Totes (Page 17)

I’ve heaped much praise on Burberry for their most recent collection and today, I’d like to take a little bit of it back. A lot of their stuff? Really good. The Burberry Raffia Shopper? Not nearly as good.

What I can’t decide, though, is if the bag itself is bad or if this is just an epically bad choice of color and texture combination. The bag, of course is made out of raffia straw. But when you dye it blue-grey and fade it, then fray it around the edges and stitch it together in a patchwork formation…it just looks like someone cut up my old jeans. And not in a good way. The color is definitely what makes it so obvious, but the tan version looks like frayed denim from a distance as well. I like the shape and the idea of patchwork raffia, but I think it’s lacking in execution. Patchwork denim isn’t a good look on anyone, even if it isn’t really denim. Buy through Nordstrom for $1395.

I’ve never owned a Chloe bag before, but I’d really like to before my bag days are over. They’re a bit out of my current price range, but I’ve fondled many of their bags at stores in the past few years, and their leather quality and feel never cease to amaze me. Why can’t all high-end bag manufacturers use leather that thick and soft and wonderful? I mean, if they can, why not others?

Which is why I want to talk about the Chloe Shelby Shopper today. Holy crackers, look at that leather. I can almost feel it through my computer screen. This is one of those bags that, if it were mine, I would be constantly petting it. The Shelby has that super-matte, velvety texture that reminds me all over again why I love handbags in the first place. And when you combine that leather with a beautiful, rich, unexpected color that can be used year-round, you get a handbag that will be on my mind for some time to come. Buy through Nordstrom for $2175.

Here I am, writing about yet another Burberry bag that I really like. Whatever different creative process they’ve got going on in their handbag line this season, they really need to stick with it. In fact, they probably need to give those people raises, because I can’t remember another season where I’ve looked twice at one of their bags. Their use of intricate texture and simple shapes theis season has been phenomenal, and I can’t wait to see if they continue it in the future.

The latest example is the Burberry Prorsum Leather Dégradé Tote. The only real gripe I have with this bag is the usability of the ombre color scheme. It’s somewhere between chartreuse and brown, which is beautiful to look at on its own, but might be hard to incoporate into an average wardrobe unless brown is your go-to neutral. It has the same square “scaling” effect as the Burberry Prorsum Willow Leather Clutch that we spoke of not long ago, and in this case, the dégradé color scheme makes the texture look even richer. You know what I really wish they had done, though? A scarlet red-to-black ombre. I’d be typing in my credit card info right now if they had. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $2395.

I’ve loved the bags that Marni has put out for Spring/Summer 2009, and I’ve made no secret of it. They’ve chosen great materials and vibrant colors for the line, and it’s the first fresh collection I’ve seen in a while. Mostly what I have praised in the past, though, is their leather choice, and I’ve got something completely different to say today. I really, really love the Marni Printed Canvas Tote.

Their color choice on this bag is impeccable; the muted violets, greens, and mustards go together so well that I find myself wondering if I could find a dress in a similar print. They’re perfectly vintage-feeling without looking old and it’s surprising that a simple tote can have so much inherent style. The only problem, of course, is that the bag is canvas. Sigh. Canvas. Every time I see a canvas bag I like, I’m forced to reevaluate exactly how much I’m willing to spend on one. This one in particular is right on the line for me – $500 is usually my mental upper limit, but for one that I like this much, I might be willing to dole out $600 – buy through Net-a-Porter.

It’s probably time for me to sell my SUV, because the Green movement just keeps spreading to more and more areas of our lives. And it appears that it has finally come, in a serious way, to designer handbags. Salvatore Ferragamo recently released a line of five environmentally friendly handbags, aptly tited Eco Ferragamo. My personal favorite is the Salvatore Ferragamo Risvolti Eco Tote, pictured left.

These bags are still made of the super-luxe leather that we expect from designer purses, but the leather was tanned using natural tannins instead of the harmful chemicals that are used in the manufacture of most leather on the consumer marketplace. The interiors are made of a hand-woven hemp lining, which involves little, if any, chemical processing that would damage the environment. The one thing that confuses me is this: the bags claim to be metal-free, but there’s no alternative explanation of what the hardware is made out of. It looks metal to me, but could it be plastic? And if it was…isn’t that just as bad? Buy through Neiman Marcus for $1890.

I know that the Stephen Sprouse collections have been a bit controversial among the Louis Vuitton crowd, but for some reason, I can’t help but like them. Perhaps it’s because I’m a fan of the Sprouse aesthetic in general, or maybe because my generation is probably the target audience for pop-art fashion, or maybe it’s just because my personal taste can, at times, venture to the ridiculous. For whatever reason, I wish I had unlimited funds and a reason to own something like the Louis Vuitton Monogram Graffiti Neverfull GM.

As with all Neverfulls, I wish the strap was thicker, and if it was it would make a perfect school bag for a college kid that has everything (and I knew one or two of those during my undergrad years). Because of the utter ridiculousness of the bag – orange writing over brown and tan monogram – it’s one of those bags that you really wouldn’t need to try and match to anything. It’s iconic enough on it’s own that the only thing I would seriously advise against wearing it with would be another bold pattern. Other than that, go to town – wear it with whatever, but be proud. It’s the type of bag that you really have to own to pull it off. Buy through eLuxury for $1290.

I wrote about the Gucci Sukey Large Tote a few months ago, and when I saw it available for pre-order in a new trim color on Saks.com today, I thought it might be worth revisiting.

Because, to be honest, the climate for logo bags has changed, as has the climate for anything obviously expensive, since the first incarnation of this bag came out. Since then, the US (and much of the world) economy has imploded, millions are out of jobs, and many have seen their retirements shrink to nearly nothing.

So…why in the world do I still like this bag? Because I do. A lot. Even though I hate logo bags in general, and have for quite some time, I still have a small place in my heart for Gucci’s signature fabric. And I still think this bag is well-designed, despite the logos. The lines are simple, it’s functional, but it still has a bit of subtle chicness to it. Plus it’s a bag from a major designer for under a grand. Not too bad, even if it’s not really a recession must-have. Buy through Saks for $850.