June 2011 - PurseBlog

Proenza Schouler debuts four new brights on its website

Jun 30, 2011 by Amanda Mull

This one doesn’t take much explanation: We love the Proenza Schouler PS1 and always have, and the excitement is palpable around here when new PS1s surface. We’ve been thinking for a while that the bag could use a few new shades, and it looks as though the Proenza team was right there with us. Now … Read more

The Loewe Flamenco Bag, for the slightly more subtle colorblocker in you

Jun 30, 2011Jun 30, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Loewe Flamenco Bag, $1726 via Matches in green and orange

If you’ve never seen a Loewe (pronounced Low-AY-vay) bag in person and they brand is available in your area, I’d encourage you to seek them out for a test drive around the department store or boutique of your choice. I still can’t understand why so many starlets choose to carry the canvas version of the company’s Amazona bag; leather is where the bags shine most brightly. And as with all brands that put an emphasis on materials, an in-person viewing is necessary to get the full effect.

Take the Loewe Flamenco Bag, for instance. It looks perfectly lovely in these photos, but a jaunt to Bergdorfs to visit one of its close cousins yesterday afternoon (and to buy the new Chanel Fall 2011 nail polishes) fully fleshed out my sense of the bag. You see that leather? It’s amazing. The colors are vibrant. And this design, unlike the tote that I saw from the same line, can be used as either a shoulder bag or a crossbody.

Want It Wednesday: Selima Optique Amanda Sunglasses

Jun 29, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Selima Optique Amanda Sunglasses, $350 via Net-a-Porter.

Somehow, when my name comes up as the moniker for a new handbag or pair of shoes, it’s always a piece that I don’t like. At all. Something I’d never consider buying and likely wouldn’t even wear if it were to find its way to me for free. So you can imagine my delight when I was checking the new arrivals at Net-a-Porter.com this morning and found the Selima Optique Amanda Sunglasses, which I loved even before I realized that the universe had conspired to name them after me. (Ok, they’re not named after me at all. Except in my head. In my head, they’re definitely named after me.) What better fodder for this week’s Want It Wednesday?

Rachel Zoe’s handbags available for pre-order at NeimanMarcus.com

Jun 29, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Usually when a Bravolebrity starts a handbag or clothing line of some sort, everyone rolls their eyes and frets about the state of the creative arts. But superstylist Rachel Zoe isn’t your average reality TV star; whether you like her personal aesthetic or not, you have to admit that she’s beyond brilliant at what she does. So when rumblings were first heard six months ago that Zoe would be releasing her own line of clothing, shoes and accessories, most people reserved judgment until the line had actually surfaced. The verdict? Not bad, Ms. Zoe. Not bad at all. Not revolutionary, but very serviceable.

Now that the pre-orders for the line are available exclusively through NeimanMarcus.com, we can finally get a close look at the bags and handle on the type of prices Zoe hopes to command. As it turns out, the bags are neutral and functional, and the prices fit right in to the contemporary market. We have purchase information and bigger pictures of our favorites after the jump, or you can shop the entire collection via Neiman Marcus.

On Gucci and the glory of the non-logo logo

Jun 28, 2011Jun 28, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Gucci Boston Canvas Duffle, $960 via Net-a-Porter

I’m sure that we’re do for a revival of the logo bag any season now. Fashion’s like that; the trends you hate always come back around more quickly than the ones for which you feel genuine nostalgia. Some brands still do a very brisk business in their logo bags; Louis Vuitton has always been at the top of that list, but Gucci isn’t far behind. And while it surely makes the company a ton of money and is important for branding purposes, logos have just never been my cup of tea.

But that’s why I’m such a big fan of the Gucci Boston Canvas Duffle and bags like it. Gucci occasionally uses this jacquard diamond-check canvas in place of the brand’s normal logo fabric, and it is such an improvement in my eyes. This bag looks stately and classic without the unnecessary Gs, and that’s exactly the appeal of the non-logo logo.

PurseBlog Asks: Do you match your shoes to your bag?

Jun 28, 2011 by Amanda Mull

I think of myself as something of a maximalist; the outfits I like the best are often the outfits in which nothing matches and everything stands out on its own. That’s also a quick way to look like a complete crackhead, but hey, I bought foot-long neon pink feather earrings yesterday. I got over any self-consciousness or fear of looking silly a long time ago.

