Crimson Reflections

I’m in that awful sort of rut where I start and don’t finish posts again. I started this post a few months ago because my ads on every platform were the cutest non-lolita shaped bags, and so many of them would be super cute with Lolita Fashion. So this is a rundown of some of my favorites, and what dresses I would pair them with. Now that it’s fall, a lot of these are sold out, and I didn’t actually save all of them, so it’s not as long as a list as I would like, but it was fun so I’m still posting it.

Kate Spade

Day Tripper 3d Daisy Crossbody

This already sold out, but it’s been in my ads all summer and I really like that it’s actual leather. Opting for real leather increases the longevity of the bag, and for a novelty bag where it may only match a few things in your closet, I think that’s a big plus.

Alexander Girard x Kate Spade New York Heart Embossed Crossbody

This is on clearance right now for $137. Like the bag above, it’s also real leather with a metal zipper, which means a longer life than a pleather bag. I also like that it’s a really basic motif (hearts) so it could theoretically be paired with a lot of options, however, I really leaned in to the red x white (and a touch of black) and the kind of retro pop art feel with the pairings.

Coach

Blueberry Crossbody

This is technically from the Coach outlet, and is sold out now. It’s crossgrain leather with a fabric lining. Again, longer shelf life because of real leather, but it’s a little bit of an odd color for lolita. I do like the idea of it paired with lavender and green things with fruit and floral themes, but it’s a little hard to match IMHO.

LC Lauren Conrad 

Fruit Crossbody Bag

This is currently on sale from Kohl’s for $36, so it’s super affordable compared to most lolita bags. It is pleather, so it won’t be as long lasting as a leather bag, but it’s at a very reasonable price point. It is a weird color though and I had a lot of trouble finding pieces that fit both the color and the motif. I feel like it works best with ETC, ST and LG pieces?

Red Love Crossbody Bag (black/brown)

Coming in at just $36, this is also a very affordable bag, and with it’s basic heart shape it’s really versatile. I specifically picked pieces from this year that had heart motifs in them that would pair with one of the three colors, and had no trouble finding six options. It is a little small and it isn’t as “soft” looking as a traditional lolita heart bag, but for the price point it’s not bad and it’s really accessible since it’s literally for sale at Kohl’s. Like, I could drive 15 min down the road and buy one of these today.

Betsy Johnson

Kitsch Fresh N Fruity Picnic Basket Natural

This is made of man-made materials, so it’s probably not going to be significantly more durable than a brand bag, but it might be cheaper. It’s currently on sale for $118. I think it’s just really fun and love the idea of pairing it with different berry prints. The dark pink that is in the berry motif instead of red in places makes it a little harder to match, but that does pop up in a number of sweet lolita berry prints so it kind of works?

Sweet As Cherry Pie Crossbody

This is on clearance at this point, but Dillard’s still has it for $88. All man made materials but it’s incredibly cute and I feel like you could pair it with a bunch of fruit themed or pastry themed things. I’ve been sorely tempted by this one.

Kitsch Mush Love Crossbody Red

This is on sale for $125. It doesn’t say what it’s made of, so I have to assume it’s pleather, but it’s really fun. I picked some things that had actual mushrooms in them, but I feel like you could pair it with a lot of kitschy / cottage-y type things and get away with it.

My wallet is safe on this one though because I got a little mushroom basket with a handle from homegoods the other day for $16.99. It was being sold as decor, but come on, that’s totally a purse. They had a little acorn too, but it wasn’t as obvious what it was when you were holding it. I also have little mushrooms on my nails, and some of them color change between a slightly green mustard and a dark orange/brown color. My hands are cold, and I can’t get them to go all the way yellow, but here is at least a middle orange tone.

Do you have any novelty bags from a non-lolita source? What is your favorite?