Designer Leather Crossbody Bags

As you've probably noticed (you're observant!), premier designer brands price the majority of their handbags between $1, 500 and $3, 000, and a select few even manage to exceed that average range for everyday leather pieces. Those are the bags we most often cover because they're usually the pieces with the most interesting details and variations, and because of that, they generate the lion's share of the consumer interest. Not everyone wants to (or can) pay that kind of money for a bag, though, even if they want a big-name brand. Luckily, there's a little bit of middle ground.

Most consumers have some kind of dealbreaker price threshold, especially when they're first exploring the world of luxury accessories. $1, 000 is a common one for obvious reasons: making the jump to spending four figures on a handbag is not an easy pill to swallow the first time. Luxury brands are very interested in capturing the attention and business of these new (and often young) consumers, though, and that means most brands offer an attractive, simple bag option of some sort right under the four-figure line. In some ways, these bags are bait.

They're beautiful, luxury-leather-scented bait, though, and that means we're here today to help you explore your options and compare what over two dozen of the world's biggest handbag brands offer for customers trying to limit their handbag expenditures. We shopped far and wide, and you can examine the fruits of our labors below. As you will see, some brands do a much better job with their entry-level offerings than others.