The first time that I scrolled past the Prada Tessuto & Ricamo Tote, I was entirely sure that it was Valentino. Partly that’s because of the difficulty of photographing the details of a bag like this, but partly (or maybe mostly), it’s because it really LOOKS like some of the Valentino bags we’ve seen recently. Incredibly intricate, shiny, flower-themed…that’s kind of their thing. And it’s really not Prada’s thing – their aesthetic is much more streamlined and modern, particularly in the bag department.

And the more I look at it, the clearer it becomes that Miuccia should have left this to her Italian compatriots. The sequins-and-nylon setup they’ve got going on here just isn’t working, not even a little. Valentino does a great job with this gimmick because there is order in the bags’ chaos; the Prada version just looks like someone dumped a bag of black sequins on it. Considering the price tag, I’d look elsewhere if you’re interested in a similar style. Buy through Saks for $3695.

Yves Saint Laurent has perfected the art of suede printing bags. The duffel shape is a bit hit for fall and the simple shape of the Yves Saint Laurent Easy Suede Bag looks amazing with rich, lizard-print suede. The burgundy is a stunner and the mustard truly doesn’t look bad on the website, though I wonder what it looks like in person. If you have not felt a YSL sueded bag in person, you must! I assure you it is divine. Dimensions are 16¾”W X 12½”H X 6½”D.

Buy through Saks for $995.

I love tiny, sophisticated bags that make a statement. Kind of like Alice Cullen, who is petite and graceful but packs a mean punch (that’s for you, fellow Twilight fans). That is why I was so excited when I saw the Alexander McQueen Clover Medium Satchel. Key word: medium, but my eyes glossed over that and I only saw the stock photograph, imagining how gorgeous the little bag must look in person. Then I clicked on over to the main page and I realized that this is actually quite a large bag. Oh, looks can be so deceiving. Though my hopes for the tiny, tiny bag were dashed, I came around and rather like this bag despite its size.

I like the brazenness of the patent leather combined with the simple clover design, and I’m a big fan of the huge golden plate in the center. Some may think it obnoxious, but I think it makes the bag a little more alluring, mostly because your eye is just drawn to that bright spot. This McQueen works that plate much better than the Alexander McQueen Clover Hobo that we reviewed in May. Finally, I can’t resist a bag with feet, even if that bag is almost as big as I am. Buy through Zappos for $1,899.

I’m on the fence in the battle between gold and silver hardware on black bags. On the one hand, I really like industrial-inspired style (as I’ve said about 6,904 times in the past month) and silver hardware (and lots of it) is basically the only way to go to achieve that look. Also, I only wear silver jewelry. On the other hand, gold hardware gives a bag a glam sensibility and a bit of a retro edge that is perfect for some looks. Either way, sometimes something as simple as hardware color is enough to make or break a look.

Particularly in a bag with as much hardware as the Miu Miu Black Lambskin Tote. I love the style of it all – the laced-together eyelets remind me of corsetry, and that seems like such a cool reference to make since both corsets and bags use some of the same parts to do their jobs. The rivets and straps are big enough to not get lost in the bag’s details, but something is slightly off for me. I really, really want this bag to have silver hardware. Somehow, it just seems more appropriate for both the reference and for this season’s trends. Other than that, it’s basically perfect. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1350.

I suck terribly at following through with my duties, one of which was to pick and announce the winner of the mini contest I ran early May. The task was to find a new name for our Bag Art category, in which we are posting our very own efforts to visualize beautiful bags.

The 5 finalists are:

Captured Couture – NYC Sara
Bagography – morgan
Shutter Bags – Ces-A
Purse-ecution – Jo-Jo
Bagstract – Erin

And the winner is...

I am going to go ahead and speak for the entire Purse Blog team when I say, this is a great Tuesday. I’ve said it before, but collaborations are the best! And today, I get to share with you yet another amazing, I mean, super amazing collaboration we’ve started. This time, we are working with the oh so posh and glamorous Beverly Hills Lifestyle Magazine!

I was beyond thrilled to hear about the opportunity to partner with this fashion forward magazine. Anything and everything related to fashion can be found in this magazine. You don’t have to be a resident of the Beverly Hills area to appreciate the magazine. In fact, this is the kind of magazine that will set trends, set the tone and show you everything you need to know about fashion. As you can imagine, we are in love! Head over to Beverly Hills Magazine to check out not only what they have to offer but also how we are involved (pay attention to pages 12, 58-59). We hope you enjoy this partnership as much as you do!

Lady Gaga is not only heating up the music scene but is infiltrating the fashion world as well. You can bet that anytime you see Lady Gaga her ensemble will be entirely unique and outlandish. We already spotted Gaga with a Dolce and Gabbana bag and now we have spotted Gaga with a bag I am obsessing over.

Image and info after the jump...

Some bags don’t translate well in photos. Sometimes it’s because of the flash, sometimes it’s because of the finish of the leather, and in the case of the Gucci Icon Bit Tote, it appears that both of those elements are culprits.

Of course, it’s difficult to photograph any kind of patent leather (or any other shiny material, for that matter), but it seems that the oddly liquid-like multicolor pattern (can you call it a pattern?) that is going on here makes it even more difficult. Normally I’m a lover of loud bags and odd colors, but this one has me confounded and makes me think that I’d have to see it in person to really get any sort of idea about it. And even then, if the picture looks anything like the bag actually does, I don’t think I’d like it. Patent, when combined with metallics and iridescence in this way, tend to show every finger print or oil of any kind. For something that is so often touched, that’s simply not a good look. The shape is functional and simple, which is nice, but this bag has too many other odd things working against it. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $1190.

Ok, I know you have probably become accustom to reading recaps about the train wreck that is the Real Housewives of New Jersey. Amanda has done an amazing job of recapping the season and all of its highs and lows. Although I watched the show religiously, I would look forward to Amanda’s posts just the same.

Putting the drama aside for a minute, there is another word that comes to mind when I think of the Real Housewives … FASHION! No matter what any of us think of the show, we cannot deny the fabulous apparel and accessories these women wear. Gorgeous clothing, shoes, accessories and handbags can be spotted in every single episode. This season, some of the lovely ladies have been spotted carrying the following handbags:

So, which housewife carried which bag? Head over to Luxaholics to see if your guesses are right!