Hobos

At first glance, I was on board with the Mulberry Creased Patent Mitzy Hobo. I like big leather hobos, and I like Mulberry, so I didn’t give the whole thing much of a second thought. But upon further consideration…I can’t get behind this. Patent leather hobos are extremely hard to structure correctly – it’s a shape that is supposed to slouch, by definition, and patent is a material that is much more conducive to creating structure than slouch. So, strike one. Because of the apparent lack of slouch, the handle isn’t long enough. I don’t think it would be comfortable to carry on my shoulder – I’m not a fan of having leather poke me in the arm pit. Strike Two. Then, the color. Oh, the color. Mulberry calls it “Lipstick,” but I certainly don’t have any lipstick in this shade, and I don’t think I would want a bag this color, either. it’s kind of salmon-y and a little too pastel for my taste, which is the same problem I had with the last Mulberry bag I reviewed. Pastels are hard to pull off and tend to make people look either washed-out or sallow, and I think this particular color might have both effects on my skin. So, strike three, it’s out. Buy through Shop Bop for $695.

The new must-have handbag floating around the DvF offices is the metallic Diane von Furstenberg Stephanie Bag. This bag is a favorite among the DvF staff (wonder if Whitney and Olivia are vying for it!). Celebs already carrying the bag include Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, and Jessica Biel. Because I am thoroughly obsessed with The Hills and now The City, I can image this bag being the handbag of choice on Whitney and her bff Erin. The DvF Stephanie Bag is a slouchy hobo which stands out with its knitted metallic leather, either gold or magenta, and an adjustable leather strap. The shape of the bag will slouch beautifully next to your body, give you both hands, and lend that boho chic vibe. I can see why this is the new beloved DvF bag and it is totally my style. I would opt for the gold. Buy through DvF for $875.

UPDATE: ShopBop currently has the DvF Stephanie in stock: $995 via ShopBop.

In commenting on one of my previous posts over on the Forum, our lovely member gacats mentioned a piece of classic style advice that I think many people (designers and fashionistas included) have totally forgotten lately: when dressing, always remove one accessory before leaving the house. It may sound a bit conservative to some folks, but it’s a great way to ensure that you don’t look like a fashion victim or someone wearing a costume. Now, if only certain bag designers would take that advice. Consider the Thomas Wylde Colossus Scorpion Bag, for instance. There are things about this bag that I love – the leather looks so soft that I have the strange urge to rub it on my face, the bike-chain handle is a cool, industrial touch, as are the spikes at the handle attachment, and the overall effect is full of edgy-but-fashionable personality that could really do wonders for the average outfit. And then…there are the scorpions emblazoned on the front in silver studs. I know that’s sort of Thomas Wylde’s thing, with the random stuff depicted in studs, but I wish his look would evolve a bit and maybe become a little more subtle. This bag would still have attitude to spare without the bugs on it, and with them, it seems just a wee bit silly. Part of me also thinks it looks a lot less luxurious than it could – the scorpions break up all that delicious, wonderful, touchable leather. So, Thomas Wylde, please consider heeding some sage advice – next time you get the urge to put bugs on a purse, let it pass. Buy through eLuxury for $2500.

I don’t even really know how to begin. I am bringing you a Christian Louboutin handbag that isn’t a clutch? I think this is a first. While there are times I write about handbags for no reason other than shock or surprise; this time, being surprised is a good thing. I am so pleased with the Christian Louboutin Piercing Softy Hobo I almost don’t know where to start. The soft “makeup” colored leather is a shade that can go with so many outfits during so many different seasons. The way the leather is gathered as well as the pleating and vertical welts draw the eye to the detailing that went into designing and crafting the bag. And of course, as you might be able to tell, this is a bag that would be perfect to use during the day. Yet at the same time, I could see myself carrying this during the evening as well. If you aren’t a fan of the color, fear not, the handbag comes in black as well. If you ever doubted that this was truly a Louboutin handbag, open it up and you will find the signature bright silk satin lining. Gorgeous. And since you are pretty much sure to drop a pretty penny or two on a Louboutin, maybe a larger bag like this one can be more justifiable than one of the clutches. Buy through Saks for $1895.

Yes, I’ve said it before, I love celebrity gossip. It really is a guilty pleasure of mine. I don’t know why, but as soon as I open a celeb infused magazine or type in a celeb heavy site, I am fixated. It’s not that I am trying to emulate one celebrity or another, but I love to see where they go, what they wear and who they are hanging out with. I can’t help it. And to be honest, I know many of you sitting there reading this feel the same way. Whether you openly admit it or feel some sort of shame admitting it, so many of us love celeb gossip! Today I came across some very interesting images of Sienna Miller. Many view her as a fashion icon or at least someone who keeps up, if not sets, trends. She could be in rainy London, sunny LA, or fast-paced NYC and she is always photographed and her clothes almost always commented on. Today is nothing different. A red cape? Really, Sienna? I realize she is in London, and it is probably frigid, but the Little-Red-Riding-Hood-look makes me go “hmmmm”. I can’t decide if it is fashionable or a fashion faux-pas.

