This time, though, I think they got it right – the argyle pattern of the Bottega Veneta Argyle Veneta Intrec Argyle Boston Bag works on its own and with the weaving.

The traditional diamond structure of the painted argyle shares some of the diagonal lines of the intrecciato leather without completely mimicking it, which is the key to its success. The rounded edges of the argyle is in contrast to the right angles of the leather, but the two still fit together in a logical and visually pleasing way. From a distance, you don’t notice the woven structure, but it provides a nice surprise when the bag is examined close-up. The bag works on both levels, and it provides a great example for how to mix textures and patterns the right way. Buy through Barneys for $2700.

It’s a testament to a bag’s inherent beauty and good design if the color it’s featured in is baby puke brown and I still absolutely love it. I’m opposed to all forms and iterations of brown and tan, but the Gucci G Wave Large Leather Tote is easily beautiful enough to shine through a color choice that I may not particularly care for (and that a lot of people may really like).

When Gucci gets something right, they get it right, and this bag is all kinds of right. The leather looks absolutely touchable and soft, but still thick and a bit rugged, which is perfect for Gucci’s slightly exotic aesthetic. Not only that, but the bag looks utterly functional, and is probably not too showy to use as a work bag, as long as your office isn’t particularly conservative.

But my favorite part of the entire design is the details. When details are bad, it can sink the whole bag (and, quite frankly, lessen my opinion of an entire brand), but the details on this one are so spot-on. I love the braided details, which appear to be an emerging trend across the handbag landscape, but obviously my favorite aspect is the crocodile trim. I wish more brands incorporated exotic accents into their designs – it’s a great way to add texture and visual variation to a bag, not to mention a note of luxury, with a relatively minimal expense (compared to making an entire exotic bag, of course). Gucci gets it exactly right with this one. Buy through Saks for $2900.

Back in June, we found out that Jimmy Choo was going to be releasing a line this fall in conjunction with Elton John’s AIDS charity, and now the first vestiges of that limited edition line are making their way to market for pre-order. Everything from flip-flops to clutches will be available, but the centerpiece of the effort is the Jimmy Choo Project PEP Glazed Canvas Tote.

Just as they said it would, the bag’s pattern includes a mishmash of symbols from the Choo design lexicon – studding, eyelet, the British flag, animal print. The overall feeling is slightly punk but still high end, just like what they appear to be going for lately. It’d be a great bag for casual weekend use or for bad weather since the canvas is glazed.

The best part of the bag, though, is the big charitable contribution that it will make – 25% of the net sales from the Project PEP line will go to the Simelela Rape Center in South Africa, which provides anti-HIV medication and healthcare to rape victims. Nearly $250 will be donated for every one of these totes that is sold. Buy through Nordstrom for $995.

I’m having a vintage moment lately. Last weekend, I spent 3 hours on Friday afternoon looking for vintage art deco costume jewelry on eBay. I really want a 70s faux fur jacket. The Stephen Sprouse collection for Louis Vuitton won me over long ago. And then this morning, I was lucky enough to find the utterly charming Chanel Vintage Le Train Bag.

When there are so many bags that are weathered and treated to look old when they’re actually brand new, it’s refreshing to look at a beautiful bag that is actually a piece of fashion history. The train illustration on this coated-canvas tote is so adorable and utterly Parisian that it serves as a wonderful reminder of not only the brand’s inventiveness, but also its cultural significance.

I like this bag better than most anything I’ve seen from Lagerfeld & Co. lately, and I wish that more of the irreverent French influence found its way into bags like this today. I don’t know that I’d be willing to pay the asking price for this piece (particularly since it’s not leather), but if I had the extra money laying around, this would absolutely be at the top of my list. Buy through ShopBop for $2420.

Giddy up, cowgirl. The Jimmy Choo Isola Shopper is ready for a rootin’ tootin’ good time. And I hope you don’t expect me to continue writing like that for the rest of the post, because I think it would make my head explode.

Fringe and studs are two things that you have to be very careful with, lest they turn a cute outfit into a complete costume. The folks at Jimmy Choo apparently chose not to heed such warnings, and this handbag suffers for it.

