Hobo Bags (Page 8)

I’ve mentioned this phenomenon both here and on PurseBlog Savvy, and I’m surprised that I haven’t seen it written about on many other fashion websites, but the Fall handbag collections are making it obvious: black is back. Big black bags (BBBs), small black bags, any kind of black bags – they’re everywhere and in a variety of looks. Industrial details seem to be the prevailing trend among them, though, and all I can say to that is HALLELUJAH. Black bags with industrial hardware and finishing are among my favorite looks of all time, and there have been so many to choose from in the past week or so that I almost don’t know what to write about next.

But what I’m writing about now is the Ted Rossi Screw Hobo. It’s a clean, simple design, as most of Rossi’s are, but the small details and exceptional materials make it special without need for extra complication. The bag is made entirely of super-soft, matte black lambskin, which means it’s probably the most wonderful and supple thing upon which you or I have ever put our hands. Soft black leather is all it takes to convince me, but they gave us the extra bonus of modern, dark silver oversized screw heads at the base of each handle, which gives the bag an industrial edge without being overpowering or too costume-y. You could wear it to a Nine Inch Nails concert or to the mall with your girlfriends, and a bag that can fit in at two such divergent events is one that I absolutely need in my closet. Plus, for all that lambskin, the price isn’t bad at all. Buy through Singer22 for $948.

Few people love a slouchy bag more than me. In my own handbag collection, I mostly eschew structure in favor of soft, slouchy, slightly bohemian shoulder bags and oversized clutches. I worship soft, wearable leather.

Which makes the Costume National Ruched Hobo all the more disappointing to me – this is a bag I could have easily loved if the design had been decent at all. But it’s not – instead, it’s just really awkward. Although it’s a hobo, the body of the bag protrudes unreasonably far up past where the handles are attached, creating a weird pooch of material above where you would expect the bag to stop. It breaks up what could have been a clean but slouchy line and makes the bag look a little home-sewn, to borrow a phrase from Project Runway. The black iteration of this bag is somewhat less expensive (probably because black is a color notorious for being flaw-friendly), but the dark brown does nothing but highlight the considerable number of design issues we have here. I’m all for avant garde, but this is just ill-conceived. Buy through Saks for $1125.

As we wait for Fall 2009 bag collection to slowly (really slowly) hit stores, some collections are bound to come out earlier than others. In the past few days, a number of new Burberry bags have been popping up around the Internet, so if you see a lot of them in the near future, that’s why.

One of my favorites of the new crop is the Burberry Metallic Leather Hobo. It’s well-documented that dark silver or pewter is my favorite of all the metallics and probably my favorite neutral, and this is a great example. It has a great shimmer without being too shiny and over-the-top like lighter silvers can tend to be, and it would work well in any kind of weather. Also, I’m usually very anti-logo, but I think the way that Burberry subtly embossed their signature plaid into the soft leather is really creative – it gives the bag a bit of branding and visual interest all wrapped in one. If you’re looking for a slightly glam neutral for fall, I’d go ahead and pick this one up. Buy through Nordstrom for $1795.

Chloe always sticks out in my mind as a brand that takes a hit handbag and makes as many variations to cash in as humanly possible. Not that I blame them – if you’ve created something good, you have every right to reap the benefits of that. Let the haters hate – It Bags don’t design themselves, after all.

Another reason that I sometimes like when Chloe does this is that occasionally I like the derivative bags better than I like the original. I think that’s the case with the Chloe Heloise Hobo. I wasn’t a huge fan of the original Heloise satchel, but this? This I kinda like. I’m partial to hobos in the first place, the the knotted strap and pieced body give it just enough visual interest to not be boring, and it seems more functional in this configuration than as a satchel. I’m a little meh on the color, but we all know how I feel about neutrals. This is a fairly interesting shade for a beige, though – it’s a little grey, a little cream, it’s kinda nice. Look at me, liking neutrals. I guess there’s a first time for everything. Buy through Saks for $1595.

I really wish that I liked Christian Louboutin bags. I really WANT to like them. I like the brand’s shoes quite a bit, probably more so than any other well-known brand. But more often than not, whenever I see one of their bags, my gut reaction is decidedly “meh.” And that’s exactly what I think about the Christian Louboutin Marianna Hobo.

The bag isn’t BAD, per se, unless you count blandness among the cardinal design sins. It’s just boring, and I’d almost rather see an ugly bag with a lot of personality than a middling bag with very little. This bag does have one positive design aspect, however – the handle. Instead of being a single chain that must support the weight of an entire shoulder bag, Louboutin attached multiple chains side-by-side to retain the industrial look without making the bag painful to carry. It’s a great solution to the irritation of a single chain strap digging into your shoulder under the weight of a full bag, but it doesn’t sacrifice fashion in order to gain function. Now if only I could say such nice things about the rest of the purse. Buy through Saks for $1595.

I’m in a big Yves Saint Laurent mood lately, and I’m not sure why. Normally, I like things that are a bit weirder, a bit flashier, or just a bit more unexpected. Which is not to say that YSL is boring, but their aesthetic is normally just a bit more tailored and simple than my own.

I keep finding YSL bags that I really like in the past couple of weeks, however, and the Yves Saint Laurent Deerskin Hobo is the most recent. I even like the shade of almost-chocolate brown that they used, which is exceptionally odd for me, and possibly means that I need to lay down for a moment. But it seems like it would be usable in most people’s wardrobes (if not my own, which is exceptionally heavy in black) for a variety of occasions and for most of the year. The seaming at the ends gives the bag a slightly more interesting shape than your average small hobo and the small chain elements to the handle add a bit of visual interest as well. All in all, another solid effort from YSL. Buy through Bluefly for $895.99.

Botkier bags have been a longtime favorite of the Purse Blog team. There is a category for them on Purse Blog savvy which they so deserve but I still want to talk about them on Purse Blog sometimes as well. Amanda already covered the Botkier Venice Hobo on PB Savvy and now I am here on Purse Blog to share my love of this bag with you as well.

Let the lusting begin. The Botkier Venice Hobo is designed with smooth supple leather. The leather from Botkier is amazing, this I can attest to. Ample front zippers and tassels add an extra dimension that looks super chic. The hobo will fit perfectly under your arm and not rub right under your arm with the 9″ drop. All sorts of pockets are on the inside for storage as well, a zip and three open pockets. And this hobo is extra roomy, dimensions are 16″W X 13″H X 2½”D. I love this bag. A yellow version for $595 at Nordstrom is available (they have a magnificent yellow hue) or opt for black or caramel (which is my pick) at Saks for $595.