Simply put, I love this clutch. Marni has a way of bringing together clean lines with contrasting colors and just making it work. Everything about the Marni Geometric Leather Clutch works for me. From the white calf-leather with contrast black piping, to the slightly ruched body, to the simplicity of the gold-tone hardware with twist lock closure, all aspects of this clutch combine to get the job done. It feels entirely clean. Looking at this clutch reminds me of walking into a completely white walls and floor modern space, which is accented perfectly and everything is in place. Simple and hassle-free. Looking at this clutch nearly gives me a clear mind. And that is a feat in and of itself. Absolutely love it. No other way to put it. Buy through Net A Porter for $865.

Let’s not get it twisted: everybody hates Kim.

Does she deserve it? Well, we’ll explore that in a second. What I’ll say now is that I’m almost kind of proud that the most ridiculous Housewives of the entire franchise are from my hometown, although I probably shouldn’t be. But really, if you can’t enjoy some wig-wearing, trash-talking, gold-digging, house-foreclosing, completely delusional fun, then what exactly are you getting out of life? And why are you reading this recap?

I think that, in the span of two episodes, The Real Housewives of Atlanta have already topped their New Jersey counterparts. Tables have yet to be flipped, but they’ve already created two public disturbances by having screaming matches in otherwise-tranquil places like offices and restaurants. It looks like next week takes it out onto the streets of Atlanta, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves; what happened last night?

Click here to keep reading...

Red is infused into bold accessories for fall 2009. The vibrant combination of red with black creates a mood inspired by pop art graphics and the season’s bold contrast of brights on black. We are drawn to the red and black color combo to pair with all black outfits and in particular this fall’s all black uniform of skinny denim leggings (a.k.a. “jeggings”) paired with black platform ankle booties like these Christian Louboutin Miss 120 platform ankle boots. And of course a requisite black leather or faux fur vest.

The red accents we’ve spotted (and covet!) include oversized ’70s inspired shades from Linda Farrow Luxe which are accented with an exotic lizard trim. Add some instant color and good fashion karma with a Day Birger et Mikkelsen Beaded tassel necklace, it’ll make a pretty accent on an over sized black layered tee.Judith Leiber’s heart ‘n soul clutch will make a sparkly and whimsical addition to any black or grey ensemble. Lastly the bold graphics of Markus Lupfer’s Laughing Lips merino sweater is just too cute to resist, perfect for your black and red color story this fall.

via The Find

Oh, I just love this color of silver. Dark enough to not look cheap and to go with basically everything you own, no matter what. Seriously – try and think of a color that this wouldn’t go with. I defy you! Another thing that I love about the Jimmy Choo Chandra Metallic Clutch is that the leather still looks obviously soft, and so many metallic bags screw that up entirely. In an effort to make things shiny, they make them stiff, and suddenly the bag doesn’t look expensive anymore. This bag still looks pliable and luxurious while having a great gleam to its finish, and that’s a tone that so many designers try to strike and fail miserably.

The main event on this clutch is obviously the banded metal closure, though, and I absolutely love it. The off-center placement is perfect, as is the decision to use two different colors of silver in order to set it apart from the finish of the clutch. In fact, I love it so much that I kind of wish I could slide it off and use it as a bracelet…or that it could be bought separately as a bracelet…are the Choo people listening? Have they considered a jewelry line? Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1495.

Now this is a surprise. A fall bag utterly devoid of studs? But it’s true. The only hint of rocker on this Marc Jacobs Iggy Shoulder Bag is the fairly sedate chain-link strap. But that’s not the reason I was attracted to this bag, which, I admit, is an all-or-nothing bag, a love-it or hate-it bag.

No, I like it for the unique purple and teal color, which is heightened by the quilted python design. I mostly like the purple color because I am a massive fan of purple handbags. I also really like when I see brightly-colored bags, because so often bags are in darker colors- brights simply draw your eye to the bag. Plus, isn’t that tiny lock on the front just adorable?

The only complaint I have (about the bag, not the lock) is the length of the chain strap. It’s so short that it seems out of proportion considering the size of the bag. If only it had a little more length, then one would be able to sling it comfortably over the shoulder. It seems to me that it’s a little to short of a strap to do that… unless if the bag slouches sufficiently. One can hope! Buy through Saks for $1,295.

