IDEALLY, we would all love to have the nerve to rock a bit of vintage and look kitsch next to our peers.

In reality, not everybody is up to the challenge and many are just too nervous to dive into the deep vintage waters.

However, this can leave a thirst for a sip of said waters — enter the vintage handbag.

The perfect vintage accompaniment to any outfit that is crying out for something a little bit different.

Think of it as dipping your toe into the vintage pool without drowning in it.

There really is no end to the styles that are available and it is a case of taking the time and finding your perfect match.

Vintage handbags are a mish mash of every bit of fabulous arm candy that has passed through the decades, with most sat gathering dust, just crying out for a new owner for its old style to be shown off to adorning eyes.

A bag is somewhat different to a garment.

Bags can make or break an outfit, create a statement that either sets your outfit alight or makes people literally want to reach for the matches and do it for you.

Vintage handbags tell a story.

There’s the satchel, the most recent comeback of vintage styles, designed for the more organised of the ladies out there, the business woman who knows how to juggle and uses each compartment for its intended use.

Then there’s the hard clutch, so hard that if you decided to throw it at somebody, it could possibly create a dent.

There are cheeky 80s throwbacks, really like a piece of jewellery rather than a bag, and a proper statement that isn’t for those who wish to fade into the background.

Wooden handles can always be found in abundance, a quirk that originated in the 1950’s, when handbags were an accessory that called for experimentation and provided a little twist to the otherwise clean and elegant lines of the clothes of the era.

However, there is always one stand out style when it comes to the vintage handbag.

Only one word needs to be uttered for the brain to generate a mental picture of just that style and that’s Chanel.

Chanel has become the inspiration for the mass of bags designed over the decades and is the quilted design combined with a chain strap is the epitome of vintage chic in handbag form.

In today’s fashion climate this bag will never go out of fashion.

It’s what the LBD is to the dress world, to the bag world.

Don’t accept cheap replicas of a bag that originated decades ago, go vintage for the design at its origin.

After all, it is a crying shame to leave a bag on the shelf.