Predictably, I am not a shoe-to-purse matcher. Not even close. What’s more, the practice of matching all of your accessories to each other strikes me as something that the retail industry cooked up a long time ago as a way to sell more stuff to a single customer. But what about you? My sense of style is hardly monolithic or “correct” in any way. Do you take a more positive approach to matching? Have you ever bought shoes because they were made to match your new bag?

If you like blue suede and matching accessories, the Alexander McQueen Chanter Studded Hobo and Alexander McQueen Skull Platform Pumps might be your speed. You can get them both, for $3150 and $1195 respectively, via Neiman Marcus.

Smurfette wears designer accessories in Harper’s Bazaar

Jun 28, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Photo credit: Jeffrey Westbrook for Harper’s Bazaar

I opened up my inbox this morning to find an oddly alluring email about Smurfette wearing designer accessories in new issue of Harper’s Bazaar. First off, I had no idea The Smurfs movie was coming out and second off, I find it hilarious to see Smurfette posing with high end designer goods. However, somehow this small blue fictional character pulls off posing and wearing accessories in a rather fashionably comical manner.

From Marc Jacobs to Louis Vuitton to Dolce & Gabbana, Smurfette hits the pages of Harper’s Bazaar in accessories any non-fictional female would pine for.

barr + barr Sample Sale

Jun 28, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Last week Vlad and I popped into the barr + barr showroom to take a look at their bags. Two things: this is a newer brand to me and this brand produces many designs. I truly enjoy finding new brands (even if just new to me) to share with you all. The designs are functional, many sporting a long shoulder strap, with options that range from every shape and size we have grown accustomed to.

Thankfully, not all of Prada Fall 2011 is furry

Jun 28, 2011 by Amanda Mull

We’ve already explored the slightly more, uh, tactile elements of Prada Fall 2011, but what about the everyday bags that the brand does so well, year in and year out? Too many pre-orders have sprung up across the Internet for us to feature them all, but here’s a selection of four bags of different styles and leathers that we heartily recommend for purchase in the upcoming months.

My look at Oscar de la Renta Resort 2012

Feb 8, 2012Jun 27, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Last month, we had the pleasure of attending the Oscar de la Renta Resort 2012 runway show, and Vlad and I arrived early to capture behind the scenes photos before the show began. Once backstage, I immediately spotted the incredibly talented Jamie Beck, photographer and co-creator of Cinemagraphs, whose website From Me to You is one of my favorites for visual inspiration.

Mulberry’s Polly Push bags are a preppy girl’s dream

Jun 24, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Mulberry Polly Push Tote, $1400 via Net-a-Porter. Mulberry Polly Push Satchel, $1300 via Net-a-Porter.

I’m going to let you guys in on a little secret that you’ve probably already figured out about me, if you’re a regular reader: I was never a prep. Sure, I dabbled in it in middle school when we all went through the phase where we tried our damnedest to look like everyone else, but by age 13 I was putting ill-advised burgundy streaks in my hair and listening to punk. If you know me, you know that I never really grew out of the “putting ill-advised things in my hair” phase.

But because trends are endlessly shifting and the lines between “looks” are getting blurrier by the day, I no longer feel the kind of automatic resistance to preppy, classic designs like the Mulberry Polly Push Bags that I likely would have felt a few years ago. As long as I could get one that’s not brown, that is. A distaste for brown is another thing that I’ve yet to outgrow.

Go maxi or mini with Gucci python

Jun 23, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Gucci Python Stirrup Top Handle, $4700 via Saks. Gucci 1973 Python Small Top Handle, $2400 via Saks.

With so many choices in life, it’s somewhat amazing that we don’t all become hermits in the throws of deep existential crises. Skim or 2%? Decaf or regular? Heels or flats? To UGG or not to UGG? Even thinking about it makes me a bit dizzy. And if you’re a fan of python and Gucci python in particular, you’ve got another choice to make for fall – big or small?

The Gucci Python Stirrup Top Handle and Gucci 1973 Python Small Top Handle may be made out of the same yellow-green dyed python, but they sit at opposite ends of the size spectrum. One is a bag big enough for your everyday life, the other is so petite that I’d only advise that you use it for a night out. Which way would you go?