MEET MARGAUX – Merritt Beck

Say hello to Margaux! While reorganizing my closet for spring, I took note of my handbag collection and noticed a bit of a void. While I love a handbag, I’ve actually always thought of myself as more of a shoe girl. My handbag collection is mostly pretty classic, with many styles being pieces I’ve had and worn for years. I definitely tend to lean on those longtime favorites, and don’t feel the need to swap my handbags out with every outfit, let alone buy a bunch of new styles each season. You might have noticed I wore the Hermes Picotin with practically every look, day or night, in 2025. Perhaps it’s laziness? Or maybe I’m just a creature of habit? Either way, I tend to repeat wear the same bags over and over again until I get so sick of them I have to sell them, or retire them for a time until I want to pull them back out.

Shoes, however, get way more attention in my wardrobe. I tend to spend a lot more money on footwear each season, and get a little more playful with color, buy into trendy silhouettes and feel the need to invest in a variety of styles. I personally find shoes make or break an outfit way more than a choice of handbag would! So with that in mind, I feel like my handbag collection was somewhat lacking – not so much in silhouette, but in color. I’m very happy with the selection of black bags and beige bags in my closet, and I’ve also done a decent job incorporating espresso brown, cream and metallic styles into the mix over the last few yeras… but for some reason, taupe was never on the list! As a former platinum blonde and Texas girl, warmer neutrals like beige, nude and camel were very useful for me when I was living in Dallas. I was wearing a lot of light, breezy pieces that were perfectly accented by barely-there accessories like a nude bag and pair of sandals. Now that I’m in New York, however, I find those colors to not be as necessary for me. I wear black most of all, and have found myself craving more cool-toned neutrals when black isn’t called for.

As I was beginning to move things around in my closet preparing for spring/summer, that’s when it clicked! I’ve wanted The Row’s beloved Margaux bag for awhile, but considering they’re fairly hard to get I didn’t put a lot of effort into acquiring one. That paired with the fact that I didn’t know what color I would have wanted kept me from pulling the trigger over the last couple of years. Started by Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen in 2006, The Row is now a powerhouse in the fashion industry, with a cult following that constantly sells out styles the second they become available. While not as crazy as Hermes, the resale market for The Row is solid and in high demand. For example, the original retail price for The Row Margaux 10 handbag is about $3,500, but you’d be lucky to snag one in good condition on a resale site for less than $4,500! The most pristine gently used or new bags go for nearly double their original retail price.

Now that I’d figured out I needed a taupe bag, I immediately thought of the Margaux and got to work searching for “the one”. There are a number available on resale sites like Fashionphile and The Real Real, with varying degrees of wear & tear. While I was in Austin I looked again online and saw there was one in mint condition at the Fashionphile in The Domain! I convinced my mom to go with me to shop around and grab lunch so we could stop by and see it in person. There are a few sizes of the Margaux bag (10, 12, 15 & 17) and it also comes in a shoulder bag silhouette that is incredibly chic. As someone who doesn’t carry a lot of stuff around with me, I tend to prefer smaller bags to larger styles. I knew the 10 would be the right size for me, but I wanted to hold it, try on the crossbody strap and see how I liked it in person.

Clearly our trip out to Fashionphile was a success, because I came home with this beauty! At first I was torn between the dark taupe and the smoked taupe options online, so I’m so glad I took the time to go see it in person. I discovered the smoked taupe leans more brown, which is not what I was going for and wouldn’t have been happy with. I love the effortless design, soft pebbled leather and ease of styling. It comes with a long strap, which I’m sure will be useful anytime I need to be hands free, but I do prefer to wear it on my wrist or as a top handle bag. The silver hardware is sleek and minimal, making it a versatile everyday piece I can style with my most-worn jewelry and belts. I’m thrilled to add this modern classic to my collection and know it will be well-loved!

PS: You might not think a blue suede miniskirt would be that useful, but I’ve worn it quite a lot since I purchased it this winter! I’ve styled it with turtlenecks/bodysuits, boots and tights for drinks dates when the temps were frigid, but now I’m loving pairing it with lighter knits like this short sleeve cardi and this chunky cotton pullover for spring. It’s perfect for elevated brunch and lunch plans, casual dinners, and really most social plans I have these days! I have to admit I haven’t worn the matching jacket as much as I thought I might, but the skirt was definitely a worthy purchase. I’m hopeful I’ll find the jacket more useful once the temps dip again after this unexpected heat wave New York has been having! We went from freezing temps to the 80s in a snap, but it’s back to the 50s and 60s for a bit.