I'm especially enthusiastic about all of the people signing up on the Poplin email list in the hopes that they might win this orange leather tote bag- and receive some useful information from me in the future, of course. If you want to see me get REALLY excited, you'll see me creating an outfit inspired by said handbag. Not sure what you'd wear with this baby? Here are a few suggestions, depending on your personal style.

For the woman who is:

1. Polished, relaxed, bright and confident.

Begin with a navy a-line dress from Madewell. Functional, put-together and comfortable enough to wear hours on end. Have I mentioned that it has pockets? Add in a platform shoe, navy tights (yes, the opaque tight and open-toed shoe work), a bright accessory and a little something to keep you warm. Ooo la la.

2. Sophisticated, vintage-inspired, urban.

No need to wait until spring for this bag to bring sunshine into your wardrobe. Break out your camel, winter white coat or plaid wool coat, your favorite pair of boyfriend jeans and take it from there. These shoes are for the true fashionista who is able to rock platforms despite Seattle's hilly streets. 

3. Professional, classic and inspires confidence.

A highly functional dress is one that has sleeves (no need for a cardigan!) and/or pockets. If you find one that has both and you like the way you look in it, it will quickly become a must-have. When you find one that meets both criteria AND is appropriate for a meeting with the boss, you know this is a good day to buy a lottery ticket.

Green and orange are great together. Whenever I've paired the two, the compliments seem to go on and on. Just remember, the stem never clashes with the flower- green goes with everything. Trust nature on this one. Just make sure the colors are of similar intensity- bright/bold or soft/subtle. 

Of course, you could also pair bright colored loafers or moccasins with this bag. Yellow or blue would be a great complement to the orange. Or, go for a chambray shirt with a yellow and white striped skirt plus nude sandals. The options are endless.

The takeaways:

1. As it turns out, an orange bag is more practical than it seems.

2. I hope you've entered to win. It's stylish, functional and sustainable. How very Seattle.

Enjoying the blog? Sign up for invitations to Poplin events and other exciting info here.