There’s nothing that spices up a normal, boring evening bag quite like a little bit of fun and games with texture. And sometimes, when you’ve seen as many handbags over the years as the average purse enthusiast, unexpected textural touches are the last frontier of interesting things that can be done to a bag. Let’s face it – we’ve seen most of the other bag gimmicks already.

Which is why I sorta like the Jimmy Choo Cara Suede Evening Bag. Suede is usually a bit too casual for an evening out, but the varied print that Choo uses to embellish this bag makes it glam enough to go with a modern Little Black Dress. The colors also work well together – the shimmery silver combined with the matte black gives the bag a bit of a glam rock edge. The chain strap is fully detachable, which allows the bag to be used on the shoulder or as an oversized clutch, and who doesn’t love a little bit of versatility. What I want to know is if the bag feels embossed in person – it looks like it might be, but the bag’s description doesn’t give us any information on that. Buy through Saks for $895.

I have always had an affinity for Judith Leiber pieces. While her box clutches are stunning, it is always the animals and other objects that catches my undivided attention. To be honest, I have no event in the near future to wear one of these clutches too. But I so badly want to find a reason to splurge on a Leiber piece. I still love the cupcake, which was featured on SATC movie with Charlotte’s little girl Lily, and there are so many animals that they do magnificently.

Care to flash your eye for style? The Judith Leiber Owl Crystal Embellished Clutch is a wise piece. I look at Leiber pieces as art pieces, true collector items that can be put on display. The Owl is totally cute, hand-crafted with multicolored Swarovski crystals. There is a chain shoulder strap and an inside mirror. I would be a bit worried about this clutch banging anything, for fear of losing a crystal or two. But this is a conversation piece, that would look nothing but amazing with a little black dress for a night on the town or at a swanky event. Buy through Net A Porter for $4050.

I said not too long ago that I was experiencing some ennui in regards to the Marc Jacobs Stam, but as it turns out, I was wrong. That’s right, I’m a big, fat liar. Because I’m in love with the Stam again, and this time it’s because of the Marc Jacobs Stardust Stam. If this is an It-Bag gone wrong, then I don’t want to be right.

Not only do I love the name (it reminds me of Las Vegas, a city which I am newly obsessed with thanks to The Hangover), but the updates are subtle enough to retain the charm of the original Stam while still being interesting enough to catch the eye of any handbag fan that’s familiar with the line. Studs are a somewhat trendy bag accent, but the ones here are small enough to not overpower an already iconic design. Plus, there’s the color – a beautiful, bright teal that will add a pop of color to any drab winter outfit. I’m usually not much for gold hardware, but I still think that it’s the only way to go with the Stam, and the combination here is beautiful. Buy through Nordstrom for $1450.

Saks has a section on their site that tells you the best sellers in handbags and shoes for the previous week. They do this for most of their categories. Almost always the Tory Burch Reva Ballet flats are on the list along with a slew of handbags that are typically predictable and many times a bit boring. But today I saw a new bag on the best sellers last week list and rather than being bored by it I actually really am not fond of it.

Typically I praise Tods bags for their simplicity and elegance, but sometimes they miss it. And with the Tods G-Bag Bauletto Piccolo Satchel I just can’t find myself liking it. I will first say that I am not always fond of patent/coated leather. I prefer smooshy leather to patent/coated, as patent leather many times feels rubbery and looks too glossy. There are some designers who perfect patent leather on a handbag, but I much prefer it on a shoe. So back to this bag. The color is dramatic, sure, but I am picky about red handbags. In fact, I don’t own a red handbag. I own off-shoots of red, cranberry and wine shades, but not red. And having red patent is that much more in your face. The contrast leather trim sets this bag off more for me. It contrasts too much, looks harsh and over-the-top. The shape of the bag is cute enough, much like a bowler but it has adjustable double handles. There is an optional adjustable shoulder strap. I know many people could pull this off, but I simply am not under the guise that I am one of them. I just figured it out, this bag reminds me of a candied apple. What do you think about this Tods bag: A hit or a miss? Buy through Saks for $850.

