By the very nature of this job, I end up writing about a lot of bags that couldn’t be further from my personal style. And that’s ok, because it’s part of being successful in the fashion industry: The ability to see the value in things beyond your own narrow point of view. But sometimes, a bag like the Salar Juni Woven Shoulder Bag pops up and presents itself as exactly the type of bag that I’d love to carry, and those are always exciting days for me. You have to take pleasure in the little things, people.

Although I’m generally drawn to brightly colored bags, my love for black is deep and abiding. Particularly black leather, which appeals to the teenage punk who lives inside of my head and the Rick Owens lover that I’ve turned into as an adult. And despite the fact that it’s difficult to do things that are new and exciting with a black hobo, this design seems fresh and edgy. It’s the kind of bag that I wish Alexander Wang made more often. The soft leather gives the bag a ton of texture when it’s woven into a loose crosshatch, but the shape and color ensure that it stays functional and neutral. If the leather’s as nice in person as it looks in photos, the bag is well worth the price. Buy through Luisa Via Roma for $810

I can’t believe I haven’t posted about the Marni Woven Leather Hobo Bag already, but somehow it seems to have gotten passed over in the spring shuffle. What I can’t figure out, though, is how that managed to happen – I absolutely love it. I loved it as soon as I saw it on the runway back in September, and my love for the slouchy-yet-stark design has only grown since seeing how soft and wearable the bag would be in real life. This design is proof positive that neutrals don’t have to be boring background pieces.

There’s something about black and white patterns that I just can’t resist no matter what I do, and Marni managed to take the colors and put its signature retro-modern twist on them. I usually find woven bags too be either too hippy-dippy or too derivative of Bottega Veneta for my taste, but this design implements a large-scale weave without being sloppy or a knockoff of a different design. When so many bag customers in this price range automatically associate weaving with Bottega, that’s no small feat.

And not only is the design unique, but the bag is still functional. Although I suspect that the dark interior lining will make it a bit of a black hole, there’s no denying that you could fit everything you need for a day into this bag with room to spare. Finding it again later might be a tad difficult, but after years of carrying a veritable black hole as my primary bag, I can tell you that you do get used to it after a while. For this bag, I’d be happy to adjust. Buy through Marni for $2330.

I assume Valextra wanted to give us a beautiful, subtle, and respectful design with the Valextra Namaste Big Hobo. And the design does just that.

Looking for sleek, refined, and classic? Valextra always delivers. There is not much to say about this design, what you see is what you get. But isn’t that pretty nice? We grow accustomed to all sorts of bells and whistles being included in many bags that we see daily, so it is refreshing to see simplicity. With all the emails we receive weekly asking about timeless classic, this is the answer. Buy via Barneys for $1,680.

Namaste.

The Akris Allega Braided Leather Hobo is indeed a worthy next step for a brand that prides itself on precision and technique. Although this bag doesn’t appear to be “braided” in the traditional sense of the word, the thin leather strips are woven together to give a ton of texture to what otherwise might be an unspectacular hobo.

Using such tiny leather pieces for such a large bag gives this design an appearance somewhat similar to wicker, except lightyears more interesting and luxurious. I would worry a bit about snags and rips, but Akris generally uses excellent materials, so I’d be more likely to trust them with this sort of construction than most other brands. If you’re looking to spend some serious cash on a special bag that can still be worn every day, this one should definitely be on your candidate list. Buy through Saks for $2990.

I usually prefer it when Bottega makes their bags out of solid pieces instead of their famed intrecciato because it makes the quality of the material that much easier to appreciate, and that’s exactly what they’ve done with the Bottega Veneta Cervo Flap Shoulder Bag. It still has the woven touches that make it unmistakably Bottega, but the subtly grained flat leather is the real star of the show.

This isn’t the super-buttery leather that most Bottega bags feature, but it looks pretty scrumptious in its own right. It’s made of deerskin, which isn’t super common but feels amazing, and there’s plenty of it. I like the woven details around the edges of the flap and the bag itself, but I particularly like the way that the combination of flat and woven leather shows of the subtle variations in the color – it’s not usually possible to say that about black bags. Buy through Saks for $1780.

