The Evening Bag

An evening bag has one job. Hold your phone, a card, your keys and a lipstick, then get out of the way so you can enjoy the night.

Four things, not forty

If a bag fits a laptop, it's a work bag. For a night out you want something that holds the essentials and not much else. A smaller bag keeps you from carrying the whole day with you.

The pouch is the evening bag

The Everyday Pouch ($128) is the bag to carry on a night out. It holds exactly the four things you need and slips under your arm like a clutch. At dinner it sits on the table without taking over. If you're heading out straight from work, it tucks into your tote during the day and comes out at 6pm.

Finish with a belt

A good belt does more for an evening outfit than people expect. Cinch it over a slip dress, a long cardigan or a blazer and the whole look comes together. The Everyday Belt ($98) is full grain Italian leather with simple hardware, polished enough for dinner and easy enough for the dance floor. Match it to your pouch and you're done.

Keep it quiet

Chains, big buckles and extra pulls catch on chair backs and coat sleeves. Clean lines and simple hardware look better at a candlelit table anyway.

Pick a color that photographs

Black, cognac and ivory look right in daylight at a ceremony, under string lights at the reception, and in the photos you'll look back on for years. Trend colors date those photos faster than the outfit does.

Wedding season

If you have a few weddings on the calendar, choose one pouch and one belt and wear them to all of them. Full grain leather softens with every event, so they look even better by the fall than they did in May.

One last thing

For a dressier look, knot an Everyday Scarf ($68) at your neck. At 55 x 55 cm it ties small and neat, just right with a belted dress.