These designer handbags are the perfect January pick-me-up (and they're in the sale)

designer handbag
(Image credit: Shutterstock/Rex)

There's no denying the first week of January is a pretty bleak time, especially for those of us who didn't ring in the New Year somewhere tropical (the pitfalls of Instagram scrolling). Whilst there's not much to be done for going back to work, there are little things that can soften the blow.

Like buying a new handbag. Without sounding too dramatic, Rebecca Bloomwood was onto something when she said the world becomes a better place when you shop.

If your bank account is feeling the strain post Christmas, then the January sales are the perfect time to invest a designer piece, with many AW18 styles reduced by up to 50%. Don't be fooled into thinking into thinking you'll only be able to shop OTT fashion-forward handbags here, there are plenty of timeless options too.

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Think Chloe Pixie suede bags in that covetable rust colour, Roksanda totes in neutral shades of khaki and black Saint Laurent or neon bright Kate Spade shoulder bags.

Here are the six styles I'm adding to my shopping cart ASAP.

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.