Black bag squee! Multiple bag squee!

While perusing the August issue of Shop Etc. this afternoon, one of the bags in the 'Luxe for Less' section caught my eye. If you haven't seen it, 'Luxe for Less' shows how to put together a similar look within three different budgets - Deluxe, Luxe and Less. This month's look was composed of a grey tank top, a black pencil skirt, and black belt, booties and oversized bag. As usual, the bags were my main focus.

The deluxe and luxe bags were nice (Kate Spade and Rafe, respectively), but the third one (Steve Madden) was really the most interesting, a huge, slouchy frame bag in the spirit of - among others - Celine's Clandestine. Even better, all that style at a $225.00 price point really piqued my interest. Before I got too excited though, I hit the Steve Madden website in order to find bigger, better pictures. Sadly, the fall styles aren't on the website yet, but I thought I'd take a look around since I'd never been there before.

There aren't many styles listed in the regular section, but the clearance rack yielded gold. I bought three bags! Leather bags, crazy prices! Each of these is offered in black and one other color. I'll show the styles in the colors I purchased.

This is the biggest of the three, listed as ANXIOUS. 16 1/8 in. L x ¾ in. W x 20 ¾ in. H, regularly $175.00. Clearance price? Believe it or not, $35.99.

It looks better in black, but since the bags I bought are all variations on a theme, I didn't want to buy three similar styles in the same color. It's not a classic deep brown, but this color should work for fall.

This one I got in black, since I've been jonesing for a black bag. It's on the large but everyday size, at 13 ¾ in. W x 4 in. H x 19 ¾ in. It's listed as STRESS, regularly priced at $118.00. Clearance price? A jaw-dropping (my jaw, anyway), $34.99! Leather, people! Leather!

It's also available in brown. I'm very excited.

This is the smallest of the lot, 15 in. L x 4 in. W x 15 ¼ in H. It's FRENZY, in tan, and it's regularly priced at $150.00. Clearance price, an amazing $39.99.

Finally, I'll have a bag in the ivory/bone/taupe (kinda) family that I've been thinking about since early spring. It's a nice light color for spring and summer, and I might try to squeeze it into the early to mid-fall range, too.

These bags are definitely a little more ornamented than I usually go for (studs, tassles, ring hardware up the wazoo), but at these prices, I figured I could definitely afford to ride the trend. I've already decided that the tassels are going to come off as soon as I've got these babies in my clutches. I don't know anything about Steve Madden and the quality of their bags, but the pictures look pretty good and honestly, I'm willing to take a chance.

Three bags for less than the cost of the most expensive one at regular price - and that includes shipping! I'm definitely excited and more than a little pleased.

Today's bag: Yellow Coach tote.