Even for someone like me who loves all manner of embellishment when it comes to accessories, the endless parade of brights and neons and rhinestones and patterns and fur and feathers and god knows what else can get a little…tiring. It’s like I have fancy fatigue. Amid the cacophonous roar of Spring 2012′s many trends, it’s nice to occasionally get a little bit of a palate cleanser before heading back to maximalism. Today, that palate (palette?) cleanser comes courtesy of Rochas.

Rochas isn’t much of a player in the accessories market, but the French brand’s handbag profile is steadily rising with increased availability at stores like Neiman Marcus and Saks. For some reason, perhaps because spring’s rococo lushness is just now hitting stores, the Rochas Colorblock Leather Tote and Rochas Scalloped Leather Handbag are hitting me just the right way. It takes a certain amount of confidence to make a dove grey and ivory bag and call it “colorblocked” this season when that term usually refers to some combination of neon and cobalt.

But that’s exactly what these designs are – confident, restrained, endlessly elegant. They’re made for people who prefer to be a bit demure instead of all-out flashy. That may not usually be me, but in a season so endlessly filled with stuff, it’s nice to be reminded of the other side of the coin from time to time.

Rochas Scalloped Leather Handbag, $1585 via Neiman Marcus

Rochas Colorblock Leather Tote, $1465 via Neiman Marcus

It always takes me a moment to warm up to a new combatant in the It Bag Wars. Nina Ricci is an extremely well-established fashion house, but its never been known for its handbags, and any brand charging well into the four figures out of the gate deserves a close inspection. Luckily, bags like the Nina Ricci Liane Satchel pass with flying colors.

I’ve included two Lianes that feature lush texture by way of python or pleating, but the plain leather versions of this bag are equally beautiful. Ricci is the perfect choice for a woman who wants to wear something obviously luxurious but not obviously branded. Even bags that feature no outward branding, like Balenciaga motorcycle bags or Gucci Jackie hobos, are still widely recognizable to even casual fashion followers. If you’d like to fly even further under the radar but still carry something gorgeous that keeps people guessing, this is a bag that you should be looking into.

Nina Ricci Python Liane Satchel, $3750 via Neiman Marcus

Nina Ricci Liane Pleated Satchel, $1950

Ambition is a laudable characteristic in American culture, but when it crosses over into hubris, people’s reactions start to change from positive to negative. Although the buying public might approve of a young designer trying new things that necessitate a somewhat steep price tag, the attitude changes when the young designers in question are filthy rich former child stars and the prices are reminiscent of Hermes and other venerable, historical houses that have earned their reputations and price tags over the span of generations.

That, of course, is the story behind bags like The Row Leather and Suede Doctor Bag. With a price tag of nearly five grand and no exotic leather in sight, the line has generated as much negative chatter as positive among handbag lovers. When you put the price out of your mind, though, this bag is actually a downright lovely accessory.

The word I have from those who are familiar with the Olsen Twins’ operation at The Row is that the brand honestly does put a great deal of effort into using the finest materials and manufacturing processes, which is more than I can say for some of the mass-produced stuff on which plenty of us routinely spend thousands of dollars. On top of that, of all celebrities with clothing lines, the Olsens have definitely shown more fashion credibility and historical knowledge with Th Row than anyone else.

And they (or more accurately, their immensely skilled staff) are doing good work. I can think of plenty of established brands whose current accessories team would never attempt to pull off anything this chic or well-edited. The problem, of course, is that you can’t divorce a handbag from its price, and even for a bag I like as much as this one, I’m not sure I can abide the price tag that The Row has bestowed upon it. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $4750.

We all know that this time of the summer is basically nonexistent in the fashion world. Megs and Vladi are on vacation, emails slow down to a trickle, it’s impossible to get ahold in anyone who works in an office after noon on Fridays. And here I am, plugging away, trying to conjure a blog out of thin air. But sometimes, the absolute stillness of the industry allows you to notice some things you might otherwise brush off.

Today, that means I noticed both the Dolce & Gabbana Miss Romantique Dome Satchel and Dolce & Gabbana Miss Sicily Tiger Sequins Satchel are, well, both made my Dolce & Gabbana. In the same season. Most brands certainly have a range of bags that goes from safe to flamboyant in order to satisfy a range of customers and purposes (some bags need to do the heavy lifting at retail, some need to garner editorial attention from magazines, still others need to get noticed by blogs like this one), but these two designs constitute about as wide of a range as I’ve ever seen from a single collection.

Usually, when you look at an extreme runway bag next to one from the same designer’s regular line, there’s at least some sort of aesthetic continuity between the two ideas. But here…I’ve got nothing. And although I like both of the bags in their own way, I can’t help but wonder if this is part of what keeps Dolce from making a much bigger impact in the handbag market. The brand’s bags are always fun, but I have a hard time figuring out exactly what woman D&G is trying to dress when it comes to accessories in particular. (I think we’ve all met the Dolce ready-to-wear ideal.) I feel like I know all about the Prada girl, the Proenza girl, the Louis Vuitton girl – but when it comes to bags, who’s the Dolce girl? Truly, I’d like to know.

Dolce & Gabbana Miss Romantique Domed Satchel, $1775 via Nordstrom

Dolce & Gabbana Miss Sicily Tiger Sequins Satchel $1125 via Nordstrom

It’s been a hard day of economic realities and art criticism around here, so why not ease into the afternoon with something obviously beautiful like the VBH Brera Croc Quilted Handbag? You know you want to.

