Yves Saint Laurent Handbags and Purses

Gaging a trend’s lifespan can be a precarious endeavor, particularly when that trend is born out of something like leopard print, which is an innate classic whether its haters want to admit it or not. It’s been around for ages, and even though it tends to fall in and out of favor cyclically, it will never leave the style world entirely. For leopard lovers like me, that’s a beautiful thing.

Over the past couple of seasons, though, leopard has been pushed by every brand from Givenchy to the Gap. I find this Yves Saint Laurent Cabas Chyc Tote in leopard haircalf exceptionally beautiful, but thanks to overexposure, it does occur to me that some of you might disagree. We’ve set up a handy-dandy poll to measure your leopard fatigue after the jump, or you can buy this bag via Nordstrom for $2795.

With head designer Stefano Pilati’s relationship with Yves Saint Laurent bigwigs rumored to be growing ever more tense, it’s always interesting to see what Pilati will turn out when it’s time for a new collection. I was lukewarm on his work for Fall 2011, but Yves Saint Laurent Resort 2012 is a whole different story. Not only were the nautical-chic clothes absolutely lust-worthy, but the bags and shoes, which are most brands’ chief moneymakers, will likely retail very well.

The bag that I’m most excited about is the Yves Saint Laurent Chyc Cabas, which you can see in one of its iterations above. The roomy tote has both functional and aesthetic appeal, and the frayed red straw accented with white leather and gold hardware makes me want to leave my apartment and make friends with someone who owns a boat. This collection will hit stores right around my birthday. Hint hint.

Yves Saint Laurent Muse Two Artisanal Recycled, $1720 via YSL.

Usually, women only ask two things of their handbags: That they be fabulous and functional. Increasingly, though, some women are making a third request of their clothing and accessories: That it also has a sense of social responsibility. Admittedly not everyone cares about what impact their purchases have on the world or on the people who produced them, but the number of people who do are growing, which makes it fashionable for global brand to debut products like the limited editionYves Saint Laurent Muse Two Artisanal Recycled Bag, which was produced by artisans in Burkina Faso with Fair Trade cotton and recycled plastic bags. For real.

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 Yves Saint Laurent Roady has had a place in the sun for well over a year now, which means that it’s only fair that we step back and reevaluate its popularity in the context of what’s going on in accessories at the moment. Is the Roady a bag that you still want to own?

It may be bigger than current trends dictate, and I don’t think we’ve seen a python version of the Roady so far (although Fall 2011 promises python versions of every bag ever made, so the odds are good), but I’m still a big fan of the Roady and its minimalist, functional shape. I would make but two improvements: A lighter interior lining to make it not such a black hole and a small exterior pocket for my cell phone. On the side that would face my body, of course.

Like pretty much anyone who’s gotten the chance to fondle one in person, I’m seriously craving a Celine Classic Box Bag. Not only is the design perfectly edited on the outside, but it’s lined in the most deliciously soft and luxurious leather you can imagine, which makes it even more of a delight for the person that owns it than you would expect. The only problem, of course, is that those bags cost nearly four grand. Even I am not that numb to handbag pricing.

Naturally, I’ve found myself seeking lower-priced alternatives, and the Yves Saint Laurent Chyc Shoulder Bag is one of the better contenders that I’ve found thus far. Sure, it’s missing some of the exquisite touches that I love about the Celine bag, but it also costs several thousand dollars less.

Vlad got me into the hit television show CSI. We watch the Vegas version, NYC version, and at some times attempt to take in the Miami version (just for Horatio’s slow sunglasses removal technique). No matter how outrageous the CSI lab techniques seem, I am always intrigued. And one of the most integral parts of solving a crime is finding finger prints.

I wonder if the folks at Yves Saint Laurent are CSI fanatics as well? The Yves Saint Laurent Fingerprint Flap Bag is a clever and fun take on science and handbags.