Totes (Page 2)

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.

From left: Mary Y Sol Panama Striped Tote, $100. Club Monaco Tall Straw Tote, $49.50. Elliot Mann 24/7 Tote, $242. All via ShopBop.

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.)

Yves Saint Laurent Lucky Chyc Colorblock Tote, $1350 via Net-a-Porter

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.

The Elie Tahari Rebecca Tote, $598 via Bergdorf Goodman.

Yesterday, we talked about how hard it is to find a good upstart contemporary bag line and cited Diane von Furstenberg as a prime example of a brand who has found its handbag stride without much problem, and I’d like to offer Elie Tahari as another clothing brand done good. Tahari’s bag line is only a couple of seasons old, but every time I see one of his bags at a store, I find myself nothing less than impressed by the designs and materials, particularly when you consider the price point. I saw the Elie Tahari Rebecca Tote at Neiman Marcus lately, and let’s just say that my affection for the brand continues apace.

New handbag lines launch all the time, but it’s relatively rare that one comes about that’s truly worth a look, let alone worth the money. After watching his accessories collection evolve for several seasons now, I can confidently say that Jason Wu’s bags are the real deal in every sense.

Fall might be a long time coming, but for a bag as good as the Jason Wu Miss Wu Tote in a seasonless shade of garnet, I’d suggest you start planning now. In a lot of ways, this bag reminds me of the Prada Limited Edition Runway to Green Tote that the brand produced for Net-a-Porter, except with just a bit more polish. The leather is shiny and smooth instead of matte and grained, and the enamel-laden hardware provides a subtle reminder of just who it was that designed the bag. I can’t help but love the whimsy of Wu’s little owl logo.

At first glance, I didn’t even see the little white wings on the Bally Rachele Two-Tone Leather Tote – against a white background, they all but disappear into the scenery. Turned sideways, though, their effect is unmissable and perhaps a little awkward. Does anyone but me feel like this bag is wearing a nun’s habit?

That’s probably just me, but the white wings coming off the sides of this bag have me confused. I love a crisp, neutral bag with contrasting trim, as we all know, but the implementation of the trim in this particular design makes me want to grab on and give it a tug. Or maybe try and push it back into the bag, like it’s stuffing that has come undone. Either way, it looks like all the white stuff is sticking out where it’s not quite supposed to be.

As I say often (and in fact, as I said yesterday), basic bags are a design challenge that we often ignore, but we shouldn’t. The problem is that even women who want a more traditional bag don’t want to think of their choices as “basic,” so taking a simple shape and elevating it to the next level becomes something that almost any designer has to be able to do in order to satisfy his or her customers. And with such a glutted handbag market, doing that while simultaneously standing out in the crowd is difficult. There are plenty of mediocre bags out there to prove it.

The Reed Krakoff 510 Leather Tote, however, is one of the pieces that succeeds. That it pulls off a very Valextra look while maintaining a three-digit price tag is even more impressive; I can’t help but think this would be at least a $1300 from almost any other brand.