(Photo: Marcellus Hall)

Q: I bought the dress for a big party, but I can’t find a bag to match. Is there anywhere I can get one made to my specifications?

A: Try Viv Pickle (238 West 10th Street; 212-924-0444), a custom-bag shop that’s a playground for would-be-Wangs with no sewing skills. First, select a shape from a series of templates—like “the Spear,” a slim clutch for your lipstick-and-credit-card-only nights out, or “the Flatsy,” a portefeuille for toting magazines to pedicure appointments. Then choose your fabric, lining, handle, and extras like zippers and monograms. “We aim to please,” says owner Susan Botwick Murphy. “One guy designed a tall, cylindrical, double-sided canvas bag with an adjustable handle so that he could carry home the antique lamps he buys at flea markets.” Sound too artsy-craftsy for you? Scarlett Johansson didn’t think so. “Hers was an atomic fifties-style Mama Saber in reproduction bark cloth,” says Murphy. If your big event is a wedding, reserve the studio for a private “Pickle Party” and have an individualized message applied to each bridal bag, gratis. Allow five weeks for delivery ($40–$100).

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Related:

• Archive: “Ask New York”
• Articles by Denise Penny
• Table of Contents: March 15, 2004 issue of New York | Subscribe!