I really wish it was better, because I kind of like where they were headed with this style, but the first problem is the star studs. Studs can be studs and stars can be stars, but making them one and the same on a super expensive handbag does not exactly say “high end” to me. It says rodeo clown. When you combine that with a healthy doze of fringe and chunky leather stitching on the same bag, this particular piece becomes something that would probably only appeal to a very specific customer, and that customer is not me. Which is too bad, because the leather and the wrinkling detail on this bag are beautiful. It’s the rest of it that’s not. Buy through Nordstrom for $1495.

It seems like I’ve seen the Valextra Babila Top Handle everywhere – on celebrities, as one of Barneys.com’s much-lauded “obsessions,” at the finest stores. But I can’t help but find them unbearably plain and dull – the emperor appears to have no clothes.

I don’t get it. Sure, it’s a bag. It’s functional and unobtrusive. Its lines are clean. It serves the essential functions of a handbag, and I’m sure it’s made with very fine leather. For those prices, I would hope that it’s hand-made. Out of unicorn hide. And gold thread. We certainly see bags everyday that are more expensive, but to assign a price upwards of $2000 to a bag that seems to be hardly more complex in design or construction than your average canvas tote? I think they’re pressing the bounds of sanity there.

So, like I said, I think the emperor has no clothes. An insider-y, esoteric brand makes it, the fashion establishment tells us it’s fabulous, fashionable stars like Angelina Jolie are photographed wearing it….so it MUST be great, right? And worth two grand? I just don’t think so. Even if it’s the best-constructed version of itself that it could possibly be, out of the finest leather, I just don’t think it warrants the price tag. Buy through Luisa Via Roma for $2114.

As a result, I’m not sure if I’m being more charitable to the Prada Craquele Tote than I would be otherwise. It’s easy to argue that it’s a pretty decent bag when compared to the line’s other fall offerings, though.

To me, Prada bags always seem to be at one end of the spectrum – either they bore me to tears are they’re so far off in WTFland that I can’t conceive of how I would incorporate them in to my everyday life. This bag is somewhere in the middle, though, and I think that’s why I kind of like it. It’s not completely plain, but it’s also not completely over-the-top.

The gold studs on the contrast leather that runs along the seams and handles are a well-edited response to the studded trend, and the textured leather is interesting without looking too processed. It’s not knocking my socks off, but it’s easily my favorite bag of theirs that I’ve seen in a few months. Buy through Saks for $2595.

Well, MCM is back with a new look, and it has nothing to do with their 80s logo’d messes. They’re collaborating with new designers to update their image, and the MCM Giornio Tote, designed by Marc Jacobs alum and Gryson owner Joy Gryson, is a strong statement of modernity.

After seeing this bag, it didn’t surprise me at all that Gryson had had a hand in designing it. It has a lot of the same elements that her signature line does – thick leather, functional pockets, convertible straps. It’s tailored but still has a bit of slouch, and the hardware isn’t overpowering. In essence, it looks like classic Gryson to me.

And that’s not a bad thing – she designs bags that a lot of different women can incorporate into their lives in realistic and useful ways. I wish it had a bit more personality to it, but there’s definitely a market out there for “safe” bag choices, and this looks like it will fit nicely into that. If the materials are as good in person as they look online, I wouldn’t blame anyone for adding it to her collection. Buy through Saks for $1495.

That being said, I wish she didn’t stick to doggedly to her principles, because I would absolutely love the Stella McCartney Chain-Detail Tote if it was real leather.

This take on the season’s industrial trends is decidedly simple and straight-forward, which is kind of refreshing when you consider the glut of studs, zippers, and chains that adorn everything we’ve come across recently. The shiny, thick silver hardware frames an enormous piece of matte black faux leather that I can only wish were real. I’ve never come across non-leather approximations of the material that I found at all inspiring, and I fear this may even smell funny in person, but I sincerely hope it does and that it fools everyone. But I doubt it will – the graining of the material is just too uniform to look like the real thing.

And also, it has to be said – the way that the chain is attached and forms the handle reminds me of the Chanel Coco Cabas totes from a few years back. There, I said it. I’m officially turning into one of those people that thinks that everyone rips off Chanel. Go ahead and put my out of my misery now, while I still have an original thought or two in my head. I still really like this bag, though. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1145.

And despite my lack of love for shiny gold hardware, and in particular shiny gold studs, I can’t help but enjoy the Be & D Garbo Convertible Tote. Even though it’s over the top and a bit gaudy, the bag just works.

