Savvy Bags on a Budget (Page 2)

Perhaps by virtue of their intended market (young, casual, somewhat carefree), contemporary bags at achievable price points tend to be…slouchy. They match the people who the brands assume will buy the bags and use them in their personal time, but what about a young woman who has, you know, a job? Like a real job with an office? Or, what of a young woman who simply has a more classic and sophisticated personal style?

Well, that’s where the Rachel Zoe Nico Messenger Bag comes in. The $525 price tag isn’t low, objectively, but it is a fair price level for a structure, neutral, professional-looking leather bag that nearly anyone would be well-advised to take to a job interview. Not bad, Ms. Zoe.

I have shared this before, but my first ever handbag was a Coach bag. From that day forward I was hooked on bags and it clearly changed my life going forward, as I get to talk about the accessories I love every day. While many designers have come in and out of my collection, Coach will always have a special place in my heart. Over the past few years, Coach has churned out higher quality and priced items season after season. The true Coachies (a name given to Coach bag lovers by our loyal Coach PurseForum members) have grown with the brand and found the collections that they love most.

For $800, brands like Alexander Wang and Louis Vuitton can be purchased, but right now I am crushing on the Coach Pinnacle Leather Allie.

Anya Hinmarch Nevis Tote, $995 in leather or $495 in rubber. Both via Net-a-Porter

We first brought you news of these bags back when the rubber version of the Anya Hindmarch Nevis Tote was in pre-order, but now that the leather version has surfaced in all of its colorblocked glory and both are available for immediate purchase, we thought the design seemed worth a revisit. Rubber, leather, whatever – I can’t get over how much I like this bag. It’s just so simple.

Anya Hindmarch Printed Totes, $295 via Net-a-Porter in Beach or Homework Print

We all know that I can get a little bit feisty when I feel like companies are trying to cash in on their good name by shilling overpriced, under-designed canvas tote bags to their hungry fans, but Anya Hindmarch is always a notable exception to my personal canvas rule. Instead of merely slapping some leather handles and her logo on a canvas tote that you could get anywhere, Hindmarch’s design team actually take the time to, you know, design something.

With something like the Anya Hindmarch Printed Canvas Totes, you still get all the simple usability that you need out of a big, simple, lightweight bag. You also get a healthy dose of British humor, which I think makes the price tag a little bit more palatable.

Images via Botkier

Ladies, here’s your fun fact for the day: Before Monica Botkier started her awesome handbag line, she was a professional photographer. It only makes sense, then, that Monica would step back behind the lens to shoot a campaign for her bags from her own photographic perspective, but somehow, Botkier Spring 2012 is the first time that she’s done it.

The results are a set of simple, clean images that represent the bags well. Botkier seems to be stepping a little further into the realm of color than it has in previous seasons, and the pastels and brights in these photos fit with the season’s trends particularly well. Personally, my pick of the litter so far is the bright green tote with blue accents. Check out the rest of the ads (and bags!) after the jump.

3.1 Phillip Lim 31 Hour Bag, $795 via Moda Operandi

When we talked about the 3.1 Phillip Lim 31 Hour Bag last week, several of you inquired about when we might expect to see the uber-covetable bicolor versions of the bag hitting stores. It seems as though my suspicion that we’d have to wait for Spring 2012 pre-orders to drop for those bags to grace normal retailers was accurate, but look what I found in my email yesterday: the very first opportunity to get your name on the list for the bag that’s shaping up to be the biggest accessories debut of the new year.

Botkier Eden Satchel, now $394 via Nordstrom

Sorting through the miasma of after-Christmas sales is difficult, no matter whether you’re trying to do it in person or via the Internet while you’re supposed to be working. (It’s your boss’s own fault for not giving you an extra day off.) That’s where your friendly neighborhood bloggers come in – I spent yesterday wading through the debris of the holiday season to find you the best deals on the bags that you might actually want to buy and carry.

This season’s sales are particularly heavy on contemporary bags, so if you’re looking for a new accessory under $500, you’re in luck. We have a few from premier designers as well (including a Balenciaga that I love), but this is the time of year to really score on the lower end of the designer price spectrum. Check out all of our picks after the jump!

3.1 Phillip Lim 31 Hour Tote, $750 via Barneys in white or orange

When I posted about 3.1 Phillip Lim’s stellar Spring 2012 collection a few weeks ago, your reactions were just as enthusiastic as mine – the bags are minimal, modern perfection. Recently, a little bit more information has surfaced about the concept behind the collection’s most anticipated designs, including a Style.com video to show them in action.

The 3.1 Phillip Lim 31 Hour Bags are meant for a woman who needs functional choices above and beyond a normal lifestyle – someone sophisticated, urban, blah blah blah. It’s the kind of lip service that every brand pays to its customers while trying to sell them expensive handbags, but Lim’s designs might actually fit their lofty descriptors. Plus, with price tags for $295 for a small clutch to $895 for the much-anticipated bicolor north-south tote, this might be the most affordable It Bag we’ll see for years to come. Check out the video after the jump or shop the first arrivals of the design via Barneys in orange, white or black. The bag above is priced at $750.