Prada Handbags and Purses (Page 8)

I’m not a big makeup girl. If you open my bag you will find a tube of chapstick and lip gloss. That is why I do not need a large cosmetic case. And that is also why I adore the Prada Small Vela Cosmetic Case, it is cute and perfect for to throw into your handbag with your makeup essentials. The other major perk is that it is made with Prada nylon, which is easy to clean up any spills. The size, 6½”W X 3″H X 1½”D, is ideal if you want to take some makeup with your for everyday use without it weighing down your bag. I checked my local Prada boutique, Saks, and Neiman Marcus for pink nylon and none of them carried it. Buy through Saks for $150.

I’m kind of shocked, really – a Prada leather bag for less than a thousand dollars? At first I wondered if the price was correct, but it hasn’t changed in the couple of weeks that the bag has been on the Saks website, so it must be correct. I doubt this is the brand’s response to the recession – Prada doesn’t seem like the type of brand that intends to acknowledge it at all – but for whatever reason they chose to produce the reasonably priced Prada Vitello Shine Hobo, and I’m pretty pleased with it.

Odds are that the gorgeous purple color is making me more enthusiastic than I would be otherwise (it reminds me of my favorite Balenciaga color of all time, 2007 violet), but color is such an important part of a bag’s personality that I’m completely okay with that. Prada always uses excellent leathers and high-quality construction, so I don’t doubt that the bag will last for quite a long time indeed. The only thing left to consider is the structure: it’s boring, I’ll admit, but it’s also highly functional, and the beautiful shade of purple makes up for the simple shape. Considering the price of this bag relative to others in Miuccia’s arsenal, I’m pretty pleased. Buy through Saks for $995.

I have never been much of a fan of Prada. Not for any particular reason; they’re just not my thing, but I can understand why others are so passionate about them. The leather is usually supple and beautiful and I’ve heard wonderful things about their quality and construction. Nice leather, classic shapes, and durability – you can’t ask for a whole lot more than that, even if they don’t exactly tickle my fancy.

Which is why I can very much respect that a lot of people will love the Prada Cervo Shine Hobo, even though it’s not absolutely wowing me. It has a ton of factors working in its favor – buttery soft deerskin leather, accessible outside pockets, and a functional and wearable shape that would be great for work or play. I think what’s stopping me from being more enthusiastic is the color. I’m not much for tan, and if they gave me this in a grape-y purple or a slate grey, I’d probably be turning cartwheels right now. But for those of you out there that love tan, I may have found your new favorite everyday bag. Buy through Saks for $1650.

Prada bags have not made an appearance on Purse Blog in nearly two months. That means we are waiting on the new styles to show up online and there hasn’t been a great or awful Prada bag to cover. I found my way to the Prada Cervo Lux Print Bowler a couple months ago and found myself liking it. The bowler shape is not always my favorite as I prefer to be able to sling my bag over my shoulder and get on the go. But I could start to justify covering this bag since it is 50% off right now at Saks.

While it looks like python skin, this is actually python-printed deerskin which will not be as fragile as many python skins. The coloring of the bag is what I love most. From dark green to a lighter green, this bag has a great dimension to it. There is a goldtone logo in the center and double handle straps. Again, for a bag that was originally over $2k, the nylon lining is not as luxurious as I would want but will be easier to clean. I figured this bag was worth a mention, but it is not worthy of me remotely considering buying it. What about you? Buy through Saks for $1374.

One of my favorite things about BlueFly, as I may have mentioned before, is your ability to find things there that you may have missed in their original trip through Retail Land. So before any of you haters tell me “Ugh, this is such an old bag, why are you writing about this,” I’ll remind you that some folks may have missed it the first time. And the Prada Tweed Printed Medium Tote is worth taking a look at, even if that’s all you do.

First, it’s deerskin. Any deerskin that I’ve ever been in contact with has been not only super soft (on the level of lambskin), but also thick and durable-feeling, unlike lambskin. Second, I think the tweed print on the outside is cute and kind of irreverent. It wouldn’t match with everything, but I think it’s versatile in ways that belie it’s original appearance. Its simple structure puts the pattern on display, and the shade of green used would match with most solid-colored outfits for spring. My favorite part, though, is the lining. It seems like few brands still use leather to line their bags, but Prada has come through for us with a beautiful green leather throughout the interior. This isn’t my favorite bag I’ve ever seen, but it certainly isn’t bad. Buy through Bluefly for $1364.

It’s wartime in Europe again. Well, sort of. Let me explain. It’s wartime in Milan, and on Miuccia Prada‘s runway in particular. Forget the 80s-inspired neon club excess that we saw on New York’s runways – Prada isn’t going clubbing anytime soon. The shapes and materials alike in Prada Fall/Winter 2009 reminded me of World War II movies as soon as I laid eyes upon them, and the reference is as overt as the 80s redux shown by Marc Jacobs. There are rich tweeds in neutral grey and brown, cinched at the waist with thin brown belts. The shoulders and fall of the skirts are strongly 1940s reminiscent, and even the beaded pieces have an austerity that reminds one of a world torn apart by war in Western Europe.

Oh, thank you God, finally. My handbags prayers have been answered. Because Prada has made some questionable handbags lately, and for a designer so known for their bags, it was getting kind of discouraged. The Prada St. Pitone Tote is not my favorite bag that I’ve ever seen, but it’s a strong improvement over the randomly bedazzled bags we’ve seen from the brand lately. The tote takes a cue from their diffusion Miu Miu line’s very successful Bow Satchel with its side adornment, although this tote’s finishing is a little looser and softer. Combine that with a beautiful, large-scale python skin and and some cute top handles, and Prada’s got a great satchel on their hands that will likely sell very well for them. Now if only they’d get away from that habit of sticking random stuff to their bags that has grown so tiresome. Buy through Saks for $995.