Fashion, Lifestyle
What’s In Our Bag for Fall 2023
It’s almost our time, fall-loving friends! The temperatures are cooling, Starbucks has added its pumpkin-spice beverages back to the menu and we’re thinking about swapping swimsuits and sandals for sweaters and boots. As we eagerly anticipate the start of the new season, why not also give our accessories an upgrade? Here’s the handbag we have our eyes on for the upcoming season, as well as some of our favorite products to put inside.
Berkeley Bucket Bag in Leather and Suede
This versatile, luxe-looking bucket bag from J.Crew is the apple of our eye this fall. It’s big enough to hold all your essentials — it can even fit a laptop if you decide to make it your work bag — and the leather and suede materials and rich chocolate color are perfect for the season. You can wear it suede side out for an everyday look or leather side out if you’re pairing it with a dressier outfit. At $198, it’s a quality handbag you’ll have for years at an affordable price.
Adam’s Card Case
If your large wallet has become home to far too many business cards, old ticket stubs and receipts you’ll never look at again, consider downsizing to a card case. This one from Clare V has five card slots to hold your most important items, such as identification, credit cards and cash. Bonus: If you want to leave your big bag behind, this case will slip comfortably into a smaller purse or pocket.
Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm
If TikTok hasn’t convinced you that the Vanilla Beige Lip Butter Balm from Summer Fridays (available at Sephora) is a fall beauty must-have, perhaps we can. With temperatures getting cooler, using hydrating skin-care products becomes even more important. The Lip Butter Balm is made with shea and murumuru butters and vegan waxes to keep your lips soft, smooth and moisturized. We throw it in our bag for everyday use since it’s a great neutral balm — sheer beige with just a touch of shine — and its natural vanilla flavor feels cozy and suitable for the season.
Satin Ponytail Holder Set
How many times have you looked down at your wrist, willing a hair tie to be there, only to wind up disappointed? That’s why it’s always a good idea to throw one or two in your handbag in case of an emergency. These ponytail holders from Anthropologie are a major step up from the drugstore hair ties that can dent your hair or cause painful breakage, since the elastic is wrapped in soft satin that holds up your hair without pulling or snagging. This set of six comes in so many cute color combinations, but our pick for fall is the red set, which has the ideal ratio of bright reds and oranges to neutral hues such as chocolate brown, toffee and cream.
Fall Cashmere Rollerball Perfume
One of our favorite ways to celebrate the start of a new season is finding a new signature scent. Skylar has so many lovely fragrances to choose from — Pink Canyon and Willow Woods are two of our other go-tos — but for autumn, we have to opt for Fall Cashmere. As its name suggests, it’s cozy, warm and comforting, with top notes of roasted almond and spiced ginger, middle notes of cinnamon bark and clove, and base notes of sandalwood, amber and caramelized vanilla. Yummy! The rollerball size is both affordable ($30) and portable, so you can toss it into your purse and have it on hand when you need a refresh.
Russell Oval Sunglasses
If you’re looking to experiment with sunglass styles beyond classics such as aviators or Wayfarers, but you’re not quite ready to make the leap to uber-trendy, ultra-skinny sunnies, you’ll find a happy medium with this pair from Madewell. The oval shape is both nostalgic (hi, ’90s babies!) and of the moment, while the thicker frame — made of hand-cut acetate — makes them sturdy and substantial. We also naturally gravitate toward anything tortoise shell in the fall, since the color combination of orange, black and brown is all too appropriate for the season.
VerMints All Natural Organic Chai Pastilles
A tin of mints or Tic Tacs is a popular item to throw in your handbag in case you want a refreshment throughout the day. For the upcoming season, why not swap peppermint for one of the coziest fall flavors: chai? These all-natural organic chai pastilles from VerMints (available at Vitacost) are not only a unique and tasty sweet treat, but they’re also flavored with quality ingredients such as organic Vermont maple syrup and fair-trade tea. We challenge you to eat just one.
Standard Reusable Bag
We’ve long been fans of Baggu — especially its bestselling eco-friendly reusable bags that come in funky, vibrant patterns and prints, as well as solid colors. Each Standard Baggu is made with recyclable ripstop nylon, holds up to 50 pounds and folds into a flat 5-by-5-inch pouch so you can easily throw it into your purse. You never know when one of these bags will come in handy, whether you make a last-minute stop at the grocery store for dinner ingredients or impulse buy a pair of shoes from a store you had no plans to stop at. Having this bag at the ready is a simple way to reduce reliance on single-use plastic or paper bags. There are countless color and print options to choose from, but the wavy gingham peach bag feels distinctly fall-like.
Fall is right around the corner and we can hardly wait to embrace all that comes with the start of the season. There’s still time to shop for some autumnal items you’ll use daily throughout fall and beyond. Don’t forget to shop through Rakuten to earn Cash Back on these products and countless other accessories, beauty items and more. Happy (almost) autumn, and happy shopping!
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