VBH require a viewing in person if possible, because they’re gorgeous in a way similar to that of Hermes bags – it’s hard to capture it accurately in a stock photo. Because I’m close to the flagship Barneys in New York, I’ve gotten a chance to play with a few of the brand’s limited edition crocodile Brera bags, including a sublime ivory version, but this is the one that I’m digging the most right now; the fact that it doesn’t approach real croc’s five-figure price tag is just a bonus.

I much prefer quilted faux croc to the stamped or embossed alternative for a few reasons. First and foremost, it doesn’t look exactly like the real thing, but instead it stands out as an interesting artistic approximation. Faux exotics will always fail at being a perfect copy of regular exotics, so choosing an attractive method that doesn’t aim for exact visual replication is a smart move. This quilting shows how much precise work goes into this kind of bag and it adds a ton of texture, but it doesn’t make the design any less neutral or significantly more expensive than plain black leather. To me, that sounds like victory all around. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $3650.

Mulberry Oversized Alexa, $1240 via Matches.

Those of you who know me know that I love a bright bag. My current rotation is red, purple and yellow with nary a neutral option in sight, but the more I think about that list, the more it seems like it’s missing something. Something green. Something that’s pictured at the top of this post. This particularly verdant shade has the right amount of blue to make it a perfect accompaniment with other blue-undertoned colors, which tend to be the shades that I add to my wardrobe. And with any luck, I’ll be adding this bag in the near future. Or any bag in this color, really – I saw a few worthy green candidates during my weekend jaunt to the boutique. Buy through Matches for $1240.

When you spend eight hours per day looking at handbags, there are certain price points that you get used to seeing ($595, $895, $1195, $1595 and so on) and it’s usually not hard to guess a price once you’ve seen a bag and know who designed it. I’m usually pretty accurate, and if I’m off, it’s never by much. Until I saw the Oryany Misia Large Flap Satchel, that is.

A large bag with this much detail almost always retails for at least $595, even from a smaller contemporary label. In fact, $595 seems to be the price point of choice for almost every contemporary brand that I can think of, with $395 reserved for small crossbodies or larger clutches. It’s hard to find a big (or even medium-sized) bag at any high-end retailer for $400 full price, but that’s exactly what this is.

And although I haven’t seen this bag in person, I have seen other Oryany bags and I’m willing to bet that this satchel does indeed give you a lot for your money. Slick beige patent or matte black leather provide the backdrop for lots of industrial hardware details in a modern combination of gold and silver, and although this design undoubtedly owes a debt to the Proenza Schouler PS1, the two bags are different enough (and this design is inexpensive enough) to easily gain my seal of approval. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $398.

The metal bars at the top of the tote remind me a lot of a Tod’s bag from Fall 2010, but that bag wasn’t a huge enough hit for me to automatically assume that it was the inspiration for that touch or for this bag to seem unoriginal. Plus, it’s not like that Tod’s tote was the first bag in the history of accessories to feature such a detail – I’m willing to let it slide. Maybe. Well, more accurately, I’m willing to convince myself that it doesn’t bother me because I like this bag (and its price point) quite a bit.

Ok, so the design looks kind of a lot like that Tod’s bag. But obvious inspiration isn’t necessarily a bad thing, right? RIGHT? Particularly when the company who is inspired actually makes well-made bags out of nice materials? If the similarities don’t bother you, this tote, particularly in blush, would make a lovely springtime carryall – the pastel color gives the bag a lightness that such a large piece wouldn’t have in a darker tone. If you’d like something even closer to the aforementioned Fall 2010 design, it also comes in black. Buy through Bloomingdale’s for $650.

VBH is a brand well known for restrained luxury, and every inch of this design typifies that look. The python looks lush and textured instead of the flat, glazed snakeskin that we saw frequently during the fall shows, and the neutral color allows the exotic beauty of the skin to take center stage instead of requiring it to compete with multiple colors and design ideas. But if you want a look this refined, you have to be willing to pay the price – literally.

This bag doesn’t cost as much as an Hermes Birkin, but it gets pretty close. Of course, that price would be for a regular leather bag and this one gives you gobs of gorgeous python, and VBH’s craftsmanship is some of the very best in the business. Is it as good as Hermes? That’s a comparison for someone with more money than me to decide; I’ll just say that this bag, particularly in this color, is a splendid alternative to a Birkin if you’re looking for something a little different and a little slouchier, but still manufactured under exacting quality standards. It also strikes me as unfortunate, if unavoidable, that bags in this price range are automatically compared to Hermes – this design is lovely in its own right. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $5250.

Even considering all that, I’m still totally smitten with the Chloe Madeline Runway Satchel. Graphic white and minimalism go together like peanut butter and jelly, although perhaps I shouldn’t use a food metaphor with such a pristine bag; I can almost see the grape Smuckers fingerprints now…

In fact, I can see fingerprints of all kinds. I seem to perpetually have some kind of mascara or eyeliner smudges on my fingers, if not a little leftover foundation from applying the morning’s makeup (Yes, I almost always wash my hands afterward. But the important word in that sentence is “almost!”), and any hint of either would stick out on this bag like a sore thumb. Or a sore thumbprint, as it were. (Not all the jokes are winners, people.)

With that in mind, I’m afraid that I’m destined to appreciate the stark, minimal charms of this bag from afar. If you’re the kind of person who always manages to get ever errent speck off of your hands after a meal or makeup application, then by all means, allow me to live vicariously through your clean hands. I’ll have to settle for the taupe version for my own enjoyment. Buy through Neiman Marcus for $2130.