If there’s one thing we always know to expect when Kate is out Duchessing at a royal engagement, it’s her ever-present clutch handbag. She’s famous for them. A tiny clutch bag is now as synonymous with royalty as a tiara.
Kate has as many clutches as she does dresses. They add polish to her fabulous wardrobe with the added benefit of showcasing that sapphire ring we all know and love so well.
The contents of Kate’s clutch are a bona fide royal mystery, right up there with what really happened to the Grand Duchess Anastasia. It’s common knowledge that when the Duchess of Cambridge is at an engagement, she’s always accompanied by her assistant. The assistant does all the heavy lifting. She carries anything Kate might need, including lipstick and a hairbrush for taming her royally gorgeous mane.
So what’s exactly in the clutch???
Who knows? Experts have even speculated that the clutch contains absolutely nothing, and it’s there just to give her something to do with her hands so she always looks regally elegant from head to toe.
Sadly, we regular, non-royal fashionistas don’t have that luxury. We’re pretty much forced to carry our own necessities. And if we want to carry them in true royal fashion, that means cramming them into a tiny little clutch.
This can be a challenge, obviously. The contents of an average woman’s handbag weigh 5 pounds. (That’s like walking around with 5 bags of sugar in your bag, in case you were wondering.) There’s no way to get all that into a bag that’s roughly the size of an envelope. So the key is MINIMIZING.
Here are a few tips for paring things down:
Trade your wallet for a credit card holder.
Chances are, your wallet is the heaviest item in your bag. When carrying a clutch, it’s best to forego the wallet entirely. Card holders like this one enable you to hold onto your driver’s license, credit cards and a few dollar bills while taking up just a tiny amount of space.
Switch out your sunglasses case for a drawstring pouch.
Even the Duchess wears sunglasses when she’s out and about, so you probably want to keep them around too. Most pair come with a microfiber drawstring pouch inside the case. If not, you can order one from Amazon for less than a dollar. This way you can forgo the bulky case and save valuable space.
Ditch your keychain.
My keychain is a sentimental souvenir from a trip to Paris. It’s a Gucci keychain shaped like a dog, and I love it. It’s also about as big as two boxes of Tic Tacs. When I carry a clutch bag, I remove it entirely and just carry my car key solo. Otherwise, I’d never fit anything else in my purse.
Carry ONLY the necessities.
This isn’t the time to bring your book along with you. When carrying a clutch, you only have space for the absolute minimum. Take only what you really and truly need. (Which is fine because if you’re in Duchess-mode, you’re probably going somewhere amazing, like out to dinner or to a social event like a wedding, concert, opera or a ballet performance.)
When we say necessities, we really mean it. You can probably get away with just 5 items: sunglasses, keys, card holder, cell phone and lipstick.
Arranging these items in your bag is just as important as deciding what to bring with you. Slide the largest items in first, and as a clever space-saver, insert your keys and your lipstick vertically rather than horizontally.
Tada! You’re ready to go! No assistant needed. Although, we wouldn’t turn down a royal escort in the form of a prince. Just saying.
Such a beautiful woman.. Nothing but style and pure class