Regardless of whether your Christmas tree is already shining bright in your front room, or if you’ve calculated next weekend as the prime time for maximum enjoyment and minimum needle droppage, ’tis the season to embrace the bauble.
But forget about shrubbery for a second. The finest baubles around this Christmas are designed to trim your arm, not a branch.
I present to you: the bauble bag.
A deliciously decadent decoration destined to be the star of your seasonal party wardrobe.
London-based brand Mae Cassidy is the go-to for one that is capable of putting Liberty’s Christmas decs department to shame.
The brainchild of London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins graduate Geogina Mae, who cut her teeth at Christian Dior and Giles Deacon before launching her label in 2017, each bauble bag is crafted by artisans in India and are spherical in shape — like a fabulous, wearable Fabergé egg that’s perfectly sized to accommodate your credit card, keys and lipstick.
Mae’s Babi Bracelet is decked in sumptuous velvet, in colours from olive gold to ruby red, and dripping in jewels from the tiny golden bell encrusted strap that jingles on your wrist to the chainmail tassel trim that swings as you sashay into your soirée. Alternatively, the Simi Pearl is available in either bright silver or antique gold, studded in over 1,000 micro pearls and lined with raw silk.
With prices hovering around the £300 mark, as a gift to yourself this party season it’s more main present zone than stocking filler.
But consider this: a bauble bag is not just for Christmas. The street-style set wear theirs all year round — Chiara Ferragni, the Italian uber-influencer, likes to wear her midnight-blue silk Babi Bracelet with tailored trackies and embellished trainers when she’s not rocking around the Christmas tree. Though if you’re bound for a crowded dancefloor filled with your nearest and dearest colleagues, the beauty of a bauble bag is that no other adornments are required. Simply retire your work tote and team with your nine-to-five trouser suit.
Rosantica — the statement accessories brand founded by Milanese jeweller Michela Panero — is another name to know when it comes to festive-themed arm candy. Its current offering spans plush velvet pouches, encased in round crystal-encrusted metal frames or trimmed with bright beads and fringed with a tassle, and suspended from an oversized ring handle designed to be held or hung from your wrist (from £540).
Cult Gaia’s accessories inspired by objets d’art has also grown to include the Pearl Bag (£320) now among its most sought-after styles. Shaped like a giant pearl in either white or tortoiseshell, the style is finished with a gold handle to balance on the forearm for premium posing opportunities. It also comes with the disclaimer: “Please note, this bag does not fit a phone. It is meant to be an eye-catching piece.” Sounds extravagant? Absolutely. But if you can’t be extra at Christmas when can you?
Equally, Marzook’s signature spherical uber-luxurious bags (from £1,270) are adorned with feathers and crystals in fabulously festive combinations. Tree-mendous.
