Shoulder Bags (Page 9)

I’ve had a bit of a crush on Yves Saint Laurent since their pre-fall bags started rolling out, and it doesn’t look to be ending any time soon. I normally prefer things with a bit more of an edgy look, so this might be a sign of maturation on my part. Or maybe the bags are just that good – maybe they’re so well-designed that it’s impossible not to find some kind of attractiveness in them, no matter what your personal taste.

I’m not sure which one it is, but I’m absolutely sure that I love the Yves Saint Laurent Flap Shoulder Bag. There’s a beauty in its simplicity that I find irresistible.

Yesterday when we were talking about the skunk fur monstrosity that Fendi has chosen to perpetrate on the fashion world at large, several commenters mentioned that the bag itself might be cute, if it weren’t for the formerly stinky dead animal hanging precipitously from it. I applaud those commenters for trying to look beyond the obvious awfulness.

And as luck would have it, Fendi saw fit to make a non-skunkified version for our significantly increased viewing pleasure, and as it turns out, the Fendi Peekaboo Roll Bag is not nearly as terrible as its hairy predecessor.

If this bag is any indication, Lanvin is continuing their endless mission to morph their bag line into an a slighty hipster-y version of Chanel. I generally hate it when others complain that a bag looks like it’s Chanel just because it’s quilted or has a chain handle, but I can’t help but think that it’s an incredibly apt comparison in this case.

Not only is the Lanvin Happy Sac Partage Bag bag quilted, but it also has a chain handle, and its a flap bag with a front closure, just like a few other bags we’ve all seen in the past.

I’d like to say, first and foremost, that I have no problem with eccentricity. Particularly in fashion, the desire to be willfully different is what finds new trends and charts new territory. It’s what keeps things going. Without eccentricity, we’d all be wearing sensible shoes and toting around our belongings in canvas grocery bags. And there’s nothing fun about either of those things.

But there’s also usually a problem with creating eccentricity for its own sake, which appears to be what was done with the Dolce & Gabbana Miss Charleston Chain Flap Bag. And I think we can all tell that it didn’t work out particularly well.

Alexander Wang hit big this season with the must-have Coco Duffel. I liked it, but I wasn’t buying it. The reviews coming in have been mixed about the actual bag itself, though I feel like the price was so great it justified a little less quality than expected. Other bags from Alexander Wang include multiple pockets and a look I am just not digging. Don’t get me wrong, the celebrity carrying list is long, but a) did they actually pay for the bag and b) I still don’t like them.

Lanvin is my new obsession. After I saw the Lanvin Happy Partage Metallic Bag I could not stop picturing myself with that bag. Jeans and a white tee, little black dress, skirt. You name it, I pictured myself with it.

I’ve been staring at this Alexander Wang Bianca Vest Bag for some time, wondering if I should write about it. Is it a vest? A bag? Or worse, some incarnation of a fanny pack? But as you can see, my curiosity got the better of me. The following are my musings on this vest bag: Why would anyone wear this?

Or even more important, how would anyone wear this? Oh wait. That was a silly question. Clearly this is meant to be worn as a vest, hence the name. But now I’m back to square one, which is the big question of Why Wear This.