Yesterday temperatures reached a balmy 100 degrees here with humidity that made stepping outside feel like stepping into a sauna. Then from the wee hours of the morning until a few hours ago I was reminded that Hurricane season has begun as the storm that hit knocked out power for hours and took down internet. Nevertheless we are back up!

I was having a Déjà vu this morning when I popped onto Net A Porter. There sat a cute oversized clutch, which showed a bit of gathering in an otherwise simple yet likable design. And then it occurred to me that while this clutch said it was made by Miu Miu I have seen a nearly identical design from Prada. It should be no major surprise, as Miu Miu and Prada are sister brands. But why pay a bit more for Prada when you can have Miu Miu? I suppose it all comes down to the name.
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What are we buying when we buy a luxury good? Are we buying a brand name, a well-made product, or an item to ensure that others think a certain way about us when they see it? For most high-end consumers, it’s probably some combination of those options.

Many customers would claim that they buy only for the quality that these products provide, but the reaction of some customers to the recent announcement of Jimmy Choo’s collaboration with H&M seems to run contrary to those claims. Some people were excited to see what the partnership would create, but many Choo loyalists voiced the opinion that the brand was losing something by creating a temporary line for a low-end retailer.

Choo’s fans aren’t the first to scowl at the idea of their favorite label creating an inexpensive product line, and they’ll be far from the last. What seems to be unique about this occasion, though, is that Jimmy Choo is the most broadly known brand yet to dabble in mass-market, low-price retail. So far, many small or independent designers have used the tactic as a way to broaden their name recognition and, potentially, their customer base. Choo, though, is a brand with a pretty clear image in the minds of most women with any sort of fashion consciousness or desire for expensive shoes.

So what happens when a brand with a large following and a seemingly healthy business decides that they want to dabble in the desires of Middle America? Well, according to Robin Givhan of the Washington Post, it means that luxury as we know it is dead.

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Last week we brought you the information that Hermes would have its own farm to breed crocodiles in Australia. PETA did not like that and neither did many of you. It only seems fitting that today we feature a socially responsible vegan line.

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In all honesty, the Chloe Paddington is probably why I’m here today. It was the first designer handbag to totally capture my attention when I started to become interested in bags circa 2005, and although I never had the funds to buy one back then, I searched eBay daily, hoping for a good deal on my elusive cream-colored Paddy. And I wasn’t the only one that caught the Paddington fever – fashion magazines dubbed it the fastest-selling bag in history and our Purse Forum, then in its infancy, talked non-stop of ways to acquire one.

And now, approximately four years later, I saw a Paddington on Nordstrom’s website today and it got me thinking – how does the purse world feel about this historic handbag a few years down the road from its peak popularity?

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It is a small world. I have been in all ends of the world and run into people that somehow know someone I know. It happened again recently and tied one of my best friend’s family friend’s daughter to an internship with a handbag designer in New York. That was a long line of knowing, but it is closer than it seems. So thank you Kathleen for the introduction to Danielle Nicole Handbags!

Danielle Nicole DiFerdinando’s passion for fashion started young, like many of us. She went to the Fashion Institute of Technology and later studied in Europe, where her love for the design and manufacturing that goes into major design houses begun. Since then Danielle Nicole launched her handbag line which are composed of luscious Italian lamb leather, crushed patent leather, and French embroidery fabric.

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What a blast from the past. I haven’t seen anyone carrying a Pucci bag in forever! But this Emilio Pucci Satin Evening Mindanao Print Bag will certainly remind you that yes, Pucci is still here, and still making bags (among other things) that are cute and functional. Who would ever think that an evening bag could be functional? I mean, evening bags are practically made to only carry lip gloss, a credit card, and if you’re lucky, a tiny cell phone.

Clearly, this bag is still pretty small, but what makes it functional is the built-in mirror that has its own tiny compartment at the base of the bag. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen something like this, especially in an evening bag, and I consider it pretty innovative. The sepearate compartment also gives the bag an interesting shape, as if it’s one of those beach sacks, but much smaller and much fancier. And of course, the bag is in the traditional Pucci print; it’s pretty cool to know that the pattern on your bag is one that has been around for centuries. Buy through Saks for $1,495.