Not too long ago, I wrote about a neoprene Marc by Marc Jacobs handbag on PurseBlog Savvy that I absolutely love, and I explained exactly why I think that neoprene is a cool material bags. I still think that’s absolutely true, and I still love the bag, but I just don’t know if I can justify to myself spending $350 for a bag that’s not leather.

Some bags aren’t that hard to evaluate online – either they’re pretty straightforward, or the brand does things similarly enough from season to season that there are rarely surprises in construction or materials. For instance, I feel comfortable passing judgment on a Gucci bag without seeing it in person; I’ve seen enough of them in my life to be able to extrapolate information from those experiences.

I’m so in to texture right now. From pintucking, ruching and pleating all the way to leather flowers a la Valentino, I want designers to show me what they can do with the material we’re all so used to seeing.

I think that my current obsession makes sense, though. Texture requires creativity and vision, but its implementation in a design rarely makes a bag less functional or useful – it’s the perfect added element to make a bag really special.

Lest we all had forgetten after seeing one too many soft, wonderful Valentino bags, Dolce & Gabbana has a stark reminder for us: ruffles aren’t easy, man. Not when leather is involved.

The key to successful leather ruffles is to make them so light and airy that you forget that what you’re looking at is a thick, hardy material out of which they also make car interiors.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Whether you like their bags or not, Valentino does the best detail work in the business. There’s not a major designer that can touch them when it comes to taking regular (albeit extremely supple and wonderful) leather and turning it into something that is far more than the sum of its parts.

Ahh, the eternal handbag questions: how much should we, as consumers, be willing to pay for bags that aren’t made out of leather? How about one made out of canvas? How about a really SIMPLE bag made out of canvas? Should it vary by brand? If it does, does that mean we’ve all fallen victim to someone’s marketing scheme? For me, the Yves Saint Laurent Safety Pins Tote brings up all of those questions and more.

A few months ago, we brought you news that friend-of-PurseBlog Carlos Falchi would be collaborating with his daughter on a new line of graffiti-inspired bags to debut in the coming months.

Well, the future is now: the bags are here! We already had some pictures of what they would look like, so that isn’t much of a surprise, but it’s nice to see something so unique and fun arrive in stores nonetheless.

I’ve never been an overwhelming fan of Tod’s. While I can see why some people would really like them, and I don’t doubt that they’re well-made, they’re usually missing a certain something that makes a bag work for me. I like a bit of pizazz in my handbags, and Tod’s keeps their look very, very low key.

I do very much like the Tod’s Shade Tote, however.

Ever see a bag and know immediately that it’s one that you would use constantly and incorporate into your wardrobe effortlessly? Like its existence is just a little bit of handbag kismet that the Powers That Be most surely intended just for you? A match made in proverbial handbag heaven?

That’s exactly what the Be&D Woodstock Shopper Bag is for me.

It’s rare that I find myself completely conflicted, but that’s where the Valentino Ricamo Macro Paillettes Tote has me. Sometimes I love it, other times I’m not impressed by it at all. Would it be fair to give it the benefit of the doubt just because it’s Valentino?