I am trying to be as open minded as possible but truly having a hard time. I came across this video and had to share with you all as I saw it being a very interesting blog debate. Pet groomer, Danelle German, found many of her clients bringing in their Persian cats and asking for their hair to be shaved off. Danelle German thought it was a waste to let the Persian hair go into the garbage can, so she decided to turn the cat hair into a handbag. After borrowing a spinning wheel from a friend, she began spinning the hair into yarn and then knitted the cat hair yarn into a handbag.

Read more about pet hair handbags...

We hope you all enjoyed our exclusive Bottega Veneta day on Tuesday! It was the first exclusive day at Purse Blog and we were so thrilled to have collaborated closely with Bottega Veneta. My reviews of the bags were not altered just because we had the chance to review them, I truly loved every bag. There is an appreciation factor that goes along with Bottega Veneta. The craftsmanship and natural beauty is completely alluring.

One of my favorite bags from the Fall/Winter 2009 line that we did not have in person to review is the Bottega Veneta San Marco Bag. Net A Porter has it in taupe right now though it is also available in Lilac. This bag consists of individual strips of leather which are bonded to Karung (snake) and twisted to create the desired effect. It takes 30 meters of these bonded strips to create each bag. All the edges and seams are hidden so that the bottom of the bag looks as beautiful as the top. The San Marco bag takes ample time to create as the process of twisting the strips needs to be done very carefully to achieve the exact desired position. While the price is high, it is indeed worth every penny. Buy the bag through Net A Porter for $3600.

More on the jewelery...

Is the Jimmy Choo Diego Straw Tote new, as it’s “pre-order” status on Saks.com would seemingly indicate? I’ve certainly yet to encounter it, and I check online retailers for new bags every day. And if it is brand new, then why is it just showing up now? August, really? People are surely still taking vacations to the beach now, but hasn’t the time for buying straw bags sort of passed?

Particularly for buying a straw bag that will cost, after tax, over $1000. That seems like a beginning-of-the-summer purchase, if you’re inclined to spend so much money on a straw bag at all, and most people contemplating big bag purchases seem to be looking forward to the next season and thinking about black leather, studs, and industrial details, not cutesy straw. The timing of this bag seems incredibly ill-advised, and since the design isn’t particularly strong, I’d bet that it’s destined for a long life on the sale rack. Buy through Saks for $975.

Fab Sugar attended Oscar de la Renta’s annual fashion show in Lake Tahoe [via Fab Sugar]

Ashley Olsen’s got her eye on a Crocodile Birkin [via My Fashion Life]

Summer Fedoras: Love ‘Em? [via Luxaholics]

Marc by Marc Jacobs + Don’t Miss The Marc Back To School Picks [via nitro:licious]

Ashley Olsen Talks Fashion: “Either You Care or You Don’t” [via Off the Rack]

Fran Drescher Gets Organic with New Skincare Brand [via Budget Fashionista]

We are loving the Diane von Furstenberg Belle Clutch with Studs [via Purse Blog Savvy]

Every brand uses exotics in a different way. Nancy Gonzalez crocodile looks different than Balenciaga crocodile. Chloe python looks different than Carlos Falchi python. And Gucci python is my favorite of all. Somehow, they manage to find skins that look somehow fuller and more touchable than some of their peers, and it’s always clear that their bags did indeed come from a living reptile. And I feel like it’s at least a bit more respectful to the animal to make a bag that really highlights the natural beauty of the skins that are used.

And Gucci has maintained their history of beautiful python bags with the Gucci Galazy Python Hobo. Sometimes natural patterns can be hidden when they’re done in black, but the finish here has a bit of a shine to it, so it reflects enough light that the scale differentiation is easy to see. Some brands treat their bags in such a way that the python scales lay perfectly flat, which has clearly not been done here. I’m sure that that sort of treatment makes bags for durable, but it also makes it feel less luxurious to me, so I’d rather that part was left out, even if it means the bag won’t last quite as long. I’d rather have it be as beautiful as possible for as long as that look will hold up. Buy through Saks for $3500.