Which is not necessarily a bad thing, since the Bolide is an elegant bag choice in its own right. But like all things Hermes, the Bolide can be prohibitively expensive for a lot of people, and having a slightly less expensive but still well-made option in a similar shape is not necessarily a bad thing.

Not that Hermes officially has some sort of monopoly on making bags that are this shape, but the resemblance to their products is a lot closer than it is to, say, the Louis Vuitton Alma. Particularly when you add in the clochette and the horizontal exterior pocket, which mirrors the external seaming on the Bolide.

Normally I’m not a fan of bags that remind me so precisely of other bags, but I think I may actually like this version more than the original, the more that I look at it. The choice of the smooth, slouchy leather is spot-on for creating a bag with the everyday sort of elegance for which the Bolide strives, and turning the external seam into a pocket is totally functional. Plus it’s lined in leopard-print, and that’s the kind of secret kick of attitude that I like. Buy through Saks for $1595.

But I kind of love her for dressing like this, truth be told. This is how every girl that ever bought a Joy Division album desperately wanted to dress in high school (including yours truly…), and almost none of us ever got the opportunity. I didn’t because I was on debate team and bleach-blond extensions and a whole pencil worth of eyeliner probably would have made me look unprofessional at tournaments. That, and I don’t think my mom would have bought me leather short shorts. But a girl can dream, I suppose.

But obviously, we’re here to talk about Taylor’s bag, the Versace Metal Frame Satchel. We’ve spoken about this bag before, but it’s hard to get a sense of something when you can’t see it carried. Two things struck me this bag after I saw the pictures – it’s a lot smaller than I expected it to be (it’s not nearly the size of a Stam, to which I originally compared the structure) and I like it just as much as I did previously.

It’s legitimately a nice-looking bag, which is not always Versace’s strong suit, and for that I’m excited. The price, however, is still thoroughly unexciting. Buy through Nordstrom for $3995.

Despite my recent love affair with all things Yves Saint Laurent, this bag is coming off as quite clunky to me, and I think that the blame lies with the fuzzy material.

The bag itself is a charmingly simple 50s throwback, so I have little to complain about in that regard. Its lines could be a little sharper, but I’m pretty sure that that’s not what’s to blame for the effect that the calf hair is creating.

Because the real problem is that when I look at this bag, I get the distinct visual of crushed velvet. The combination of slick black and the fur simply does not create a high-end look, and the added embossed texture probably doesn’t help either. In the past, when I’ve seen calf hair, it’s often been used in conjunction with multicolored animal print, and the combination of textures usually conspires to mask some of the odd velveteen shine that we see here. On the whole, I think it’s better of on those kinds of bags. Buy through BlueFly for $1836.

There is something so simple yet so amazing about the Salvatore Ferragamo Leather Satchel. The beige leather looks to be a creamy color of beige, which looks crisp and clean on the fine pebbled leather. The iconic silvertone hardware will alert you to the fact that this is a Ferragamo bag at the front and sides.

The satchel has a top handle with a 5″ drop, which surely would not fit over my arm comfortable if at all. But there is a shoulder strap. This purse is very reminiscent of the Ferragamo bag Jennifer Aniston was seen wearing on the set of of her latest movie. Once you see the bag on Jennifer, you realize how simple yet beautiful Ferragamo bags are. There is a lock closure and inside zipper with two open pockets. Dimensions are 13″W X 8½”H X 6″D.

Also, you all may remember the shot Vlad took of me holding the white Salvatore Ferragamo Convertible Satchel, which you all also loved. For me, this style from Ferragamo is a home run. Buy through Saks for $1650.

Yet, as I was standing in the various lines at various airports, I couldn’t help but realize that I wish I was carrying a slightly bigger and more durable bag. You know the type I am talking about – sturdy yet fashionable. Tylie Malibu has several options that would fit this need.

As I was perusing the Tylie Malibu site, I came across one bag in particular that I think would be perfect, the Runaway West Suede Moss. The olive green color is rich and now adding the fact that the bag is made out of suede makes me extremely happy. Suede is the kind of material that would be able to withstand the hustle and bustle of any crowded airport with ease. Of course, you wouldn’t find me setting it on a wet bathroom sink, but c’mon, that’s common sense. The double black leather handles again look functional without seeming too boring or masculine. That fashionable aspect that I yearn for with all of my bags can be seen by so many facets of the bag including the slight studding. Buy through Tylie Malibu for $460.