As I’ve said before, Be & D has as much of a right as anyone to be taking advantage of fall’s stud-happy trends. They were doing it years ago, to limited success, when everyone thought it looked fairly weird. Now, they’ve taken their much-loved studs and paired them with tougher, more subdued materials for fall, and it works much better than it once did.

Yes, even the gold. When juxtaposed with matte black leather, you can’t help but get their point. For me, the variation in stud size is key. They’re uniform on the front and back, larger at the gussets and handle attachments. It’s not too much change to make the bag confusing to look at, but it’s enough to know that they took great care in how the chose and placed the studs.

The slouchy shape and handles also help take a bit of the edge off the bag, and in this case, that’s a good thing. If the bag had been more structured, it would have been too much when combined with the all-over studs. As it is, it can be worn as a slouchy tote or a fold-over messenger, and although I’m not much of a fan of convertible bags, it works well with the stud placement in this instance. Buy through Saks for $1490.

Mostly it’s because, more than anyone else, McQueen’s luxe-punk aesthetic embodies so many of the trends for fall that other designers are scrambling to ape. Industrial and goth are two influences that find their way into his work over and over again, and it’s natural that we would talk about him repeatedly when we’re discussing how important those things are for the coming season. Another bag that makes that totally obvious is the Alexander McQueen Faithful Bucket Tote.

This isn’t my favorite bag to the get the industrial treatment, but there are certainly a few things I like about it. First and foremost, the belt at the top is great. The thickness and chunkiness of the belt are key for establishing this bag’s attitude, and the big knot that it forms instead of being buckled also has a great deal of style.

And then there’s the symmetry in the placement of the zipper at the bottom. It circles the bag to give the wearer the option of expanding its depth, but mostly it’s there it be an additional stylistic element that reflects the stance of the belt at the top of the bag. And of course there is the matte black leather and the shiny silver chain handles, both of which are staples for this season’s trends. The bag isn’t as over the top as many of McQueen’s most industrial creations are, and if you are unsure about how to incorporate such a severe trend, this is as good a place as any to start. Buy through Saks for $2175.

Admittedly, the Valentino Paillette-Embellished Tote is what you might consider a heaping helping of bad taste. And you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong. In fact, I can’t think of one compelling reason that you would be. But it makes me smile anyway, and sometimes, isn’t that what’s important?

Liberace must be resting happily in his grave, knowing full well that his fashion legacy is being realized through the house of Valentino. I’ve never held this bag myself, but its surface is so thick with sequins and rhinestones that I’m sure it must weigh a ton and a half. A ton and a half of purse fabulous, that is.

I don’t know where, how, or why you would ever wear this bag, but it’s obnoxiously shiny and unfortunate in a way that makes me kind of giggle at its very existence. At the same time, this bag must require quite a few man hours to assemble, and obviously someone thought that it was a fantastic idea. And really, I like that kind of chutzpah. Even if it is FAHbulously misplaced. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $4695.

Hilary Duff, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale have all been spotted with the bag within days of each other, with little fashion fanfare to encourage them to be seen carrying it. So what’s the deal?

I’m starting to get the feeling that Givenchy is only one huge It Bag away from really exploding into the accessories mainstream, and they’d certainly deserve it. This Nightengale bag is gorgeous, of course, as every one of their Nightingales have been. And it’s getting more play with young taste-makers than any of their bags in the past.

I’m not sure what has catapulted it to such popularity, except maybe that these girls that have easy access to so many bags are getting kind of sick of carrying things that are easily found in any high-end department store. Givenchy bags aren’t rare, certainly, but they’re a bit more off-the-beaten-path than this season’s offerings from Louis Vuitton or Gucci. All of these starlets appear to be trying to carve out their own style niche (ok, so Vanessa Hudgens and The Tiz are carving out the same one), and a bag from an ultra-luxe designer with tons of hardcore fashion cred might be just what the doctor ordered. Buy through Barneys for $2175.

Ok, so I doubt any childhood icons had to die to make the Prada Visone Tote , but that doesn’t make it any less unattractive.

