Melanie Paris Patchwork Mustard Handbag

A mustard patchwork handbag that reads plain from the back

Most of this bag is a single colour. The gussets, the base and the whole back panel are plain camel synthetic leather with nothing printed on them. All the pattern is held on one face, which is why the bag can look busy in a photograph and completely ordinary hanging off the back of a chair. The decoration sits on the front only, and that is the thing worth knowing before you commit to it.

Three weaves that do not match on purpose

None of the mustard is in the leather. It is all in the tweed panel at the top, where cream threads cross the weave at even intervals and lift the yellow. A second woven piece, brown shot through with orange and flecked with black, cuts underneath it corner to corner. The right-hand edge belongs to a third: diamonds and chevrons in ecru, dark brown and rust, running the full height of the bag. Three dye lots that were never meant to agree, and the mismatch is precisely what stops the front looking like a print.

One zip on the slant, one flat on the back

Front fastening runs at an angle rather than straight across. It starts high on the right, comes down towards the middle, and lands on the join between woven panel and synthetic leather. You can work the long flat pull one-handed while the bag stays on your shoulder, which is the whole argument for a pocket on the outside. The second zip lies flat across the plain camel back and you could easily miss it. If shape counts for more than pattern in your wardrobe, it is worth a look at the same shape without a pattern on it.

Handles up, strap off, or the other way round

Two clips, one at each end, are all that hold the strap in place. Undo them and the bag keeps a squarer outline against the arm; leave them fastened, set the length, and it settles across the body for a crowded platform. Nothing else about the bag changes, which is more than you can say for most convertible designs. The same clip arrangement shows up on other bags built on the same fitting.

Nothing shiny anywhere on it

Brass was the obvious choice on a bag this warm, and it was not taken. Rings, clips and pulls all come in gunmetal instead, which stops a second bright note competing with the mustard. Even the side eyelets keep the same finish.

Keep the rest of the outfit quiet

Mustard has a reputation for being awkward and it is mostly undeserved. Indigo denim is the easy answer, though olive and chocolate hold their own just as well. The diamond column is the part that needs thinking about, because it already carries three colours and anything else patterned will fight it. Plain fabrics are the safer neighbours, and an ecru knit or black trousers will see you through the season.