Petite clutch bags make big impression in fashion world

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Women have grown accustomed to strappy tote bags spacious enough to carry lunch, a cell phone, an organizer, a housing contract and enough makeup to see them through a disco party.
But times change, and with the apparel industry nudging fashion-conscious women into more grownup, dressy clothes this fall, the petite clutch bag associated with ladies-who-lunch is back in the lineup.
A version is available from such diverse sources as Talbots, St. John Knits and Banana Republic. You can find crocodile, smooth leather and metallic for evening.
But will a bag that holds little more than a credit card and lipstick fly for daily life? And with no shoulder strap, won't it be easy to put it down and forget it?
Throw the clutch into the big tote.