Well color me surprised! If you read this blog and are familiar with The Big Girl Bag, you know I endorse spending a paycheck on a handbag that will pair with everything, never go out of style, and last forever. And the math supports it: 3-4 moderately priced handbags (Coach, Marc by Marc Jacobs, etc.) equal 1 killer bag, so if you’re spending the money anyway, spend it fashionably.

My almost exception-less position on this ultimately boils down to the fact that inexpensive bags look inexpensive, and inexpensive is not a good look. So it should come as no surprise that upon learning that Philip Lim (a darling of the contemporary fashion world) was producing a line for Target, I didn’t bother to look. And this is my mea culpa.

Styling a client the other day, I saw her bag (pictured) and could have sworn it was the real thing. The typical indicators of inexpensive (floppy handles, horrible hardware, crap-looking leather) were nowhere to be seen. Somehow, a $900 bag translates beautifully into $45, and I am endorsing this bag for anyone who is looking for versatile and chic. There is, however, a catch…

Owing (I imagine) to its popularity, this bag is not available for purchase online, and I imagine the stores won’t be any different. It’s not all bad news though, because if you can stomach paying double, Ebay has the answer. Many of them, in fact. You can bid or Buy It Now in either taupe or black. Remember that even at double the price, this bag is a style steal.