Hobo Bags (Page 11)

At this point, Jimmy Choo has made so many of these belt-top bags that I’m starting to get really confused. This one is called the Jimmy Choo Riley Hobo. Whatever it’s name, I’m sure to get it mixed up with all of their other belted options. Do I think that’s a bad thing? Not necessarily; it would be if this was their only line, but they’ve got a few other looks going on simultaneously. I’m ok with it, I think it’s a good look, and I wouldn’t mind owning one. They’re professional without being boring to look at, and that’s pretty rare. I’d take it in a color besides boring beige, though, but that’s easy to fix.

I like that this one can be more easily shoulder-carried than a lot of their tote options (I never, ever buy totes – they fall off my shoulder), but I would have preferred it with one strap. What’s up with companies lately adding an extra strap to their hobos? It’s so not necessary, and one strap on any two-strap bag is constantly fall off for me. Can we not all agree that hobos, at the very least, should be free of unnecessary extra straps? Buy through Saks for $1995.

I find myself sitting on the fence over the Marc Jacobs Quilted Multi-Buckle Hobo. I sorta like it – we haven’t seen this kind of buckling mixed with the signature MJ quilting before, and it’s kind of an interesting addition.

If you zoom in, though, the way that the buckles are attached is kind of awkward. Having 3 separate buckled straps would probably have looked better instead of the oddly notched setup that they went with, but perhaps I’m nitpicking. Also, the shape of the bag’s body is good, but does the handle look a bit like a tacked-on afterthought to anyone else? It looks like they couldn’t decide if the bag should be a tote or a hobo, so they made the body in a shape that could be turned in to either, and decide it would be a hobo at the last minute. Normally, I like the handle structure of a hobo to flow a bit better with the shape of a bag, but I guess we can’t always get what we want. Buy through eLuxury for $1195.

Let’s face it, folks: leather is sometimes a complete pain in the rear to work with. Because it is, you know, skin, it’s a lot easier to get a muted color effect out of it than a vibrant one. You know, pores and all that. Which is why I think that what they’ve done with the Dolce & Gabbana Miss Night and Day Metallic Hobo is so cool. The bag is made entirely of super soft leather, but it’s treated in such a way that it almost looks like satin from a distance.

It’s got a subtle glimmer to it that tones down the flashiness just enough, and the color strikes a neutral note somewhere between beige and gold. It’s one of my favorite metallic shades and effects that I’ve ever seen, and the designers did a great job coaxing the look out of a material that can be more than a little fussy when it comes to showing color like this. On top of that, the leather is draped beautifully (another thing that can be difficult) and the shape looks comfortable and wearable. Bravo, Dolce! Buy through eLuxury for $1850.

The slouchy hobo is a refreshing contrast to the structured handbags from winter. It’s time to celebrate sunny days ahead. From the ultra luxe Jimmy Choo “Saba” hobo to the Xhilaration version from Target there is a slouchy hobo for all budgets. So come on, let your hair down, toss on a loose and flowy maxi dress and don’t forget the mani-pedi. To complete your look a pair of flip-flops and ’80s inspired shades are in order.

Slouchy hobos for all budgets (from top left clockwise):

* Go for the Luxe – Jimmy Choo Medium Saba studded hobo in red at Saks $1,850.
* Some Room to Splurge – Donald J Pliner Slouchy Hobo in yellow at Victoria’s Secret, $465.
* On a Budget – “Sew Smart” Slouchy Hobo at Baghaus $45.
* Looking for a Bargain! – Xhilaration Oversized Slouchy Hobo in gray at Target, $22.99.

Via The Find

I’ll admit it, someone got me on April Fool’s Day. It was my good friend since preschool, Dania. She posted a facebook status saying that she was engaged, and since she moved away last year I knew she had started dating someone seriously, so I totally bought it. It’s hard to get me, and she totally had me fooled – I even sent my mom a text message to let her know, since I’ve known this girl since I could barely go to the bathroom on my own.

And I thought someone else had gotten me too – more specifically, I was sure that the price tag of the Alexander McQueen Leather Woven Wishbone Shopper had to be some sort of ridiculous joke. Because it’s a pretty cool-looking bag, and I had initially wanted to write that I liked the hardware and the woven-ness mixed with the non-woven-ness, and that I wasn’t sure about the fringe, but I was willing to give it a shot since it all looked sort of edgy and cool mixed together. That’s what I was GOING to write. Before I saw the price. Because for the $6,380 that McQueen wants for this bag, I could buy 4 or 5 other really cool bags, so nevermind. For that, I can basically buy a Birkin. At least a basic one. This bag may be cool, but it’s not six-and-a-half-grand cool. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $6380.

How does Hilary Duff continue to pay for all the amazing bags that we see her carrying? When was the last time she worked? Am I just too old for her to be on my entertainment radar, outside of the handbag realm? I mean, I’m not that old, am I? I’m only 23, I can’t be that old. Well, anyway, she does have some cool handbags that she likes to tote around with her, and since the paparazzi still follow, we still get to see them. One of my favorites is the Ted Rossi Python Hobo Bag.

It’s not really a hobo, though, since it has two straps – it’s a “tobo.” Tote, hobo, get it? Ok. Well I really like it, particularly in this natural python pattern. When you’ve got a skin, particularly an exotic, that’s nice enough, you really don’t need a bunch of pockets or ruching or seaming, you just need a clean, simple design to show off the natural attributes of the skin, and that’s what we’ve got here. The snake is the star of this bag, and we can just all hope to bask in its beautiful, exotic glow. At 21″ wide, I wonder how many snakes we’re talking about here. Buy through Singer22 for $2495.

Ostrich is a material that we don’t tend to talk about all that often. Of late, it’s been overshadowed by other exotics like python, and it’s not as common that you see it. Some brands still do an exceptional job with it, though – Hermes and Mulberry come to mind. Another brand that’s know for it is Nuti, who are lesser known but have so far done a great job when it comes to their specialty material.

A couple of weeks ago, I got the chance to see the Nuti New Yorker Ostrich Hobo in person in Atlanta, and I was absolutely blown away. The version that I saw was a deep, rich purple similar to Balenciaga‘s Fall 2007 Violet, and the leather was amazing. I sometimes shy away from ostrich because of its resemblance to the skin of an enormous chicken, but this bag is truly gorgeous. The variations of the leather are all the visual interest it needs, and the handle is artfully constructed and unique, compared to the afterthought leather straps we normally see. In my mind, they’ve got a big, big winner here. Buy through Saks for $3400.