Last week one of our Top Secret New York Correspondents called us for advice on a fall handbag.  “I’m at a sample sale and found the Kooba “Lola” tote for a steal—it’s just the size and shape I’ve been looking for, but which color should I get:  Black:

   
    ...or cream?” :

   
   
    There was a time when we would have advised black for such a pricey bag—even at a discount, a Kooba, for most of us, is still a pretty big investment.  (Although, in the universe of designer bags, Kooba‘s ready-to-wear line is relatively cheap, especially considering that its quality is as good as—or better than—most of the costlier labels).

    But, this time,  we told her she should get the cream.  As far as we were concerned, black bags have become so common and utilitarian that even the pouchiest satchels tend to disappear into the ensemble landscape.  Which is a good thing if you have a cheapie or a knockoff, but as long as you’re shelling out some serious bank for a serious bag, why not get one that’s going to stand out a little? 

   
    As Ellen Tien says in yesterday’s New York Time’s Sunday Styles Pulse column,  “With basic black a fashion requisite for fall, designers are compensating for the absence of color with handbags that have nothing but.”
And we certainly wouldn’t mind owning any—or, even better, all—of the skittle-colored purses featured.

   
    But since the majority of them are priced in the four-figure range, it would be a little scary—at least for us—to get too colorful.  Although we’ve always been big proponents of the whole quality over quantity/Buy the Best and You Only Cry Once philosophy (and, Lord knows, we’ve been carrying some of the same designer bags for years) how many days, weeks, months, seasons (or whatever length of time you need to justify plunking down, like,  a month’s rent for a handbag) in a row can you pull off chartreuse satchel or fuschia tote before you get totally sick of it?
   
    Which is why we think cream (or winter white, or bone, or anything that’s not pure white) is such a brilliant combination of a Look-At-Me bright and a Blend-With-Everything neutral. 
Even though cream is every bit as neutral as black, (there’s no color it wouldn’t look great with), it still pops like a pastel,  especially against winter’s dark colors. 
Plus, a light-colored bag, like its jewel-toned and metallic cousins, seems to have a much easier time transitioning to dressier outfits than a black or brown one would. 
(Our TSNYC, who was attended an out-of-town wedding last weekend, didn’t have room to pack an extra evening bag in her carry-on.  Turns out, the oversized cream Kooba looked just fine with her floaty tangerine patio dress.)

    So next time you’re shopping for a handbag, (or, rather, next time you’re actually close to buying a handbag—because, if you’re like us, you’re always shopping for one),  consider coming over from the Dark Side for a change. 
You might be surprised by how much you’ll love it!