Handbags

A very Happy Halloween to you all! Vlad and I have been out wandering our neighborhood, which is known for the best trick-or-treating on the East side of Fort Lauderdale. And we were total party poopers, as we were not dressed up. Our house on the other hand, has massive 3 ft spiders crawling about along with spiderweb on all three levels. But today I was conscious enough to take my Rebecca Minkoff Morning After Mini in tangerine, which got me in the Halloween spirit. And in the very least, even if you are not a big fan of Halloween, at least opt for a purse that goes with the holiday.

And for some my orange and black picks, I would opt for the Marc Jacobs Palais Royal Bag in orange leather, $895, or the Jimmy Choo Saba Python Bag in black, $4,495. No explanation, just two choices for an orange or black handbag! Buy both through Net A Porter.

What did you wear for Halloween? Did you opt for a Halloween spirited bag?

There is something comforting about distressed leather. I don’t know if it is the fact distressed leather can look so no-nonsense or hassle free, but I like it. The Giorgio Brato Distressed Leather Bag is one that demonstrates how amazing distressed leather can look if it is worked with diligently. If a designer isn’t careful, distressed leather can look used as opposed to giving off a vintage or well worn feel. Giorgio Brato is a designer who pays close attention to this which is clearly visible through this handbag. One of the greatest things about this bag is its versatility. There are so many looks you can get when carrying this bag while always remaining fashionable. Double rolled handles add an extra sense of ruggedness to the feel of the bag. Since there is ample room to store whatever you might need, this bag is perfect fit for day to day use. However, I would have to say, I am still simply thrilled by the look of the leather; it is gorgeous. In fact, I can think of countless celebs, no matter what their typical look may be, who would sport a bag like this. Add some comfort to your look through Shop Bop for $1,025.

Some of the many things I love about handbags are the various additions to the bags designers use. Of course, the overall style and look of the bag draws me one way or another, but the attention to detail and use of something different always catches my eye. Over at Luxaholics, celeb trends, sightings and style are discussed daily. I’m sure as most of you check out celeb images you start to notice trends within individual looks. I tend to notice certain celebs favor handbags with certain flare and the two that continue to stand out the most would have to be fringe and studding. As most of you know, I have a hard time finding a bag with the right amount of fringe for my taste, however, studding is a different story.

There are some fabulous handbags out there with amazing stud detailing. When it comes to fringe, I stand by less is more, but I don’t think this is necessarily the case with studs. Plus, studding always makes me think I am tapping into my “bad girl” side. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t like to flaunt her bad girl side from time to time? The Mary Norton Sceptre Baton Clutch (pictured above) is a highly sophisticated way to show off studding. This clutch is studded with semi-precious onyx and tiger’s eye ontop of brushed gold AND Swarovski crystal details. Now, this stud of a bag will set you back a bit, but you can buy it through Saks for $2,995. Click here to find a stud that suits your taste!

I really want to like the Dolce & Gabbana Miss Rouche Distressed Tote. It’s punky, edgy, soft, and has a leopard-print lining. It’s not over-designed or overly complicated. The leather is simply left baggy instead of pulled tight at the seams. I bet it’s light, too. But something about this says ‘garbage bag’ to me, and I just can’t shake that thought when I look at it. Perhaps it’s a bit too wrinkly. Maybe it’s the extra strap (which does not look removeable – a pet peeve of mine) that’s coloring my perception. Does this ever happen to any of you? Do you ever look at a bag and really WANT to be impressed, and you just can’t muster it? Buy through Saks for $1,995.

Or maybe it’s just that it’s black. The very similar Miss Rouche Distressed Satchel is hitting a homerun for me (ok, well, sort of), but it comes in a greyish white that makes the purse not quite so…garbage bag. You can also see the slouchy details much more clearly with the lighter color, and the bothersome extra shoulder strap appears to be something that can be removed (thank you Jebus). A much better effort, all in all. It’s the kind of thing that I would be excited to carry – odd, unexpected, not everyone’s taste. I don’t just WANT to like it – I DO like it. Buy through Saks for $2,195.

