For the stylish guy, purple is the perfect choice to make a splash and step into that contemporary-luxe-regal vibe.
Once heralded as the color of royalty, dignity and nobility, today purple is a fun and blithe color that represents everything fashionable and fabulous. If you are into this year’s Pantone color, Very Peri, FASHIONPHILE has a fantastic array of purple handbags and wonderful purple luxury accessories to make any outfit go from drab to fab. To that end, this is the ultimate color guide full of history, expert styling tips, and re-commerce luxury hacks on all things purple!
Purple, purple, purple…..
Historically speaking, the color purple traces back to the ancient world, specifically the Phoenician city of Tyre. Located in modern-day Lebanon, “Tyrian purple” was a staple of the metropolis and incredibly prized for its rarity. The process back then to create purple was quite laborious, consisting of harvesting a rare breed of sea snail known as Bolinus brandaris. Dye-makers had to crack open the snail’s shell, extract a purple-producing mucus and expose it to sunlight for a protracted period of time.
Shockingly, it took as many as 250,000 mollusks to yield just one ounce of usable dye, but the result was a vibrant and long-lasting shade of gorgeous purple. The royal hue was beloved by notable royal luminaries, such as the Persian king Cyrus and throughout the Byzantine empire. Kings, nobles, priests and magistrates all around the Mediterranean could be found sporting Tyrian purple.
After the fall of the Byzantine empire in the 15th century, there was a bit of a purple gap (let’s call it) with the vibrant hue finally re-emerging with gusto in the 1850’s, when the first synthetic dyes became widely available.
Styling with Purple
As a rare color occurring in nature, purple also represents wealth, extravagance, creativity, wisdom, dignity, grandeur, devotion, peace, pride, mystery, independence, and magic. And… who doesn’t love that?
A quick note on styling with purple. Purple shades vary. Lighter purple shades like lilac and lavender, or periwinkle and amethyst can add a joyous pastel vibe. While darker shades like eggplant, wine or mulberry add a sophisticated, often more red-toned warmth and elegance.
Purple Bags Perfect for Men
From Louis Vuitton
The LOUIS VUITTON Monogram Spring In The City Neverfull MM GM Pochette Midnight Fuchsia is the perfect pop of pink-to-purple ombre that complements any outfit and every occasion. The classic (and instantly recognizable) LV monogram pairs well with a simple white linen outfit or something more bold like a vibrant, purple patterned shirt. The clutch is ideal for the guy-on-the-go and is a fantastic lightweight option that is heavy in the fashion hues.
From Prada
Headed out to a picnic or the flea market? The highly desirable PRADA Raffia Embroidered Logo Tote Bag Lily is a great way to make a fabulous boho-chic splash. Crafted from raffia, a material harvested from species of palms native to tropical regions of Africa, especially Madagascar, this bag has, what they call, IT. The gorgeous light purple lilac shade is a great way to add warmth to your look.
From Bottega Veneta
Heaven knows nothing is as fashion-forward as the holy grail padded Bottega bags, like this BOTTEGA VENETA Nappa Maxi Intrecciato Padded Cassette Crossbody Bag in Lavender. Coming in a jaw-droppingly stunning lavender hue, this bag features soft padded and woven nappa leather with an adjustable leather shoulder strap and matte silver hardware. It also opens to a matching leather interior with a zipper pocket. Pair this bad boy with a colorful purple floral top, or something more elegant like a smoking jacket in velvet and you have the recipe for a guaranteed sartorial ace.
More Stylish Purple Accessories for Men
Beyond handbags, there are also some fantastic purple accessories that the stylish guy MUST have this summer to keep the chic on 100. Notables include a Louis Vuitton purple bucket hat. Bucket hats are another stylish technique that men (and women and every gender for that matter) can employ to amp up the fashion temperature. For instance, this Louis Vuitton Monogram Denim Transformable Bob Bucket Hat in Purple is the perfect mixture of form and function – an effortless nod to street style while maintaining that ever-sought-after sporty luxe vibe.
An Hermes purple horse bag charm is the perfect companion to any handbag (or any object truly), adding an additional layer of sophistication and class. Furthermore, a stylish pair of purple sunnies, such as the CHRISTIAN DIOR Palladium So Real Sunglasses Purple or the CHLOE Oversized Round Sunglasses CE753S Purple is a wonderful way to round out the whole look.
