Shoulder Bags

Ralph Lauren Collection Fringe Embellished Shoulder Bag, $3995 via Net-a-Porter. Ralph Lauren Collection Bull Head Embellished Leather Shoulder Bag, $995 via Net-a-Porter.

When I think of Ralph Lauren, there are some automatic associations I have that the brand has spent decades making sure I think of: Polo shirts, horses, women with carefully tousled blonde hair, people who have more money than Oprah. The reality of the brand’s average customer may be a little less glamorous, but based on the women who I normally encounter inside of Ralph Lauren Collection boutiques, those brand images do come from somewhere. What I can’t figure out is how that ties in with the Ralph Lauren Collection Fringe Embellished Shoulder Bag and the Ralph Lauren Collection Bull Head Embellished Leather Shoulder Bag. → Read More

In case we haven’t said it enough: Kate Spade’s spring collection is kind of totally brilliant. It’s girly, pretty and very Kate Spade, but with a witty edge that has really pulled the brand into the forefront of the contemporary price point. I’ve already bought my first bag from the line and I’m eyeing my second one.

The Kate Spade Jardin Tweed Robin Shoulder Bag skews a little too girly to fit into my wardrobe, but for someone with a very feminine style that tends toward vintage, this could be an absolutely perfect spring bag. With the notes of lime, coral and lavender running through it, I’m sure you can find a bright dress to pair with this bag. → Read More

You know what I hate about Gerard Darel? The difficulty in finding its bags online for purchase and having to track them down in select stores. Otherwise, I am a massive Gerard Darel fan. And many of our readers and PurseForum members are as well. I own the Midday Midnight Hobo and I can do nothing other than sing praises of the bag. The leather is thick and smooshy, the design characteristics are both simple yet chic, and the overall appeal is evident. We all need more Gerard Darel in our lives – so please listen to us online retailers, carry the brand!! → Read More

The only problem with the Celine-influenced trend toward classic, clean-lined box bags is that not everyone has a classic, clean-lined personal style. Some people prefer a little bit of razzle-dazzle, and those people would be well served to take a look at the Versace Leather Shoulder Bag. Gird your loins, ladies and gentlemen, for I am about to say something nice about a Versace bag. → Read More

We’ve already covered the monstrously priced crocodile shoulder bag from Posh Spice’s neophyte handbag line, and the response was almost unanimous: While it might be a nice bag, $14,000 is a lot to pay for something from a brand new company of any sort, let alone one that bears the precarious designation of being a “celebrity clothing line.”

That bag was on the high end of the collection’s price point, though, and the Victoria Beckham Leather and Nubuck Shoulder Bag seems to be much more typical of what we should expect from the ex-Spice Girl’s accessories. With a $2600 price tag, it’s nowhere near as expensive as its croc cousin, but still mighty spendy for most people. What say you? → Read More

Revived French fashion house Vionnet has made red carpet fans out of such style notables as Carey Mulligan and Leighton Meester, and now its hoping to capitalize on that success by finding a way into your accessories collection via bags like the Vionnet Triple Gusset Shoulder Bag. But for $2000, should we expect a little more?

There’s nothing wrong with this bag, per se, but commanding $2000 for a small leather shoulder bag is something that even few well-established accessories brands can do. Should Vionnet have given us more for the money? I certainly think so. → Read More

I’m still not entirely convinced that I would pay more than $300 or so for anything made out of raffia (Except for possibly a thatched hut on a tropical island. Do they make those out of raffia?), but that doesn’t stop thousands of women from doing so every year and dozens of brands from cashing in on their desires for a luxurious beach bag.

I’m also not sure that I’d take the Dolce & Gabbana Miss Charles Raffia Flap Shoulder Bag anywhere near the water, but if a fabulous beach party were top pop up somewhere (Preferably with a bonfire, I love a bonfire.), then this might be the type of bag that I would be inclined to carry. If, of course, I could bring myself to over a thousand dollars on straw. Ladies and gentlemen, that’s a really big “if.” → Read More

If you’re a longtime reader of this blog, you may or may not remember (and if you don’t, I certainly don’t blame you) that I have never been an overwhelming fan of Derek Lam’s handbags. Lam’s clothes tend to be great and wearable, but when it comes time for accessories, his thing has never been my thing, so to speak. Finally, though, I’ve found a bag of his that I like without reservation or qualification: the Derek Lam Eiko Shoulder Bag.

Minimalism gets boring quickly when combined with neutral, noncommittal shades of beige and cream, but Lam’s decision to turn up the volume with an in-your-face shade of orange-red shows just how statement-making and bold the trend can be. In some ways, this bag reminds me a lot of Raf Simmons’ Jil Sander Spring 2011 collection: a familiar shape made modern by bright, saturated color. → Read More