Perfect sunshine and shape: the Treesje Hudson Large Hobo [via Purse Blog Savvy]

VIDEO: Lauren Conrad Debuts Her “Really Girly and Fun” Collection at L.A. Fashion Week [via Off the Rack]

Five minutes with: Dolly Jones, editor of Vogue.com [via My Fashion Life]

Guess the Celeb by Her Fabulous Handbag! [via Fab Sugar]

A fur handbag. I am going to be upfront with you; I’m not sure how I feel about this. We are all familiar with how controversial fur and other exotic material is, but that’s not exactly what concerns me here. I think it is the color of the Doce and Gabbana Miss Glamorous Fur Print Handbag that really doesn’t do much for me. Come to think of it, the color of the bag just seems kind of gloomy. Even the antiqued gold metal hardware doesn’t seem to be able to add enough contrast to the fur print leather. At the same time I don’t really like the leather handles. In all reality the style of the handles doesn’t really work well with the rich look and feel of the fur. There is one thing I like about the bag, the overall shape. But really, there are probably hundreds of handbags out there with a similar shape that I would choose before ever choosing this bag. Of course this handbag comes with all the typcial amenities, like a zip top closure, textile lining and a few interior pockets. But, at the end of the day, the bag does nothing for me. Plus, in typical Dolce & Gabbana fashion, it isn’t cheap. Buy through eLuxury for $2,150.

We’ve had a wonderful chance to feature Linea Pelle handbags in the past. Now with Purse Blog Savvy up and running we have named Linea Pelle as one of our Savvy brands. And it comes as no shock to us that Linea Pelle isn’t just savvy when it comes to handbags, belts and accessories, but also when it comes to raising awareness for a worthwhile cause. October is Breast Cancer awareness month and Linea Pelle has launched the “life is beautiful” campaign for breast cancer awareness. This Savvy brand will donate 25% of the purchase price of any of the “life is beautiful” handbags from October 1, 2008 – September 30, 2009 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. You don’t need me to tell you what a wonderful idea Linea Pelle has, but I can tell you about the bags and where to find them! Click here to learn more about the event and these wonderful bags!

Shop Linea Pelle

I’ve always been intrigued by traditional Doctor’s bags. You know the ones: black, boxy, filled with elixirs and such? Watch any movie that is set “back in the day” and if there is a house visit, the doctor is sure to come in with a stethoscope around his neck and a doctor bag. When Megs and I were little we had a yellow plastic doctor’s bag since at that point Megs told us almost daily she wanted to grow up to be a doctor. Well, that didn’t really happen, but maybe I’ll buy her this Rafé New York Tracy Doctor’s Bag so she can pretend every now and then. The croc-embossed leather bag is clearly finished with a luminous shine which really draws the eye. Add on some goldtoned hardware and this is a bag worth looking at twice! The exterior zip, interior zip, wall and cell phone pockets help to make sure the things you need to be able to grab right away will be found. Megs’ birthday just passed so maybe I’ll splurge and buy her an upgrade from the plastic one she used to tote around. The only other major difference is that the new Doctor’s Bag would be filled with a cell phone, wallet, lipgloss, maybe an iPod, etc instead of plastic toys. Either way, buy through Nordstrom for $750.00.

Hear me out on this one, folks. I know that Juicy Couture is not known for their amazing bags, but I think they’re on to something interesting with this one. The Narda Houndstooth Bag, to me at least, is somewhat of a rare bird. I spend such vast amount of time looking for handbags to write about that rarely does anything make me stop and go, “Wait…WHAT?” On first examination, the leather looks kind of randomly patchworked in black and brown (or in grey and ivory, which appears to not be available at the moment via Saks), sort of like any number of Miu Miu bags I’ve seen over the past few season. But then I read the name – and that’s where my “Wait…WHAT?” moment came – there’s a method to Juicy’s patchwork madness. Well, sort of, anyway. Maybe the pictures are just bad, but if you squint your eyes a bit, you can see it – the leather is actually pieced together to form an oversized houndstooth pattern. Brilliant…kind of. Click here to keep reading...

So, I have a confession to make, I love karaoke. This past weekend while hanging out with some friends, the restaurant we were at turned into a karaoke bar and I have to say, it was a lovely surprise. Now, I don’t think I have the greatest of voices, but two of my best friends at my side, we decided to sing Lady Marmalade and we rocked it (at least in my opinion). When I saw this Christian Louboutin Cancan Satin Clutch it totally reminded me of the outfits worn on the Lady Marmalade music video!

Satin always makes me think “classy” and this clutch certainly is (IF worn with the right outfit). The black satin clutch is accented with a big sating bow and plenty of feathers. As soon as you open the clutch, you will see a rich and vibrant red satin lining which contrasts so well against the black. A magnetic snap will keep the clutch closed as you strut your stuff around town. Clearly, this is a bold statement and who knows if it can be pulled off by everyone, but hey, maybe it is worth a try? Of course, the only drawback with satin is that it can snag easily and for some reason when satin snags, my eye is immediately drawn to it. However, take care of it and you shouldn’t have an issue. Buy through Saks for $1,215.00.