Salvatore Ferragamo is one of those brands that flies under the radar for so many of us. But it shouldn’t. Time and time again I find Ferragamo bringing us the most delectable bags. They are simple, understated, and elegant but there is always a wow factor. I will always reference the Ferragamo Carlotta, an oversized alligator bag that exuded brilliance with its exotic skin and shape.

Sometimes we all just want a handbag that gets the job done. A beautiful, well-crafted, practical handbag. Today we can walk into any major department store and when you walk by the handbag department you will be bombarded with hundreds of different bags, some adorned with bobbles, jingles, sequins, hardware, and other extras. Salvatore Ferragamo is a perfect go-to when looking for a well-made and beautiful bag.

Salvatore Ferragamo is a silent warrior of meticulously created handbags. Typically the brand flies under the radar, much like Tod’s and Bottega Veneta, but the admiration for the craftsmanship remains. While many Ferragamo bags tend to be simple, the Salvatore Ferragamo Shoulder Bag is oh-so-lovely and touches on every aspect of a bag that I adore. First off, the soft Italian leather is a must and it is paired perfectly with a braided shoulder strap to add a nice dimension.

It’s rare that I see a technique that I haven’t seen used somewhere before. After all, I spend 40 hours a week (sometimes more, depending on how inefficient I am) looking at handbags; if a weird leather trick or a trim idea or a shape is out there, I’ve probably come across it out of professional necessity at some point. To a certain extent, there is nothing new under the sun – designers rip off each other and their own brands’ design history as much out of necessity as anything.

Normally, the entire PurseBlog team is a big fan of Salvatore Ferragamo handbags. They’re classic, sleek, and always stylish. The brand seems to avoid subscribing too earnestly to trends and instead sticks to more widely appreciated shapes and ideas.

This isn’t always the case, though. The Salvatore Ferragamo Gancio Intrecc Vitello Shoulder Bag is just…not right. The metallic purple is just not good; making a color that’s not normally metallic into a metallic is almost always a one-way trip to Tacky City, and unless it’s done out of irony or retro reference, it simply doesn’t work (and even then, things are dicey).

We’ve seen a lot of the small crossbody trend in the mid-price bags that we feature on PurseBlog Savvy, but higher-priced designers haven’t seemed as eager to latch on to the fad. At first I was a little confused as to why, but I think it makes sense – the shape and size of those bags tend to skew younger, and younger buyers tend to both spend less money and be more open-minded to new names in the design world.

Mother’s Day is right around the corner. While you might be planning a huge gathering which includes all the mother’s in your family or you are working on finding the right card and/or gift to send to your mom. Each year, I end up doing something a little different. Years past, I’ve flown into town and surprised her and other years I’ve sent a card with a Starbucks gift card (her daily must-have).

Oh, how I wish the Salvatore Ferragamo Gathered Shoulder Bag came in a different color. I can’t do tan, it wouldn’t go with anything that I wear, but the bag itself is just SO beautiful. The gently gathered folds of soft, smooth leather look so completely touchable and drool-worthy that I may consider trying to find an outfit that this bag would go with.

It’s probably time for me to sell my SUV, because the Green movement just keeps spreading to more and more areas of our lives. And it appears that it has finally come, in a serious way, to designer handbags. Salvatore Ferragamo recently released a line of five environmentally friendly handbags, aptly tited Eco Ferragamo. My personal favorite is the Salvatore Ferragamo Risvolti Eco Tote, pictured left.

Megs with Ferragamo. Stunning couple.

Buy the Salvatore Ferragamo Convertible Satchel via Saks for $1890.