In response to some tough economic circumstances, Henri Bendel’s parent-company CEO Leslie Wexner has opted to eschew the luxury apparel market in favor of focusing their stores only on accessories, beauty products, and gifts. Bendel’s is one of the first major luxury retailers to make such a drastic move to improve their business models in the country’s current economic climate, and one has to wonder – will the risk pay off?

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Ok folks, it is Friday. And over at Bag that Style we do the best we can to identify as many bags as humanly possible. But sometimes we just don’t know what the heck a celeb is carrying. Perhaps the angle is bad or there isn’t enough of the bag visible to actually identify it. Other times, I’ll be honest, we just don’t know! So if you are anything like me, you are watching that clock tick and you are waiting for the weekend to start. Whether you have big time plans or you are simply ready to veg out, I have a way to help pass the time!

Head over to Bag that Style and check out some awesome celeb images. There are so many fun pics to check out and even if you can’t identify any of the bags, pass some time looking at celebs you love (or perhaps hate)!

Click here to get your daily celeb/handbag combo fix!!!

I’ve had mostly positive things to say about Dolce & Gabanna bags lately, but I just can’t get behind the Dolce & Gabanna Miss Dalia Hobo. My problems with it are similar to those of a bag of which we’ve spoken recently – the Jimmy Choo Metallic Hobo.

They obviously look nothing alike, but I can’t help but feel that this bag might be an afterthought as well. At they very least, it’s perilously under-designed and without much personality. There’s a bit of animal print, a bit of exotic leather, a bunch of suede…so how, exactly, did the folks at Dolce manage to make that boring? And not just boring, but also, possibly, a bit 90s. Particularly for it’s hefty price tag (almost two grand – egad!), this bag just isn’t cutting it. It’s too simple and lacks creativity. Next. Buy through Saks for $1995.

Fusing the organic with the fabulous, designer and former model Tina Maristela-Ocampo developed the brand, Celestina. A gorgeous collection inspired by the natural beauty, the Celestina collection is comprised of materials found in Maristela-Ocampo’s native home in the Philippines.

Using native materials including abalone shell and shagreen (stingray) Celestina’s designs are created by local artisans. Celestina’s collection of jewelry and clutches take on a dramatic architectural feel softened by natural materials. We are especially drawn to the mother-of-pearl wooden “Pina” oakwood clutch and tagnipis stud embellished Ebony “Macassar” clutch shown here.

via The Find

This right here, folks, is why they hate us. And when I say “they,” I’m not talking about terrorists. I’m talking about everyone. Because there are few things more imminently hateable than a $450 beach towel. The Louis Vuitton Ipanema Beach Towel, to be specific.

And I totally get that’s it’s all in good fun and totally hilarious and kitschy, but seriously, a beach towel? Something made specifically for putting on the ground and messing up with Corona, sunscreen, and sand? At this point, all it elicited from me was a serious eye-roll. I know that people with money to spend will spend it as they please, as well they should, but I think we may be beginning to stretch the bounds of reasonableness. Maybe I just feel like that because of the price, however – if this was $150, I probably just would have chuckled and moved on, and wouldn’t even be writing about it right now. But it’s not, it’s three times that, and that’s not a typo. It’s also something that I can simply not abide. Buy via Vuitton.com for $450.

Just when we all thought that Marc Jacobs couldn’t possibly find something new to do with the Stam, we all get proven wrong. Let’s look back for a moment: we’ve seen Stams in python, jersey, patent, Swarovski crystals, leather both flat and quilted, and ostrich. We’ve seen both gold 80s chains and demure silver box chains. Baby Stams, big Stams, hobo Stams and east/west Stams. Crap, at this point, there might as well be green eggs and Stams.

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Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Head over to Ideeli for a Prada giveaway that is going on today – for a limited time! We all have come to know and love Prada. And if you don’t have one of your own yet, winning one would be a great way to start your Prada collection. Don’t you think?

CLICK HERE to learn more about the giveaway and enter to win!!!

Shoes and handbags seem to go hand in hand. Just as this is the case, there is no way we can leave out other essential accessories, like jewelery! Whether you love rings, bracelets, necklaces, ear-rings, most girls can’t shy away from jewelery of some sort. So just as I love to check out Jimmy Choo handbags and shoes, I love that there is a designer out there who designs two of my favorite things – handbags and jewelery.

Read more about Darby Scott!

It’s really a shame that the one time Jimmy Choo makes a bag that doesn’t cost a bazillion dollars, it’s as bland and kinda cheap-looking. The Jimmy Choo Metallic Hobo has very little personality – one of its only points of visual interest is a simple exposed seam down the middle that holds together the two big pieces of leather. And it’s not even a contrast-stitched seam.

Perhaps its just the color, but does the leather look super thin and maybe a bit vinyl-like to anyone else? Maybe sorta like the PVC that they makes Target bags out of? Because that’s how it’s reading to me, and there is no situation in which that is a compliment to the bag. And if they’re going to have a bag this simple (read: boring) then they’ve really got to bring their A-game as far as leather goes, don’t you think? Gorgeous, thick, smooshy leather could have saved them and gotten a good review, particularly at this price point. But this bag looks entirely like an afterthought, and who wants to pay a grand for that? Buy through Saks for $1095.

I wrote about another Mulberry bag with this finish a few weeks ago, and I love it so much (and so did a lot of you guys, to my everlasting surprise) that I had to bring you guys the Mulberry Ava Chain Clutch when I saw it.

Because, I mean, look at it. It’s got all the great parts of the last bag, but this time in a cute, bite-sized portion. It’s like a fun-size candy bar, but the purse version. But it’s still got the amazing, dark silver, shiny, croc-stamped leather, and I think it might go with just about any cute dress that I’ve got in my closet. And, honestly, most of the not-cute dresses I have, too (because, fess up, we all have them). And because of the finish and the color, I doubt it would show wear very quickly, making it a perfect going-out bag for a night of clubbing or barhopping. And really, I just want something-anything-made out of this material. Buy through Mulberry for $495.