As we all know by now, Pantone announced last month that 2012′s Color of the Year would be “Tangerine Tango” – a vibrant, saturated, deep orange that looks almost hot to the touch. With so many blazing bright colors dotting the runways as of late, the declaration seemed like Pantone’s most accurate in a long time. When I clicked over to Bergdorf Goodman today and saw the beautiful, sunny Givenchy Antigona Tote daring me to get out my credit card, I knew in my heart that Pantone was indeed on to something big.

We’ve discussed this topic before, but why can’t stock photos look like this? THESE are the types of pictures that make people open their online banking info in a separate tab and start doing desperate handbag math. In this specific instance, the bag itself is pretty simple – with its east-west shape and slim straps, the Antigona tote looks like an all-leather cousin of the Louis Vuitton Neverfull. I’ll take this variation on the theme any day, though; ditching logo cavas for beautiful brightly colored leather is always an upgrade.

Actually, I take back what I said before. I’m thankful that more handbags aren’t photographed this way for retail sites. If they were, they’d have to reopen debtors’ prison just for me. Buy through Bergdorf Goodman for $1280.

First Hermes (and then no more Hermes because they got sued), then Chanel and now Balenciaga – tote company Thursday Friday seems like it won’t be satisfied until every iconic handbag under the sun (except any made by Hermes because, well, you know…) has been immortalized on its Thursday Friday Together Tote Bag. This one, naturally, is called the “Moto.” Clever.

I’ve heard no news of a lawsuit against Thursday Friday for its Chanel tote, perhaps because even though it was clearly meant to depict a Chanel bag, there was no outright branding in the photo – it lacked the interlocking C closure or the word “Chanel” anywhere on the tote. If that’s why the brand hasn’t tried to interfere, then perhaps Balenciaga is out of luck if it wanted to stop production of this bag as well; despite the signature hardware and design, there’s no explicit branding on the outside of a Balenciaga Motorcycle Bag.

Come to think of it, that’s probably why we haven’t seen a Louis Vuitton version of this tote – not only is LVMH the most litigious of all the luxury conglomerates, but the most universally recognizable Vuitton bags are all in monogram canvas, the reproduction of which would make a lawsuit a veritable slam dunk. Has your opinion of these bags softened at all? Mine has a bit, if only because they seem to pretty clearly be going nowhere. Were you a fan from the beginning? Are you still appalled? Let us know, or if you so choose, you can pick up one of these bags via ThuFri.com for $35-$95, depending on size.

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.

As you can see, there are two versions of this bag – one beach-themed and on school-themed. Both of them have little details inside the trompe l’oeil graphics that make it worth your time to take a closer look. For example, the calculator on the homework bag has the digits to the old upside-down “boobless” gag typed in (I find it somehow comforting to know that sixth graders do that across the pond as well), and the beach-themed bag features a book called Bags and Bitches. Side note: I’d totally read a book called Bags and Bitches.

Still, $295 is more than I’d like to pay for canvas in a perfect world, but $1750 is also more than I’d like to pay for a Celine Luggage Tote and I still paid it, now didn’t I? In the pantheon of designer canvas totes, Anya Hindmarch has found a way to set herself apart, at the very least. Buy the beach or the homework version via Net-a-Porter for $295.

I’ve been visiting my family in Atlanta for the last week, and because of the relatively temperate weather we’ve been having the South, I’m having a hard time remembering that the intense part of winter has yet to come. I haven’t worn a coat of any kind for seven full days. It’s sunny and shiny and happy outside. Snow? What’s snow? I’ve never heard of snow.

That being said, that’s probably why I looked at the Marc Jacobs Cosmic Croc Embossed Leather Tote and thought, “Oh, how perfect to take on a swanky resort vacation or pair with a sundress or, you know, whatever as long as the weather’s warm!” Except that the weather isn’t going to be warm for, like, four or five months. Sigh.

At nearly two grand, this bag probably shouldn’t be used around water or sand anyway, but the idea sure is attractive. The embossed croc breaks up the mirrored silver finish just enough so that finger prints or smudges won’t be a problem on such a slick surface, and the shape practically screams, “TAKE ME TO A BEACH. FILL ME WITH SUNGLASSES AND TRASHY NOVELS.” Or maybe that’s just what my subconscious is screaming? Either way, maybe this bag will get marked down by the time it’s warm enough to pull out the ol’ bikini. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1995.

Everyone is familiar with the plastic bags that the Cast of Vices Corner Store Leather Totes mimic, but as I’ve come to learn over my first six months in Manhattan, New Yorkers have have an even deeper connection to these little plastic totes. New York’s healthy population of bodegas, delis and mom-and-pop takeout joints keeps a steady stream of these bags flowing into use in the city, and where suburbanites might find themselves using a Target or Kroger bag to line their bathroom waste baskets or carry their lunches to work, in New York, the odds are that it’ll be one of these generic designs instead. (Or a Duane Reade bag, but I try to pretend Duane Reade doesn’t exist.)

I’m willing to bet that people living in other urban areas have a similar experience, which makes these leather versions (down to the openings in the handles so that they can be racked for quick dispensing) all the more familiar and clever. The embossed black leather give the remade design a decided punk aesthetic, which means that I would absolutely carry one of these bags, even if they are a novelty. I’m just not sure exactly how much I’d pay for one, but if the leather’s as thick and soft as it looks in these photos, then the price isn’t necessarily unfair. Buy the “thank you” or “smiley face” versions through ShopBop for $240 each.