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For me, the name of this purse totally describes its appeal – the Marni Slouchy Leather Bag is soft, smooshy, and leather-ific. We don’t often cover Marni bags on the blog, and their line is small compared to some of the powerhouse brands like Gucci or Louis Vuitton, but seeing a piece like this only makes me think that I should find someplace to take a look at the rest of what they offer. What they’ve done with this bag is honestly kind of cool – they’ve found a way to take a bag we’ve all seen before (a slouchy, soft hobo) and make it visually interesting in its construction. Marni didn’t take the cheaters way out on this one, which would have been adding ridiculous amounts of hardware or pockets or buckles to make it different. Instead, they made something that looked innovative while still being familiar and functional. It may be my favorite bag of the new season thus far. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1780.

Sometimes I don’t really want to carry an identifiable handbag. Not only have obviously-logo’d bags become a bit outre in some circles, but sometimes it’s just hard to play keep-up, don’t you think? The problem is that once you get used to carrying designer bags, you can’t really go back – you’re used to the great leather (oh, the smell of wonderful leather!), the beautiful linings, the attention to detail. The stench of PVC and cheap nylon linings just don’t do it for you. So when you want to fly under the radar but still carry something fabulous, what do you do? You carry something like the Givenchy Sacca Chain Handle Bag. It’s from a smaller but still storied line whose logo isn’t immediately obvious to the average person, but you know that Givenchy wouldn’t make a bag that was anything short of fabulous. The chain handles give a small touch of bling, but the real attraction I’m feeling here is the totally touchable off-white leather that makes up most of the bag. Don’t you just want to feel it? Everyone else will, too – but they won’t know why. Buy through Barneys for $1495.

When I first laid eyes upon the Salvatore Ferragamo Alce Calfskin Hobo, all I could think was, “My God, that is lovely.” And the more I think about it, lovely is really the only way to describe it. Flowers are lovely, sundresses can be lovely, and so can soft, pretty makeup. But not everything has the potential to be lovely, and rarely do I see a handbag that could be accurately described as such. The leather looks smooth and soft but still structured enough to hold a shape. The lines are smooth but not hard. She color is slightly pink, but creamy enough to maybe not be pink (Saks refers to it as ‘almond’). The hardware is almost imperceptible, save for the small, partly-covered Ferragamo symbol and the only outer adornment is the seaming in the leather. This normally wouldn’t be my style, but I can’t help thinking that they hit it out of the park. Buy through Saks for $1290.

If you are one of our avid readers, you know by now that I have quite a little crush on Christian Louboutin clutches. It’s simple, I’ve always felt like the clutches might seem simple, but the amount of elegance put into each is more than breathtaking. Today, I came across the Christian Louboutin Sylvia Drapey Hobo and I have to say, I don’t think I am a huge fan. The soft calf leather in a slouchy circular design might have worked a lot better with a different handle. To me, it looks like there is too much material which has been misplaced. The color is nice, but not enough to make me think twice. Of course, the signature satin lining can be found in not just his clutches but also other handbags like this one. Yet, I don’t there is anything about this handbag worth saving up for. I’m going to keep saving for one of his amazing clutches. If you disagree, buy through Saks for $1795.

I’ll go ahead and say it – I’m highly disappointed by the Anya Hindmarch Cooper Mirror Bottom Bag. Mostly that’s my own fault, though. When I went to its Saks.com page, I thought it said COPPER Mirror Bottom Bag, and I had high hopes that the bottom piece of the bag was going to actually be made out of a piece of metal, and that would have been awesome. I had no idea that I had any desire for a bag made partly out of sheet metal until I realized that I had never seen one before, and then Anya Hindmarch seemed like a genius.

Until I realized that the bottom of the bag was just made out of metallic patent leather, and the word in the title was COOPER not COPPER. And then I was tremendously disappointed. I actually frowned at the bag, and then I said to myself “Self, I’m not going to write about this bag, it tricked me.”

But then I looked again and realized that, hey, it’s kind of a cool bag anyway. They shape is perfect – structured enough to have really clean lines, but still with enough slouch to have the appeal of a hobo. The leather appears to be really thick, the patent on the bottom is probably shiny enough to be used as a mirror, and the interior is lined in delicious cream suede. So many designers cut corners these days, and it looks like Ms. Hindmarch is still make beautiful, discrete, high-quality bags out of obviously fine materials. As such, she deserves our heartfelt appreciation, even if the bag is not actually part metal. Buy through Saks for $1,195.