In 2012 Jasmin Larian launched Cult Gaia in Los Angeles. Elle's 2017 profile has her starting as an FIT student with a side hustle in flower crowns and wired fabric headbands, long before anyone was asking where her bags came from. Then came the bag. Marie Claire sums it up in a line: half-moon shape, bamboo slats.

I like the story because the detail is so specific. Observer described the first version as thin slats of bamboo held together with flexible plastic bits, and it was slow to catch on because, in Larian's words, people did not believe it was functional. Instagram showed them how to wear it. Later she reimagined the shape in acrylic, with a sculptural, faintly 70s feel, and the brand also makes sculptural acrylic clutches, including the Eos box clutch with its top clasp.

So if you are hunting for a Cult Gaia bag dupe, here is what this edit is: pieces from other labels that share the detail you are actually after, whether that is the lattice, the acrylic shell, the ring handle or the beaded edge. Nothing here is made by Cult Gaia or connected to it: these are look-alikes in the same spirit.

Start with the lattice. Mango's braided handbag has a genuine bamboo top handle on chevron weave, and I would take it with a black wool coat and straight denim in October. Frances Valentine's Rooster in black and Buzzy in toast are woven bags with bamboo-style handles, the polished dressed-up end of the idea. Hat Attack's Isla and Dolce Vita's wood bead bag swap slats for strung wooden beads, which gives you the open see-through look. BTB Los Angeles's Mason has an amber bamboo handle on a wicker box. Whatever you pick, check how the handle is attached and whether the lattice has a lining, because a see-through bag needs a pouch inside.

Acrylic is the second half of the Cult Gaia story. When Elle reported on the bamboo bag being reimagined in acrylic, it called the result a level of sophistication you would not imagine plastic could reach. That is the bar for any alternative: a hard shell that looks poured, not molded.

Olga Berg's Imelda in chocolate has marbled acrylic and a gold wire handle, and it is the one I would put with camel knitwear and a long skirt. The two 8 Other Reasons clutches, in gold and in pearl, are marbled acrylic hardshells with chain straps. Simkhai's Maddox is a pearlescent box framed in gold metal, and Olga Berg's Millie in cream pearl is a glossy structured shell. For a party, Sunshine Society's Starlight Starbright is a clear bright pink star and Kate Barton's Goldfish is a clear acrylic bowl with a goldfish inside.

Test the seams first. Run a thumb along the join where the two halves meet: it should feel flush, with no ridge. Look at the marbling in daylight, because swirls that stop dead at an edge look printed. Then check the clasp, which should close with a clean click and sit square. Hardware matters as much as the shell, so I would favor a gold that is a warm brass tone, not a bright yellow one.

What I would skip: a clear bag when you carry a lot of loose things. Acrylic hides nothing, and a pouch inside only does so much.

Ring handles are the detail people remember. A round handle turns any shape into a conversation piece, so the question is how it is made.

BTB Los Angeles's Rumi in gold is the closest in spirit, a beaded net bucket with a round bamboo ring handle. Lovers and Friends' Charlotte in butter yellow is a sequin-disc bag with a bamboo-look ring, and L'alingi's Bamboo Eternity is crocheted raffia framed by a polished bamboo ring. If you would rather go metal, Olga Berg's Dion has twin gold rings on a champagne beaded hobo, and the Ellie crystal mesh has bangle handles that slide over the wrist. Veronica Beard's two suede Swing bags, in tobacco and stone khaki, use a gold-tone ring and tortoise resin bangles. The beaded tote from 8 Other Reasons has a round beaded ring.

Hold the handle up to the light and look for a seamless join, since a visible weld is the easiest giveaway. Slide it over your forearm and make sure the inside edge is smooth. In October I would pair the suede ones with a brown trench and wide trousers, and the bamboo rings with a knit and a slip skirt.

What I would skip: a ring handle on a bag that is heavy on its own. The ring will carry the weight badly.

Weave is what makes a lattice bag read as hand-built. A good beaded or woven alternative should look that way too: slightly uneven, clearly made with care.

Staud's Coronado is a wood-bead tote with a leather-lined pouch, which is the sensible choice if you want a phone and keys to stay put. AQUA's Beaded Top Handle Bag is silver-tone beads over a satin drawstring pouch, a big step toward the open lattice look. Kurt Geiger's macramé rope bag is knotted rope strung with beads, and AQUA's Woven Top Handle Bag is open-set brown wood beads with a round beaded handle. Mango's micro-beaded pouch has a swinging tassel, SIMONMILLER's Mercado is braided raffia with wood bead tassels, and Bembien's Maris has an open top with a magnetic closure and an interior card slot.

Check the stringing. Pull gently on a few beads near the handle and the bottom corners: nothing should shift or leave a gap. Look at the spacing, because even rows read as a lattice and bunched ones read as a toy. I would wear the raffia with a thick cardigan and boots now, and the wood bead ones with a black dress for a dinner.

What I would skip: a long bead handle if you ride the subway, because it snags on coat sleeves.

The acrylic box clutch is where the brand turned the idea into something for evenings. Elle called the Eos box clutch an update of the brand's beloved box bag, with a top clasp for security. So this last run is small, shaped and held in the hand.

JW Pei's Shell Clutch in ivory and Olga Berg's Ava shell in mother of pearl share a scallop silhouette. Poolside Bags' Origami Scallop is natural woven fan with wooden beads. Simone Rocha's micro egg clutch has a faux pearl string and a leather wrist loop, Dune London's Beaut is a faceted crystal box in berry, and Olga Berg's Lia in black is geometric with a tassel. SIMONMILLER's beaded drop clutch has long fringe, and Staud's Cuff has sculptural metal cuff hardware on cobalt leather.

When you are testing one, open it and shut it a few times. A good clutch closes without a wobble. Check that it holds a phone, a card and a lipstick without bulging, because the shape only works when it stays crisp. For holiday parties I would go with the crystal berry one over a black velvet dress, or the ivory shell with a gray wool suit.

What I would skip: a faceted shape if your outfit is already busy. Let one thing be the sculpture.

I would decide on the detail first. If it is the bamboo ring, go to the Rumi or the Bamboo Eternity. If it is the acrylic shell, look at the Imelda or the Maddox. If it is the beaded border, look at the Coronado or AQUA's beaded top handle.

Then I would apply the test every piece in this edit needs to pass: the join is clean, the handle is smooth, and it carries your essentials without a lot of rattling.

A bag that started as a thin bamboo half-moon and ended up on everyone's wrist shows how a silhouette becomes a favorite. Choose the one that makes someone stop you in the street and ask where it is from.