Handbag Lover Gift Guide 2019 - For Any Budget!

My fifth annual handbag lover gift guide! I love bags so really enjoy putting this post together to share some gift ideas with you. No matter your budget, you're sure to find something special for that bag loving friend or family member in your life. Or maybe a little splurge for yourself! Christmas is a time for special surprises after all 😉 With the Black Friday sales on everywhere, now is the perfect time to buy.

Budget Bag Related Finds Under $50

These are perfect stocking fillers or last minute gift ideas that won't break the budget! Looking out for sales or discount codes can help bring the cost down more too. I've included some Black Friday sales at the bottom of the post for you to help. While you might not be able to get a designer handbag for this price, you can get little accessories to adorn the inside or outside of bags they already own. Think pouches, card holders, clutches, travel pouches and bag charms! Or even a straw bag.

Contemporary Bags $50- $150

Extending your budget a little lets you pick up a cute bag from a mid-range designer, or a small leather good from a higher end brand. Rebecca Minkoff is my current favourite contemporary brand and you'll find a lot of bags in this price range there! Think also Kate Spade, Coach, Ted Baker, etc.

Splurge Worthy Bags $200+

This category is idea for someone special in your life, where you have a bigger budget. You could even get a wallet from a high end designer for under $400. It's good to look for hints for the brand, style or colour someone would be interested in before splurging in this category. If you're not sure, a neutral coloured classically shaped handbag would be a safe bet, or you could always just get them a giftcard for their fave store instead to let them pick out the bag of their dreams!

Second Hand Shopping

You can find some real bargains second hand. If you're shopping for yourself this is a good way to go, or buy early from a store with a good return policy so you have time to return in case you've bought the bag as a gift and it's a little more pre-loved than you expected!

Buying from sites like Vestaire Collective (who are having a 30% off sale for Black Friday) and Fashionphile that guarantee authenticity takes a lot of the stress out of purchasing a designer bag second hand. Bag Mad Boutique is UK based but ships worldwide and there is a 10% off black Friday sale on at the moment (and full disclosure, the owner is a wonderful friend of mine!).

Some Handbag Related Sales to Check Out:

The sales can mean something that was out of our budget before becomes a little more attainable, and a handbag will have a lot of staying power in your wardrobe!

Shopbop - use code "MORE19" to get 15% off orders over $200 to up to $25% off orders over $800 - and you can use it on sale items too for an even bigger discount!

Rebecca Minkoff - use code "THANKS25" to get 25% of orders over $100, and "THANKS30" to get 30% off orders over $250.

David Jones - up to 60% off in the Black Friday sale.

The Outnet - get up to 85% off in the clearance sale!

Net A Porter - get an extra 15% off selected sale items!


I hope you enjoyed browsing some of my top handbag related gift ideas this year! Are you wishing for a bag shaped present under the tree this Christmas? I may have already given hubby a direct link to the bag I want...leaving nothing up to chance! 😂

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What's In My Bag: #ItsInTheBag2019 Nappy Bag For Share The Dignity

A special what's in my bag post today as I'm sharing what I have pulled together for Share the Dignity's It's In The Bag Christmas campaign!

Share The Dignity provides sanitary products to those in need across Australia and every year at Christmas time they have the drive to donate a little more than just pads or tampons.

You can fill a new or gently used bag with some essentials and a few (non-food) treats to make a woman, teen or new mum smile. Last year I donated a handbag for a woman in need, this year I am donating a nappy bag for a mum and baby.

What's Inside My Nappy Bag:

A little more about what's in the bag and why is in my video!




I had so much fun putting this bag together! As you can see, it had to be quite a big bag to fit all the essentials in it so I went with this pink and grey Kmart gym bag. Nothing else was big enough! I had forgotten just how many things you need as a new mum, now my youngest is 3 and a half! I ticked off all of the essentials from the list for mum (things like breast pads, maternity pads, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner) and for baby (nappies, wipes, nappy balm). With the little space I had left I added some extras for mum, like a hairbrush, lip balm, tote bag and of course a little hand written card.

I can't imagine being a new mum at Christmas time in a shelter or homeless and so I hope that this bag helps a little. While I picked up a lot on sale spreading my shopping out over time, I also picked up things we use and love at home for the boys. I've shared my review of the Mater baby products before on the blog when I collaborated with them, but this post, like last years It's In The Bag post, was not paid for in any way and I purchased the Mater products myself.

Ways You Can Help

• Share The Dignity has some great ideas about what you can put in your bag to give to a woman, mother or child in need. See what to put in a bag for a lady, teen or new mum. You can donate your bag at your local Bunnings from Friday 22nd November to Saturday 7th November.
• If you don't have a new or gently used bag to donate to the Christmas campaign, why not take part in the sanitary products drive in April or August next year?
• If you're not in Australia and still want to help women in need, have a look and see if there are any charities in your country that put together blessing bags. Similar things I found on google are blessing bags in the US and bags of kindness in the UK.

What You Can Include In Your Nappy Bag:

There are so many ways to give back at Christmas time. If your heart aches for men, women, children, mothers, animals or families in need, Christmas is a great time to give back. I loved being able to do a little something for a struggling mum this year and hope in some small way it brings a little joy at Christmas time.


I'd love to do this again next year too! Have you done something like this before? What should I include in my next bag?


