When it comes to luxury handbags, few are quite as coveted as a YSL bag.
The designer fashion house is known for creating a whole host of different iconic bags, from dainty clutches to handy oversized totes, and one of its most recent launches is the perfect combination of chic and useful.
The Icare Maxi Shopping Bag In Quilted Lambskin, £3620 here, is roomy enough to carry all of your day-to-day essentials with you, whilst its classic quilted leather finish and large gold YSL logo give it the brand’s signature luxurious look.
Top handles make it comfortable and easy to carry over your shoulder, and the removable zipped pouch helps keep your belongings safe whilst also doubling up as a purse or small makeup bag.
(Image: H&M)
Gorgeous and useful it may be, but at more than £3.5k, we’ll not be adding it to our handbag collection any time soon.
However, we don’t let a lofty price tag get in the way of a good accessory, so we’ve tracked down the perfect affordable alternative in the form of H&M’s new Quilted Shopper, £27.99 here.
Although not a perfect match for the luxury YSL one, which has a matte leather finish and more of a triangular shape, the H&M version still has a very similar vibe, including the diamond quilting and large top handles that mean you can throw it over your shoulder and carry it around all day long.
(Image: H&M)
It’s also a similar size, with H&M’s Quilted Shopper, £27.99 here, measuring 50cm wide,33cm high and 11cm deep, which makes it roomy enough to throw just about everything you might need for the day inside.
The bag has received praise from high street bargain hunters, who said: “A very nice stylish bag, holds everything (laptop etc) and an inside zip and open pocket the only downside it’s a shame you can’t clip/close the bag.”
Another wrote: “This bag looks good but it’s quite lightweight the straps could be bigger overall it’s stylish.”
(Image: H&M)
The H&M bag does indeed have no closure, however it does have two internal compartments, including a zipped one, which help keep your valuables safe and sound and means you don’t have to worry about fishing around in the bottom for essentials like your purse or keys.
If you’d prefer a fastenable version of the bag, there are several other affordable options on the high street right now, including Mango’s Quilted Shopper Bag, £35.99 here (was £59.99), which has less of an identical look, but has a zip top fastening that helps keep your items safe.
If you’re willing to splurge a little more (although still nowhere near the cost of the YSL one), Whistles’ Lyle Leather Quilted Handbag, £180 here, combines secure zip-fastening pockets with a very similar diamond-quilted matte leather design so you can get the luxe look for less.
