Red Leather Handbag

A red leather handbag may just be the perfect fashion accessory. Whether it’s an oversized shoulderbag, or a dainty little clutch purse, your red handbag can set off just about any outfit. But working with red can sometimes be a little challenging to those who are new to fashion accessorizing, so let’s review tips and formulas that you should be keep in mind when you’re choosing your next red leather handbag.

The first thing to remember is that a little bit of red goes a long way. If you aren’t sure where the line is, and you’re worried about stepping over it, then it’s best to stick with one great red accessory. Your red handbag can really make an impact if it isn’t lost in a sea of red earrings, bracelets and scarves.

Which is brings us to fashion tip number two: if you do find yourself pairing your red leather handbag with red shoes or a red scarf, you had better be darn sure that the shades of red match. This can be really difficult to do, as some shades of red have more blue in them, making them appear darker and richer, while brighter shades of red have more orange. Nothing ruins your fashion statement faster than a collage of clashing red tones. It’s important to apply this rule to your makeup as well, making sure that the tone of your red lipstick matches the tone of your new red purse.

So which outfits would benefit the most from a splash of red? Well, the classic would be an all-black outfit that acts as a dropback for your fancy red handbag. In fact, if you are playing down your clothing with all-black, you could even splurge on a shiny red patent leather handbag and really turn some heads. If you are dressing in a more sophisticated look, perhaps featuring a black and white harlequin jacket, then the red bag shouldn’t fight for center stage. In this instance, a darker, more muted red would be appropriate.

While it is definitely safer to pair your red purse with a monochrome outfit, those who are a bit daring might even try carrying a red handbag with a multi-colored outfit. But this has to be done very carefully and to be honest, whether or not you can pull it off depends as much on your personality as it does on the handbag. Are you a vibrant outgoing individual who consistently dresses with lots of color? If so, you’ll be more likely to get away with this look. However, if you regularly dress in black and decide to stray from your usual color palette with lots of bright colors, a red handbag is probably going to evoke the clown comparison. It’s best to practice the mantra: less is more!

Lastly, let’s address one of the oldest questions in fashion: should redheads wear red? First of all, it’s important to remember that less than 4% of the world’s population is born with naturally red hair, so this question is not particularly relevant to the other 96%. However, if you happen to have been blessed with red hair, or have dyed your hair red, then it’s important to remember rule #2 from above – which is, it is very difficult to match tones of red. The odds of your red handbag matching the tone of your red hair is …well… miniscule. If you are looking for a gorgeous colored handbag to set off your beautiful red hair, it would be better to skip the red handbag and head to the other side of the color wheel. A good choice would be a yummy green leather handbag, or a simple brown suede bag. If you do decide to venture into the world of red on red, take a cue from fashionista Nicole Kidman and try to stay with a brighter shade of red for your handbag, as it’s more likely to match your red hair.