latico tote is available in caribe (a teal blue), orange, purple, orchid (fuchsia), and red. It’s also on clearance. Usually $219, it’s now $120.45 at Endless.com.

Budget Saving Alternative 2

You know that to make a bag even more affordable, you have to give up the leather and go for the synthetic. Other than affordability, though, synthetic bags are animal-friendly, and they don’t look as fake as they used to. There was a time when synthetic material that posed as an alternative to leather just looked awful, and could be spotted as fake a mile away. I think it was called pleather? Or maybe just crap. But now, manufacturers have found ways to make synthetic bags that look and feel like leather, so you can have the luxury look without the luxury price. And without the guilt of carrying around an animal’s skin. The French Connection Retro Stitch Tote is one of those bags. It’s made from 100 percent polyurethane, but has a textured leather look. It’s lined with fabric, and has an interior zip pocket. There’s a flap pocket on the outside, too. Double handles give the bag a six-inch drop. French Connection calls this color Vegas green. That doesn’t make any sense to me, but again, I wasn’t consulted. Those designers really need to get on the ball with that. I mean, it’s not like my e-mail address isn’t available. Come on. Try out the Retro for only $118 at Piperlime.com.