I’ve been critical of Karan’s bags in the past – many of them seem to be overpriced and under designed. This one seems to have both a reasonable design standpoint and price, but I’m still unconvinced – even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

The asymmetrical placement of the pockets and zippers reminds me in no small amount of the Alexander McQueen Faithful Tote that we took note of back in July. The concept seems to be almost exactly the same in the two bags – a tough, black leather tote made out of a seemingly-random-but-not mishmash of hardware and pockets. So when two bags have such similar goals, I guess the only thing left to do is decide which one is more successful.

I appreciate that Karan used matte instead of glossy leather on this bag. It goes with the industrial/biker feel much better than the glossy alternative, and just tends to look softer and richer in general. So, plus one for her. I don’t like how the handles are set, though, and that may be the chief thing that’s holding me back from really embracing this bag. They seem too wide and thick for their height, and they ruin the proportion of the bag. If it hadn’t been for them, Karan might have finally shown signs of getting the gist of this whole handbag thing. Buy through Saks for $1295.

Objectively, the Versace Socialite Satchel is not a terrible Bag. It’s perfectly fine. But it is completely tone deaf when compared to what else is going on in fashion right now. And, as always, the price is astronomical.

But first, does anyone else feel like Versace might be reaching a little bit when they name the bag the “Socialite Satchel.” Sort of like the fashion industry version of “If we build it, they will come?” It’s been ages since I saw a celebrity or socialite wearing one of their bags, if ever, and the name seems more hopeful than realistic.

But if they want to make an It-Bag, they’re going to have to try harder. The color of this bag is nice, as are the bold hardware details at the handle attachments, but I’m just not loving anything else. I want slouch and style, not insane rigidity and over-designed pockets. If they could take some of the elements here and work them into something that feels more relevant to current styles, they may have a huge winner. As it is, I’m unmoved, and certainly unimpressed with the price. Buy through Nordstrom for $3600.

And even for a trend that I love so much, it’s important to have something different around to provide a juxtaposition in style and color. And to that end, we have the D&G Multicolor Lily Top Handle.

In another season, with different trends, I probably wouldn’t even like this bag. As it is, I’m not sure I do now. It’s got a 70s, retro, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat vibe to it that’s both silly and kind of attractive, although I suspect that may be my hangover talking.

But they kept the color combination season-appropriate, and the use of suede, metallic leather, and regular leathers feels less contrived than it often does in similar bags. I probably wouldn’t buy it myself since it’s very much not my style, but I can appreciate the restrained hand that it took to make a bag that uses so many colors and textures and not make it into something that’s obviously a novelty bag. Because above all, this looks wearable, which may be its greatest achievement. Buy through Luisa Via Roma for $1731.

The Yves Saint Laurent Studded Satchel is a trendy bag with a decidedly refined touch.

The base of the bag is one that we’re all very familiar with – YSL has done a million and one things with it over the past few seasons and has produced more iterations than I’ve been able to keep track of (the stamped sequin version has been my favorite until now). It follows logically that if they were going to chase a trend, they’d do it with this bag as the root of the design, since it’s the shape that they use as a canvas most often. Instead of spreading the studs throughout the bag, they’re all concentrated on the stitched Y-shape in the middle of the bag, and they’re not the studs that we’ve been seeing from other designers for fall. Instead of grungy looking and industrial, they’re smooth, flat, shiny silver circles that fit easily into the minimalist bags that we’ve seen from them lately.

They’ve taken the trend and made it their own, and I’d love to have this bag in my closet.

Buy through Saks for $1895.

And I mean that in the nicest way possible – I love this bag so much that I could just drool all over it. The name of the last Stam I reviewed reminded me of Sin City, and now this; does anyone else think that maybe Marc should consider doing a glizty, glamorous Las Vegas-inspired collection? Sequins would be the perfect place to start, and I love the ones on this bag because they’re not as expected as sequin-covered bags usually are. They’re small enough that at a distance, they blend together to form a shimmery, shiny whole instead of a bag covered in sewn-on crap, and the silver, off-center, abstract pattern at the bottom gives the bag a modern edge that helps it avoid the grandma-bag pitfall of multitudinous sequins. Viva Las Vegas! Er, uh, New York! Buy through Saks for $1995.

Anyway! So we’re talking about the Chloe Marlow Top Handle, right? Right. And it’s great, I love it. The grey leather looks so supple that I want to reach through the computer, yank it out, and rub it against my face. But that’s not even my favorite part. What makes the whole thing is the unexpected brown belt that circles the top, giving the bag a vintage, New England sort of look. It looks like the bag that your college TA would carry, if your college TA was the most fashionable person in the history of grad students. Buy through Luisa Via Roma for $1558.

