Judith Leiber Nancy Clutch | Black Mink Evening Purse with Crystal Clasp

Posted on: Jul 24

Judith Leiber Nancy Clutch The name Judith Leiber is synonymous with intricately designed, crystal covered minaudieres, but with the Nancy she shows us she can dazzle without all that bling.

That's not to say that the Nancy is a subdued creation, but by keeping the crystals confined to the clasp this purse is less ostentatious than many of its stable sisters. The square cut Austrian crystals look dazzling nestled in a bed of black dip-dyed sheared mink.

The fur is gorgeous, but it's not the focus here, so I'm a bit torn about its use. We all know real fur is a bit of a no no, although it's still popular in some high fashion circles. Some might suggest that Leiber's fans would demand the real thing, but I wonder whether a high-quality synthetic would have done the trick just as well. The fur is secondary to those crystals after all, so if the synthetic were soft enough I think we may have been satisfied.

We also would have undoubtedly paid a lot less for the Nancy. At almost five grand, this purse will blow the budget of most fashionistas. I think you'd need to have Paris Hilton's social calendar and Barbra Streisand's staying power to get enough wear to justify its exorbitant cost.