Gucci Python Stirrup Top Handle, $4700 via Saks. Gucci 1973 Python Small Top Handle, $2400 via Saks.

With so many choices in life, it’s somewhat amazing that we don’t all become hermits in the throws of deep existential crises. Skim or 2%? Decaf or regular? Heels or flats? To UGG or not to UGG? Even thinking about it makes me a bit dizzy. And if you’re a fan of python and Gucci python in particular, you’ve got another choice to make for fall – big or small?

The Gucci Python Stirrup Top Handle and Gucci 1973 Python Small Top Handle may be made out of the same yellow-green dyed python, but they sit at opposite ends of the size spectrum. One is a bag big enough for your everyday life, the other is so petite that I’d only advise that you use it for a night out. Which way would you go?

When was the last time you looked at a Marc Jacobs bag and thought, “Whoa, that’s a great bag?” Sometime around the entré of the Stam, right? Well that’s exactly what I said, out loud, by myself, to my computer in sudden fit of excitement when I saw the colorblocked satchel at top left from Marc Jacobs Resort 2012. I mean, that’s a good bag, right? My level of enthusiasm for that design has left me confused and excited.

I mean, let’s be real here; most handbag addicts can spot a Marc Jacobs bag from a mile away, and whether or not that’s a good thing depends on how much you like the designs that Jacobs puts out every year. They often don’t vary much from what we’ve seen before except for a runway bag or two, and there are certainly some repeats in this group, but the new stuff looks fresher and more exciting than it has in more than a few seasons. Let’s hope that this is but a small preview of the accessories to come in the brand’s Spring 2012 presentation. More photos after the jump.

Balenciaga City Bags, $1445 and $1795 via Barneys

The fashion industry has been talking about brights for the better part of the past year, but when I think of bright bags, I only think of one brand: Balenciaga. The French house has been cranking out vividly hued motorcycle bags for far longer than such a thing has been widely mimicked in fashion, and it will surely continue doing so long after the trend-following horde is on to the next thing. Fads shift, Balenciaga brights are forever. I should know; I’ve been enjoying my purple Balenciaga Day Bag since 2007, which might as well be forever in fashion years.

So if you’re looking for a bag that will make you look like a veteran of the brights bandwagon and won’t look dated once the trend is over, you’d be hard-pressed to make a better choice than a Balenciaga City Bag. And naturally, all of Balenciaga’s bags are just about as lightweight as any you’ll find on the market and very easy to carry. But you guys already know that I’m an inveterate Balenciaga fangirl.

We all know Alexander Wang as The Boy King of Downtown Cool, which means that his clothes and accessories are often black, grey and sullen. And while some of us (read: me) like that look, it doesn’t really fit in with the idea of a resort collection or what most people want to wear when weather first starts to turn warm. And apparently Wang has figured that out, because Alexander Wang Resort 2012 has a lot more color to it than we’ve come to expect from the young designer.

Bright blue is the star of the show here, accented by sharp silver hardware that Wang’s fans will remember from his previous two collections. There are one or two new shapes in this series of bags, but there are also some fun takes on old favorites like a pale yellow Diego Bucket Bag and Wang’s new small leather goods in a variety of colors and textures. And yes, there’s some black and grey. Of course there is. More photos after the jump.

Shop Rebecca Minkoff via RM.com

As the Rebecca Minkoff brand continues to expand, the offerings continue to appeal to a larger crowd. The design aesthetic that I continually find myself drawn to is precisely what Rebecca Minkoff Resort 2012 offered; beautiful prints, flowing clothing, and colors that are both subtle and alluring.

The collection was inspired by the 1970′s in St. Tropez, France. The idea behind the prints was to invoke the look sunlight gives as it shines through broken pieces of glass, which results in an array of beautiful, muted hues. Dominant colors of the Resort 2012 collection include azure, sunset, persimmon, and turquoise.

Diane von Furstenberg Elaine Shoulder Bag, $650 via Net-a-Porter.

When we talk about bags around here, we usually show one shot: The exterior. That’s what attracts almost everyone to a bag in the first place, not to mention that most retailers aren’t as thorough as our beloved Net-a-Porter when it comes to photographing a bag’s ever facet. But in the case of the Diane von Furstenberg Elaine Shoulder Bag, we just couldn’t restrain ourselves from giving you both shots. After all, when you’re going to be carrying a bag for your daily activities, the structure matters a great deal. And in this particular case, the bag’s interior setup is just as good as its exterior aesthetics.

I’ve spent a lot of time and energy in this space complaining about how designers keep trying to make fur bags happen, and usually during those rants I also wonder about why more companies aren’t using faux fur for their ill-advised fuzzy bags. Few designers hesitate to use stamped croc or python, so why not a little fake mink or chinchilla? The primary argument that I see people making for real fur in outerwear is the warmth that it provides, and my phone and keys certainly don’t require my handbag to maintain any particular temperature.

It looks as though Prada has answered my prayers, as it so often does. The brand has debuted a line of faux fur bags for Fall 2011, and not only are the prices half that of most real fur bags, but no cute little critters had to give up their coats to make these designs happen. That’s right, I still don’t really love these bags, but I dislike them less than if they were real fur and twice the price. If that makes the sense.