Month: June 2010

From time to time around these parts, we tackle the somewhat tricky issue of diaper bags – do you go for a pattern or a solid? Leather or nylon? High-end or practical? The same one no matter what you’re wearing or several different ones to coordinate with your outfits? As I always feel compelled to mention in these posts, I’m single and without children, so I’ve never had to make these decisions for myself, which makes your input in the comments all the more important.

If I was looking to spend a little money on a fun diaper bag right now, though, the Kate Spade Union Square Stevie Baby Bag would be a strong contender – it’s patterned to hide wear but not too girly, and animal prints (particularly those involving black) look right at home in my wardrobe.

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Usually, elegant little box clutches are the sole province of ultra high-end companies like Bottega Veneta and Alexander McQueen, who have turned their knot and skull clutches, respectively, into collector’s items and must-have evening bags.

For whatever reason, “contemporary” brands seem more reticent to step in to that particular bag market, despite the fact that McQueen’s skull clutches all but proved that the shape can be updated for a younger audience. Now one of the segment’s biggest labels is taking a shot at it: is the Diane Von Furstenberg Lytton Minaudiere Clutch a sign of more to come from the brand’s young bag line?

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Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the pursuit of the Next Big Thing and not give enough credit to the classic designs that every woman should have represented in her closet. I’m guilty of it as well, but while we’re in the summer dregs of the fashion cycle, I thought it’d be nice to revisit some classic shapes and consider why they’ve earned such a widely appreciated spot in our wardrobes.

First up, we’ve got a clean-lined black leather tote, which is a bag that almost every woman has owned in some version over the course of her mature life. The DKNY Work Shopper Bag in particular is a reasonably priced iteration that I would be proud to take to work (you know, if I had a real job that required me to get dressed in something other than gym shorts.)

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