Bottega Veneta Handbags and Purses (Page 2)

Bottega Veneta Crocodile Wallet, $1150 via Mr. Porter

In the spirit of honesty, I would like to admit the following: My understanding of the men’s accessory industry is only a fraction of what I know about women’s bags and leather goods. There are a few reasons for that: First, I’m female, which means that my practical, first-hand experience with women’s leather goods is obviously going to be larger. Second, men’s fashion (and accessories in particular) have long been the redheaded stepchild of the industry, and only now are men’s fashion shows and trends starting to be covered with the attention that they deserve.

That’s a big part of why we started Man Bag Monday, but it also means that pieces like the Bottega Veneta Crocodile Wallet confuse me a little bit. Even though the price is well within the norm for an exotic women’s piece (if perhaps a bit high for a small wallet – it is Bottega, after all), how do men look at a wallet that costs more than a grand?

I suppose it could be argued that more subtle or more luxurious brands exist on the high-end mass market, but few brands garner such a large following as Bottega Veneta while still holding the attention of such a large audience. If you’re wondering about the source of that success, look no further than the Bottega Veneta Roma Accordion Tote.

At first glance, this design might seem unremarkable, but I can’t help but be impressed by the restraint Bottega shows in bags like these, season after season. The company may release a gimmicky bag here and there, but it’s always supported by tons of luxurious everyday bags that a woman could carry well beyond the immediate season.

Sunday night brought us the 2011 installment of the MTV Movie Awards, which is always a treat to watch. I always wait and hope for something crazy to happen, but the high point this year was merely hearing Robert Pattinson blurt out the F word and slip past the censors. Otherwise, I was back focusing on the fashion, per usual.

One of our favorite looks was the gal in the picture above with her elongated Bottega Veneta Knot Clutch. Only question is, do you know who’s that girl?

Bottega Veneta Crocodile Box Clutch, $3450 via Matches UK.

I’ve never been the type to swoon, but if ever I needed a fainting couch, now is the time.

The affinity that Megs and I have for Bottega Veneta exotics is well-documented, and finding this Bottega Veneta Crocodile Knot Box Clutch in a perfect shade of pinky-orangey coral just took me to the next level. I don’t have the social schedule or the financial means to take this little box bag to all of the summertime garden parties that it deserves to see, but maybe someone out there does and could allow me to live vicariously.

It is a dreary rainy day today and a Bottega Veneta video is just what I need to bring a smile to my face. NOWNESS.com premieres Viaggio Notturno, Bottega Veneta’s first fashion film from director Christian Weber which will appear in stores beginning April 15th.

If you haven’t enjoyed the occasional deconstructed, undone intrecciato bags that Bottega Veneta has done in the past few seasons, you might want to skip a fair portion of this post. If you liked those ideas, though, Tomas Maier sure has a collection for you. Bottega Veneta Fall 2011 takes the strongly tailored Hitchcockian ideal of the 1960s and unravels it just enough to make it feel modern, and the bags follow suit from leafy leather clutches to frayed, unfinished-seeming woven totes.

Even if you prefer your bags tightly realized, this collection had something for you as well: The ubiquitous Bottega Veneta Knot Clutch. And it’s ubiquitous for a reason; the design lends itself easily to a thousand interpretations and reinterpretations, the best of this bunch in vibrant midcentury shades of orange and yellow velvet. And if you’re still not satisfied, Maier provided a few other Bottega classics, from the absurdly luxurious Cabat bag to nubby leather totes that matched the textured of some of the wools used in the ready-to-wear. There was something outrageously gorgeous for everyone.

If you follow us on Twitter (which you totally should), you will have seen my incredible score from the Outnet earlier this week. I promise a full reveal to come soon, but right now I am making sure to check the Outnet even more often than I did before, to ensure that I may not miss the biggest and best deals on luxury items on the web.

If you love Bottega Veneta you probably love the classic Veneta bag. We have talked about this bag a lot with you all, and like many other iconic bags it has been created in many different renditions. One of my favorite options was the all crocodile version. And that version is now 50% off at the Outnet. I already highlighted this bag previously, but it deserves the spotlight again (just in case you missed it).