Oh, the Brits! They’re a funny lot, aren’t they? They brought us Monty Python and Benny Hill and Eddie Izzard, and for that, the rest of the world is eternally grateful. British humor is renowned the world over for its special brand of biting dryness, and it only makes sense that a London designer would be pursuing the art of handbag humor.

Anya Hindmarch is often witty, but the Anya Hindmarch Headline Printed Canvas Shoppers take things to a new level. Using iconic bits of Britannia like Big Ben and the Queen’s beloved corgis, Hindmarch gives you a funny way to haul your daily necessities. Plus, they have a little surprise on the inside.

While I agree that $295 is a tad steep for a canvas tote, even a very clever and Anglophilic one, I do appreciate Hindmarch’s irreverent attention to detail. In the photos above, you can see that the interior pocket of each tote is also printed, the Big Ben story with a sexy shirtless dude (perhaps in a nod to Britain’s Page 3 Girls?) and the Corgi story with a crossword. If I were going to overspend on a non-leather bag, these totes would definitely be in the running. Get Big Ben or the Corgi through Net-a-Porter for $295 each.

Remember the Thursday Friday Together Totes emblazoned with images of the iconic Hermes Birkin? The bag generated a ton of conversation when we first wrote about it back in January, and although most of you found them distasteful, lots of women didn’t; I think I see at least one a day being schlepped through the streets of New York.

Unfortunately for Thursday Friday, Hermes also found the idea distasteful and decided to sue their pants off. Fresh off a private settlement with the French luxury giant, Racked reports that Thursday Friday is ready to take on another iconic bag with its Together Tote: The Chanel 2.55 Flap Bag. Lawyers, start your engines.

If Thursday Friday made enough money from the Hermes-aping totes to pay a settlement and still stay afloat, then perhaps this isn’t a bad choice on the part of the company. Perhaps for them, getting sued is just part of the cost of doing business, sort of like Forever 21 and all of the designers it knocks off. If that’s true, then I sincerely hope that they sell as many Chanel totes as they did Birkin totes, because they’re going to need the cash. At $90, $65 and $35 for the Super Together, Together and Pouch bags, respectively, would you buy one of these bags? If you would, get can get them via ThuFri.com.

Over the past few days, New York’s hot summer nights felt a bit of a cool down and there was a slight tinge of fall in the air. As a lover of autumn, my excitement level for the coming season multiplied exponentially. I’ve been planning additions to my fall wardrobe for a while, and one of the staples we should all have in our accessories closet is a ladylike frame bag.

Donna Karan is aware of seasonal staples and appears to have designed the Liaison bag with feminine, chic, and efficient ladies in mind. Donna Karan bags follow closely to the brands overall feel, composing of luxe materials in a sculpted and subdued fashion.

While I’m not typically drawn to brown bags, there is something quintessentially perfect about a deep brown leather bag as the weather cools down. Cream, camel, and brown tones look both classic and fashionable. I imagine carrying the brown calf version and pairing it with the perfect wide leg pant and button up blouse. Simplicity in color and style leaves you with a stand-out outfit.

The Liaison bag draws attention because of its glossy resin bar at the closure along with the top handle. The design comes in both a small and large size, both of which are available in a variety of materials and colors. I also love the dimensionality that printed crocodile brings to an otherwise simple bag. Small for $2495 and large printed for $2595 via Donna Karan online.

In the US, Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer and all the beachside fun that comes with the season. The PurseBlog team is going to take most of today to relax and enjoy the advent of season vacation season, but if you’re stuck indoors and want some bags to consider, take a look at these three reasonably priced, sun-ready straw totes: The Mar Y Sol Panama Striped Tote, Club Monaco Tall Straw Tote and Elliot Man 24/7 Tote. (Ok, that last one is macrame and not straw. Just go with it.)

Mar Y Sol Panama Tote, $100 via ShopBop.

Club Monaco Tall Straw Tote, $49.50 via ShopBop.

Elliot Mann 24/7 Straw Tote, $242 via ShopBop.

By now, we all know what spring’s big trend are: Colorblocking, mixed brights, pink and orange, brights contrasted with neutrals. We’ve all been saying this since the collections made their fashion week debuts six months ago, and those looks have made their way to retail with a vengeance. And in the case of the Yves Saint Laurent Lucky Chyc Colorblock Tote, they’ve all showed up in one design.

I really want to like this bag, but I just can’t find it within me. I like the idea – the mixture of brights and neutrals, the bold swaths of color, the functional structure are things that I’ve been digging lately in almost all iterations, but this one just isn’t quite right. The yellow is too mustard-y and not bright enough, the mismatched neutral gussets compete with the rest of the design and should have been left the same color for the sake of symmetry and an ivory handle will show wear almost immediately with any sort of regular use.

Being on-trend doesn’t automatically make a design good, and unfortunately, this bag illustrates that perfectly. YSL came close to having a winner on its hands, and I still appreciate the functional structure (particularly the roomy and well-disguised front pocket), but the rest of the bag needs some tweaks to get it on the right track. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1350.