While there is a time and place for a bejeweled minaudière, this free-form, gilded rendition of the greenmarket produce carrier is a far more versatile approach to the evening bag. Made of faux tortoiseshell and gold-tone acrylic, Cult Gaia’s easygoing arm candy is conveniently endowed with a shoulder strap and sufficiently large to hold life’s essentials. Important point: it’s not lined, so for safety’s sake stash smaller items (lipstick, keys) in a discreet little pouch. ($330, modaoperandi.com)

Perhaps you’ve arrived at the point in life where reading glasses might prove a bit helpful. (If so, congratulations; most of us have been wearing some sort of prescription eyewear since the fourth grade.) Enter Seeoo, the brainchild of Austrian designer Gerald Lasnik, who specializes in ultra-thin, avant-garde specs with plenty of style. Manufactured in Austria, they come in a variety of styles, including some that are accompanied by a nifty iPhone case, but we’re partial to this snazzy emerald-green pince-nez, which arrives in a sleek leather case that will slide nicely into any handbag, briefcase, or lapel pocket. ($143, seeooshop.eu)

Trotting out a festive look for a holiday party sounds like such fun in November. But by mid-December, dressing up for yet another outing feels like a chore. We have nothing against a good cocktail dress, but consider giving yours a break in favor of this relaxed silk-velvet blazer by Yali Tribe. (We discovered this brand thanks to our stylish Editor at Large Anne McNally.) Designer Pia Zanardi takes inspiration from Italian Renaissance paintings and traditional Chinese crafts. It looks terribly smart with jeans and dressier fare alike, and is an ideal piece to throw over something skin-baring. ($577, yalitribe.com)

Before a party, we would much prefer to spend our time cocktailing, rather than languishing in a salon chair and parting with $50 (before tip). Brands like Valet Studio sympathize, and our favorite shops and e-retailers are now teeming with high-quality hair accessories that take seconds to turn any coif into something just a little bit fancy. No matter how it’s implemented—for ideas, turn to YouTube—this elegant resin hair clip will more than earn its keep. ($45, modaoperandi.com)

When in Cartagena, a stop at jewelry designer Mercedes Salazar’s charming shop on Santa Teresa is as essential as a gin-and-tonic (or three) at Casa San Agustin. Salazar specializes in colorful, high-impact costume jewelry that’s influenced by nature and composed of a variety of materials. Whenever your Air Mail style correspondent wears a pair of her fabulous earrings, nobody notices that the rest of the outfit was procured during the (second) Bush administration. For the moment, we’re especially enamored of these romantic danglers. ($192, modaoperandi.com)