Handbags

Some brands do not get the recognition they deserve. Harder to locate in the US, Valextra is a brand that is as timeless and well crafted as Hermes yet their bags lack the waitlists that Hermes once had and the exposure. Valextra flies under the radar. And this is precisely how they like it. Their bags speak for themselves. No need for seasonal bags, rather every Valextra bag I have seen is extremely well made and will be a piece that will never loose its luxury. The house iconic bag is the Valextra Boston. When I received and reviewed the bag this past July I was amazed. Lightweight yet sturdy and simple yet striking, Valextra Boston Bags are purely timeless. Timeless is not a word that I love to use, but sometimes it perfectly fits certain brands and designs. And while the Barneys New York store carried Valextra, it was very hard to find elsewhere. Now it is online and accessible to all of us in the US at Barneys! If you want to delve into this brand start with the Boston bag. Available in large ($3,170), medium ($2,380), and small ($2,190), there is a size and color for you. This is a piece I would hands down stand behind and tell you to invest in. I plan to do so myself, possibly in a luscious exotic skin. Because that would be purely divine. Buy Valextra through Barneys.

One of my favorite bags from a designer that is not as mainstream in the handbag world is Givenchy. I have yet to own a Givenchy bag, but I have lusted after the Givenchy Nightingale time and time again. And now there is a new bag to yearn for from the house of Givenchy. The Givenchy Sacca Chain Handle Bag exudes pure style and elegance. Designed with grained leather, this small sac bag features a gold chain handle and a single leather handle. The shape of the bag is timeless. It will easily transfer from season to season, leaving you with a chic shoulder bag. The inside features dual open compartments separated by a middle zipper compartment, a side zip pocket, and a smaller open pocket. While this bag is available in other colors, the ivory is a stunner! Buy through Barneys for $1495.

Coach Amanda Satin Mini Satchel [via Purse Blog Savvy]

Best of Black Friday Sales [via Luxaholics]

Katie Holmes Is a Miu Miu Model [via Fab Sugar]

Beyoncé and her amazing fringed diva shades! [via My Fashion Life]

I told you all yesterday that today would be our first day of weekend posts in quite some time. So here I am, posting away. Notice the time delay, it is a weekend, so I wasn’t about to get moving overly fast on today. Today my mind is wandering far from the handbag world, as it is the biggest college football game of The Ohio State University’s year (my, Vlad’s, and Shannon’s Alma mater), The Ohio State vs Michigan game. What I would give to be there now. However I am not, so we have game day on, getting ready to watch the most famed rivalry in college football and I need to somehow tie this together to purses.

And I can do that by deciding on a great handbag to take to an Ohio State football game. I am not a huge fan of light silver metallic colors, a bit too South Beach for me, a bit too glitz and glam. But the exclusive to Bloomingdale’s silver metallic Marc Jacobs Quilted Bruna Satchel would be an ideal bag to take to a football game. I already know what many of you will say, it is too nice to take to a football game. I think not. I protect my bags at football games and always take a bag that is one of the colors of the teams I am cheering on. I talked about the sister of this bag, the Marc Jacobs Quilted Jersey Tote, which is only $400 less than this bag. And in my deduction, that means that this leather version is much more worth the price tag. The front bow tie accents are what I love about this bag, it adds a feminine touch. There is an interior zip and cell phone pockets. I am not claiming that I love this bag, not claiming that I am going out to buy it, not even claiming that it is all that great, but for an Ohio State game it would look smashing with my Scarlett jersey! Buy this color exclusively though Bloomingdale’s for $1350.

Today we are all off at Purse Blog. Well, let me clarify. Vlad is in Germany and visiting friends all day, Shannon is working in LA, and I had an appointment in the morning and am going to see my brother’s playoff football game tonight.

Today we are off, so tomorrow we will update with some fun posts! I know, very odd for us to post on the weekend, but it will be like a mid-November treat.

Hope you all are having a happy Friday and have a great weekend!

