Zara just served up the perfect party bag, and you won't believe it's under £40

December is almost upon us, and with it comes a month of dancing, drinking and eating lots of things that are bad for you (and therefore delicious). You've probably found the perfect party dress already, but if you're still looking for that finishing touch, I think I've found it, and it'll cost you less than £40.

Of course, it's from Zara, which has never let me down for anything I've ever needed (and thinks I didn't know I needed, let's be honest), be it a cosy jumper, cord suit or snake print boots.

And now the high-street store has served up the ideal party bag, which is so on-trend I can't believe it's only £39.99.

Shop now: EVENING PATCHWORK POUCH BAG for £39.99 from ZARA

It features a patchwork of beaded patterns, from leopard print to tiger stripes and Studio 54-esque silver sequins, and it could easily be designer.

I'll be wearing mine to the office Christmas party with a sequin dress (go big or go home, etc), however it can totally work with a more neutral outfit like say, jeans and an oversized cashmere knit.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.