Note: My posts, like this one, are usually written 2-3 weeks in advance. I had to add on this updated note though. We are safe from the bushfires, as are our family and friends. For ways to help, see here: https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/bushfire-donations-heres-how-you-can-help/11696418

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30 Ways To Wear: Navy Rebecca Minkoff Medium MAB Tote Bag

I really enjoy putting these 30 ways to wear posts together, it's a good way to look back at my outfits, gives me some inspiration for things to wear in future. I hope it inspires you too!

This month I'm sharing my beautiful navy blue Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote bag. Don't let the name fool you, this bag is quite large! (Although it does come in a smaller size that I also own, and an even larger size too!)

30 Ways To Wear: Rebecca Minkoff Medium MAB Tote Bag

I'm surprised it's taken me so long to put this post together! This bag is often worn to the office, it's a great tote for fitting anything and everything in and still looking classy when it sits on my desk. While I have tried it casually once, I much prefer keeping it as an office only bag, when the structured design works better with my outfits.

Cost Per Wear

I picked this up in the Rebecca Minkoff sale for $202.65 back in 2015. At 39 wears, it's still got a lot to go to hit the "$1 per wear" figure people aim for (currently at $5.19) but I can see myself using this for many years to come, it is such a timeless tote design. I do tend to use it for work, which is why I'm only just past 30 wears now, I had a 18 month maternity leave from 2016 to 2017 so I haven't been reaching for it all 4 years I've had it!

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30 Ways To Wear: Navy Tote Bag Video Style

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MAB Tote Bag with Monochromatic Blue Outfits

Blue is my favourite colour - I wear it to boost my mood and my confidence and also when I'm just having a great day and want to continue that happy feeling! I love a monochromatic blue outfit, and paired with this navy blue Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB bag, it creates an outfit I adore. I just need a blue pair of shoes now to go head-to-toe blue!

Navy Tote Bag with Black

If you haven't tried it, navy and black is a great colour combination! I think the two neutrals work so well together. A navy bag with a black outfit is a nice way to try the colour combination out on a smaller scale. You can go monochromatic black with a dress, a little bit of black with a pencil skirt, and even break up the colour a little with a bright scarf if you're unsure about just wearing the navy and black side by side.

Navy MAB Tote Bag With Pink

Another much loved colour combination of mine! I like pink and blue together, in any combination of shades. As you can see from these otufits, from a pastel pink blazer to a hot pink tee, the navy MAB tote bag works with every intensity of pink. If you just want to try the colour combination in a small way, and a pink dress with a navy bag like the fits outfit is too bold for you, you could always add a pink scarf to your outfit.

MAB Tote Bag Matching Other Navy Pieces In Outfit

Matchy-matchy makes it so easy to pull an outfit together! When you're not sure what bag to wear you can just pick one that matches a colour in your outfit. It's a simple tip but it really helps an outfit feel more cohesive, even if it's just as simple as a navy scarf to match your bag.

Navy MAB Tote Bag With Printed Dresses For The office

Printed dresses are an office staple, they make getting ready for work so easy as you don't have to mix and match with a one and done outfit! As you can see in the pics, no matter the print or colour of the dress, this neutral navy tote works with them all.

MAB Tote Bag with Pencil Skirts At Work

Another staple work option for me, the classic pencil skirt. A big tote bag looks nice with a pencil skirt outfit, and works more formally with a blazer to dress up a more casual cardigan and skirt outfit. You can't go wrong with a structured tote and pencil skirt in the office!

Navy MAB Tote Bag With Print Mixing Office Outfits

It's nice to have a little fun with your outfit when you're wearing a neutral bag - you can be more adventurous with colour or prints. Even if you just add a little hint of print mixing to your outfit by adding a printed scarf on top of a different print, a neutral tote is a great complimentary accessory, as you don't have to worry about the big block colour clashing with any of the prints.

Rebecca Minkoff MAB Tote Bag Accessorised with Scarves

This is quite a large tote, and sometimes it can feel a little plain being a big neutral square. As you've seen in the outfits above, a bag charm is a cute addition to the bag to break up the colour a little, and in these outfits I've accessorised the bag by tying scarves around the handles. This works well on the way to the office when it's a hot summer day but you know you will need a scarf at your desk in the cold aircon! It's also a nice way to add another colour or print to your outfit.

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Where to Buy Rebecca Minkoff MAB Tote Bag:

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More Outfit Ideas:

For more outfit inspiration and ideas, you can view all the 39+ ways I've worn this navy tote in my blog archives, or browse the complete 30 wears series.

Similar Posts In The 30 Wears Series:

• 30 ways to wear red Balenciaga velo bag
• 30 ways to wear a grey Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag
• 30 ways to wear mustard yellow Rebecca Minkoff bag
• 30 ways to wear a red Rebecca Minkoff saddle bag
• 30 ways to wear Louis Vuitton Neverfull tote
• 30 ways to wear Rebecca Minkoff Love bag
• 30 ways to wear Balenciaga black Part Time bag
• 30 ways to wear Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB Tote in plum purple
• 30 ways to wear Chloe Marcie Hobo Bag
• 30 ways to wear brown Balenciaga Day hobo bag
• 30 ways to wear purple Balenciaga Work Bag

Linking up with What I Wore Sunday, On Mondays We Link Up.

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