We love the Linea Pelle Samantha Large Double Handle [via Purse Blog Savvy]

Fab Finding Follow-Up: I Heart YSL [via Fab Sugar]

Karl Lagerfeld designs Chanel coins [My Fashion Life]

YAY OR NAY: Marni Alpaca fur bag [via Bag Lady]

Alexander McQueen Dishes About His Upcoming Line With Target [via Off the Rack]

Stars to Party Hard in Dubai [via Luxaholics]

Update! The Alexis Hudson promotion has just been revised… to your advantage. You are now able to receive 40% off and the promotion has been extended to Tuesday, November 25th! What a great opportunity to start some holiday shopping or snag something for yourself!

It’s true, we have another amazing offer for all you Purse Bloggers out there. Starting today, Alexis Hudson handbags has a special promotion available. You might be familiar with Alexis Hudson as the handbags seem to be popping up all over the place. Just a little while ago, over on Purse Blog Savvy, I wrote about the Alexis Hudson St. Germaine Hobo which is still a handbag I would love to see hanging in my closet.

So here is the deal. This two week online promotion starts today, Thursday November 6th and will end Thursday November 20th. After you select the Alexis Hudson handbags you’d like for yourself or to give to others and are ready to check out, simply enter the following discount code: PURSEBLOG. There are plenty of gorgeous handbags to choose from AND you will receive 25% 40% off. You simply can’t go wrong!

Click here to shop and save!

I am always intrigued by designers I don’t know much about. Last week I wrote about the Giorgio Brato Distressed Leather Bag. When I don’t know much about certain designers, I love to read the comments the post receives on the blog and on the Purse Forum. Granted, I always love reading the comments about each post, but when just being turned onto a new designer I am always eager to see if anyone else knows something more about the designer, the design or the line.

When I saw the Giorgio Brato Asymmetrical Pleated Bag I instantly wanted to touch my computer in hopes of actually feeling the leather. I without a doubt must get my hands on a Giorgio Brato handbag one of these days. Tell me if you disagree, but this leather looks not only 100% touchable but also down right gorgeous. Although some of you were less than impressed by the Distressed Leather Bag, do you find yourself liking this one a bit more? The pleating demonstrates the craftmanship and attention to detail put into the handbag. Pleating this kind of leather can look rushed if not done correctly, but I have no complaints with what I see. Double rolled handles, zippers inside and out prove that the bag doesn’t just look good, but is also functional. Buy though Shop Bop for $1,070.

I don’t know about you, but the name Salvatore Ferragamo tends to make my heart skip a beat. My love for Ferragamo doesn’t stop at handbags; from shoes to clothing to handbags, I am seldom disappointed. As much as I love hearing about exclusives, I have to say, I am ten times more thrilled to share great news and insight with others. For example, this Ferragamo Exclusive from SmartBargains. SmartBargains has been known to offer amazing designer handbags at a price which could be a little easier on the wallet. You’ve seen some of the drop dead gorgeous Ferragamo handbags we’ve discussed in the past. Of all the Ferragamo handbags included, I keep finding myself gravitating towards the Salvatore Ferragamo Black Leather Marianna Tote for $799.98. Of course it is still a bit pricey but so much easier to swallow than the original $1,190 price tag. Plus, these purses are without a doubt a great investment. Not too fond of this handbag but want to have a Ferragamo bag to choose from? Click here to check out all the amazing options!

Please, tell me, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you see this handbag? I don’t know about you, but I see a cross between a disco ball and an ’80s stud machine that went on a rampage. I guess you pretty much already know how I feel about the Sonia Rykiel Dita Shoulder Bag; I’m not a fan. The stud embroidered hobo is just way too much for my eyes to handle. In fact, there is so much studding that you can’t even see what I imagine/hope to be gorgeous violet leather. If the studding wasn’t enough, add chain handles to the bag and you have a silver catastrophe on your hands. I am really starting to get the impression that the folks over at Sonia Rykiel can’t make a handbag without copious amounts of studding; remember the otherDita Shoulder Bag? As I think most people are, bringing out the rocker chick side of you can be fun which is I guess the look this bag is trying to get after. However, I don’t really see much fun about it. All that studding will either burn your arm on a hot sunny day or freeze your arm during the depths of winter. What do you think? Is there anything salvageable about this handbag? If so, buy through Net-a-Porter for $2,300.