By Bag Snob Tina on October 9, 2012 9:00 am Tina Craig

Few pairings are as glamorous as the drama of black and gold, and fall is certainly the time to amp up drama. The classic elegance of this color combo has the quality of refining any outfit. It’s a look that never goes out of style, and is pretty tough to mess up (unless you keep it too simple!). The secret is choosing bags heavy on the hardware. Metallics are big this season, and they serve their purpose best when contrasting against basic black.

1. Rebecca Minkoff Blair Clutch: I received this clutch as a gift from Rebecca Minkoff, and am surprised by how versatile it is. The photo doesn’t do the bag justice! The gold tweed glimmers and adds rich texture, elevating a basic black clutch to something much grander.
At Rebecca Minkoff for $350.

2. Alexander McQueen Black Rabbit Fur Skull Knuckle Box Clutch: An absolute must for the season! It will double as a hand warmer/muffler on chilly evenings. Who knew McQueen could be so sensible?
At Ssense for $2,720.

3. Nina Ricci Small Quilted Smile Bag: As seen on the Spring 2013 runways, Nina Ricci seems to have been the first on the honeycomb trend. Despite the clown-like smile of the flap, I find the bag to be very chic.
At Barneys for $1,650.

4. Damir Dama Black Scaled Leather Clutch: The embossed leather gives this bag an edgy, exotic flavor, and the gold trim adds just a touch of glam without overdoing it!
On Ssense for $1,700.

5. Givenchy Bahia Eel Clutch: Givenchy turns on the sophistication with eel and punk rock hardware.
At Barneys for $1,370.