The reasons that this bag is unattractive are almost too obvious to describe, and the fact that it looks like the pelt of a woolly mammoth puppet probably says it all for me. Explaining why this bag is bad is like shooting fish in a barrel. Which, of course, I’m happy to do.

There’s nothing artful or interesting about this. It’s a giant ball of brown mink with a briefcase handle stick out of the top. It’s not that the design is bad, it’s that there’s no design to speak of. I know Prada is all about minimalism in a lot of their bags, but if you’re going to do something minimalist, every last detail has to be absolutely perfect for it to work as a look. And this is far from perfect. Buy through Saks for $4950.

Talk about a departure from the expected. When I think of Marni, I think of clean lines and geometric shapes, but this Marni bag is entirely different. Fur. Yes, an entire bag covered in alpaca fur from the designer who typically brings us the cleanest colors, lines, and looks.

I have never craved to have a handbag covered in fur and I feel the same after seeing the Marni Alpaca Tote. Covered in gray alpaca fur, this tote has a thick industrial-like silver tone chain handle. When shown on the model, the chain looks like one you would find on a farm, not a designer handbag. I don’t doubt the alpaca is decadent but it is just not for me. Are you digging this alpaca bag from Marni? Buy through Net A Porter for $2,440.

But I don’t love the Alexander McQueen Houndstooth Tote.

I understand the intent behind this bag, and it’s brave of designers to try and play with pattern and proportion in avant garde ways. Just because it’s brave doesn’t mean it works, though, and this particular creation just doesn’t.

The houndstooth pattern appears in different sizes and runs in different directions in the uneven patchwork sections that make up the body of this bag, and the entire thing is capped and dotted with high-shine black leather at the edges and in flaps strewn about the bag’s body.

In the all-leather version, the continuity of the black material allows the asymmetry of the stitching and paneling to take center stage. When it’s combined with a graphic pattern that can be notoriously hard to work with, the charm of the bag is lost, unfortunately. I applaud the effort, but the finished product isn’t everything I had dreamed it would be. Buy through Saks for $1995.

Every fashionista has a line of price ridiculousness which they cannot force themselves to cross, and Theyskens has found mine. Everyone needs a functional black leather tote in their lives, that much I’ll agree with – it’s a wardrobe standard that most people can appreciate, even if fashion (and bags in general) are not a huge part of their lives.

But because of the easy shape and commonly used material, it becomes unjustifiable to pay an astronomically high price for it. And this is easily not the most attractive basic black tote I’ve ever seen – the shape is really average, and I’m not an enormous fan of the horseshoe-shaped insignia on the front. The wrapped seams are a bit of a nice touch, but not nearly impressive enough to pay nearly three grand for it.

Buy through Barneys for $2700.

Particularly for buying a straw bag that will cost, after tax, over $1000. That seems like a beginning-of-the-summer purchase, if you’re inclined to spend so much money on a straw bag at all, and most people contemplating big bag purchases seem to be looking forward to the next season and thinking about black leather, studs, and industrial details, not cutesy straw. The timing of this bag seems incredibly ill-advised, and since the design isn’t particularly strong, I’d bet that it’s destined for a long life on the sale rack. Buy through Saks for $975.

A huge portion of the bag’s appeal is the milk chocolate leather. The bag is made entirely of lambskin, which looks so soft and tactile that I can’t help but want to reach through my screen and grope the bag. The surface is largely unobstructed by other design elements, and the result is a smooth expanse of leather that looks like it might actually taste like a Hershey bar if you licked it. Not that I’m advocating that you lick your bags, of course. But wouldn’t it be cool if it did? Even in it’s current state, I’d take this bag in a heartbeat. Buy through Luisa Via Roma for $1561.

This may be one of my favorite Nancy Gonzalez bags of all time, which says a lot, given my penchant for exotics. This particular shade of blue-undertoned grey is fantastic for highlighting scale and texture differences on exotic skins and bringing out their natural patterns and variations, which is exactly what a well-designed exotic bag should do. Python is the main event here, making up the front and back of the bag, while the sturdier crocodile skin forms the bag’s gussets. I’d be interested to see what the bag would look like if the material usage was flipped, but either way, it’s still beyond gorgeous. The neat rows of studs that run on either side of the bag’s front panel are the perfect finishing touch and something slightly out of character for the designer – I hope we see more of it in the future. Buy through Saks for $3100.