That is why I am happy to stumble upon the De Couture Chain Strap Hobo. The brand has only been covered three times on our site, the last post being from a year ago. There may not be many bags from the brand, but this is one that I want to cover.

It is simple why I like this bag. It is large, slouchy, and has a funky cool metal chain strap.

Some handbags have so much going on that I can review them for paragraphs. This, however, is not one of those bags. All else I can tell you is that the soft frame is made with calfskin and the shoulder strap is actually a leather strap covered with chains. All I hope for is the leather to be as soft and supple as I imagine, and then I can say that this bag is a great buy. You all know how I love a slouchy bag, so really, what more could I ask for? $963 via Luisa via Roma.

But none of those things are what’s best about the Versace Giselle Lock Hobo. No, in fact, the best thing is the price. Shocking, right? Versace will normally charge at least two grand for any old thing, so color me shocked that the price tag for this attractive, reasonably functional bag falls so far below that number. Could it be that their accessories designers are finally realizing just how lucrative the handbag market can be if they give us products that are beautiful and fairly priced?

Don’t get me wrong, this is not the bag that’s going to save Versace’s company. It’s not even all that great of a bag, period. But it is a marked departure from the overwrought, over-designed bags that we’ve seen from the bag in the past, and the price point indicates at least a partial recognition that their products have been, well, asking too much for what they are.

But on this one, the price is good and the navy leather works nicely with the gold hardware. There are enough buckles and flaps and extra doo-dads that the Versace aesthetic is still present, but it’s no longer shouting for everyone’s attention. Instead, it’s understated and merely one part of the bag, instead of the design’s whole point. Buy through Nordstrom for $1350.

I’ve got to admit that, between Marc Jacobs and Chanel, it might be kind of easy to think that we’ve seen all the quilting that we need to see. Usually, though, those quilts are a bit more on the rigid side, whereas the ones on this bag look soft and lovely (and this bag is lambskin, so I bet it doesn’t disappoint in real life.)

This design isn’t groundbreaking, but it is pretty neutral and attractive. The quilting provides texture, and I particularly like the tied belt, which mirrors the closure method that a lot of women use on the company’s iconic trench coats. I wish that the leather trim around the top looked less stiff, but I’m willing to entertain the idea that it gives the bag’s opening a structure that a lot of hobos lack. I wish the handle was flat instead of rolled, but overall, this bag is a nice, neutral option for a lot of different women. Buy through Saks for $1095.

More than anything, however, I look at this bag as even further evidence that Fendi has finally hit their stride, after a few years of searching for the right tone. The materials are nice, the logo is there but it’s not the basis for the entire bag, and it looks like something a lot of different women would be proud to carry. Have we entered something of a Fendi renaissance?

We’ve mentioned this possible Fendi revival several times (including earlier this week with the Fendi Floral Baguette), and I think I might have finally seen enough to believe it. Fendi has managed to change its aesthetic from overworked and logo-ridden to classic and pretty with a little flash of the unexpected here and there, and I think it’s an enormous improvement.

This is obviously not one of their runway bags, but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored – simplistic, solid-colored bags in beautiful leathers sell well for almost every brand, and I think that this hobo, in addition to the entire Mia line from which it comes, are a strong, classic foundation on which the brand’s handbag line can be built. Buy through Nordstrom for $1590.

I really like the maybe-tacky (shut up, I like tacky) effect of the burgundy zebra print on the Jimmy Choo Zebra Patent Hobo, but I can’t help but imagine that the stiff-looking handle would probably perch itself on my shoulder instead of molding to my arm, just like the body of the bag below it. As much as I try to make myself use bags like that because I enjoy them aesthetically, I just can’t do it.

Again, the color is totally to-die-for, and I think that a big, simple bag is the only way to properly show off the variation in the material. I would have preferred, however, that the bag was rendered as a tote – longer handles would take care of the need for the shoulder strap to bend and the body of the bag to sag. I like the shape of the bag as it is, but the combination of the shape and the material seem to be a bad idea. Buy through Nordstrom for $1295.