Which is exactly what the Dolce & Gabanna Miss Sicily Convertible Bag is. The structure of the bag combined with the bright color reads a bit, uh, mature to me, but it’s hard to hate on a bag that’s so relentlessly cheerful in the face of trends that are so strongly the opposite. I don’t love it and probably wouldn’t buy it or wear it, but I can appreciate it for what it is and what it’s trying to do. Buy through Saks for $1695.

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.

What I want to talk about it the clasp (is it a clasp? Actually I don’t think it is) on the front. It’s a crystal-encrusted Valentino logo, and the part of me that has somewhat questionable (ok, tacky) taste absolutely loves it. And then I wonder – why don’t more designers do hardware like this? It gives the front of the bag a shimmer that normal, shiny silver hardware could never replicate, and it’s delightfully whimsical and silly-feeling (and I mean silly in a good way, I assure you). So maybe they should try again with the bag, and leave the super sparkly stuff on the front like it is. Even if it’s questionably tasteful. Buy through Nordstrom for $1895.

But the proportion is the problem. Instinctively, you know it when you look at the bag, because your brain is programmed to pick up on it. It takes a second longer to consciously realize when you’re being apprehensive, but the size and shape of this bag in relation to the size and shape of its handle is just…off. The handle is too narrowly set and would be better if it was a bit longer and attached a bit further toward the edges of the bag (and it also looks like intestines, but that’s a different issue entirely). Or, alternately, if the handle was as it is now and the bag wasn’t quite so wide in relation to its height. I’d opt to change the handle, though, since I don’t like its wrinkly, shrinky-dink current incarnation. Then this bag would be fairly awesome. Buy through Nordstrom for $2150.

It’s here, it’s here, IT’S HERE!!!! The Alexander Wang Coco Duffel has decided to finally, FINALLY grace us with its presence in online stores after months of rabid anticipation from handbag enthusiasts. The bag first came to our attention months and months ago when one of its first iterations was worn repeatedly by Mary-Kate Olsen, who had obviously been gifted with a very, very early version of the bag by the designer.

And it was a brilliant move on Alexander Wang’s part – I can’t remember another bag that’s been so desperately hunted since the It-Bag heyday of Fall 2005. It disappears online virtually as soon as it’s posted, so the ShopBop link I’m about to give you may not work when you click on it. If you want the bag, though, bookmark it – that’s where you’ll be able to find it when the store restocks, as they have several times in the past day or two.

As far as the bag’s design goes, I adore it – the leather is plush and soft-looking with a ton of texture and the multitudes of gold studs that cover the bottom are both hilariously irreverent and really cool-looking. It’s not for everyone, by any stretch of the imagination, but bags with a lot of style and personality never are. Plus, for an It-Bag, the price is really reasonable; he could be charging twice as much and a lot of people would still be clamoring for it. Buy through ShopBop for $850.

And maybe, just maybe, someone at Versace has been paying attention, because the Versace Croc Embossed Satchel is decidedly unoffensive. It’s not the best bag I’ve ever seen, but it has a structure that subscribes subtly to the recent origami bag trend without being unnecessarily complicated. The structure is classic Versace, but it lacks the obvious, gaudy branding and enormous, shiny gold hardware that have characterized so many of the brand’s less-successful bag ideas. The color is gorgeous, as is the variation of the croc-stamped leather, and it all comes together in a reasonable, tasteful way. The best part, though, is the price. It’s still too high, but compared to some of the brand’s recent price points, it’s fairly unoffensive. Buy through Nordstrom for $1770.

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.

And some may disagree, but I think the Yves Saint Lauren Animal Print Muse II is done absolutely right. In order to temper a strong statement like leopard, it’s important to keep a bag’s other lines and features sleek and clean, which is exactly what the folks at Yves Saint Laurent did. The Muse II was a fabulous candidate for the animal print treatment because of both its inherent simplicity of design and also its status as a must-have It Bag. That way, if you don’t like the animal print, there are plenty of other versions available. And if you do, not only is it an It Bag, but it’s one that everyone who sees you will notice immediately. For better or for worse. But I think it’s for better. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $2295.

Having said all of that, I can’t decide for the life of me what I think about the Yves Saint Laurent Y-Bow Suefe Bowler. I’m in a Yves Saint Laurent mood lately, partly because I like the way that they unconventionally combine materials and textures in some of their recent bags. I like that they stamped suede to look like lizard skin here, it’s a technique that most designers wouldn’t use in this combination. I also think that I might like the little bow ends coming out of each side, but I’m not sure. It might not work, and I have no idea how to decide if it does or not. As with the texture, I like that it’s unexpected, but instead of doing something interesting with the bag’s form or structure, it’s just a stuck-on decoration to a basic satchel. But maybe I’m okay with that – I just can’t decide. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $1695.