December 2010 - Page 3

Elie Tahari has another winner, this time for the party circuit

May 9, 2011Dec 21, 2010 by Amanda Mull

We’ve talked a lot about party bags lately, but the best bet for a party bag is always to find one that you can use for a variety of festivities, not just New Year’s Eve and the odd cocktail party that you may or may not attend a couple times per year. In those instances, it’s better to go with metallic leather than for something silk or covered in beading or crystals because not only will the clutch be more useful for a wider variety of events, but it will also be more durable.

Enter the Elie Tahari Avery Shoulder Bag. I’ve been a big cheerleader for Tahari’s accessory line since its inception, and this cute little bag is yet another piece that makes me glad that the company started making bags.

Holiday Tag Post – Join me and share your answers!

Dec 20, 2010 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Are any of you YouTubers? There is this entirely separate YouTube world roaming on the internet. We have a channel that is updated very sporadically but we are planning to create more videos in the upcoming year.

Anyhow, one of my good friends, Elle Fowler, is a YouTube beauty guru under the name AllthatGlitters21. In the world of YouTube, ‘Tag’ videos are huge. While I was chatting with Elle, she told me she was finishing filming a Holiday Tag Video (here is hers). The premise is you answer a bunch of questions and tag other YouTubers, hence this being called a tag video (or post for our purposes). For a bit of something different for PurseBlog, I decided to answer this tag and share it with you all. I added a few questions and tweaked the questions to be for Christmas (which is what I celebrate), but you can change the questions to be for the holiday you celebrate. Join me and share your answers in the comments section!

The Tory Burch Dean Hobo is still a great everyday bag

May 9, 2011Dec 20, 2010 by Amanda Mull

Normally, it doesn’t take me long to get sick of looking at a bag. Not only do I spend 40 hours a week sifting through bag photos, which is enough to create design ennui in anyone, but I’m very much a “on to the next one” type of girl anyway. For some reason, though the Tory Burch Dean Hobo has stuck with me.

It’s not that this bag is some sort of monumental triumph of design; in fact, it’s pretty simple and not all that exciting. But for some reason, it just looks like a bag that I’d really enjoy carrying, particularly in this new oversized version. When you combine that with a subtle metallic sheen, silver hardware and a sub-$500 price point, I’m honestly kind of shocked that I don’t have one yet.

If you’re getting married in the spring, get your Valentino wedding clutch now

Dec 20, 2010 by Amanda Mull

I’ve never planned a wedding, but as I understand it, the process seems to turn many mild-mannered women into raging, clawing, howling Bridezillas. The ones who don’t morph, Hulk-like, into wedding monsters have nervous breakdowns. And as someone’s who’s rather detail-averse (as opposed to being detail-oriented, which is what it says on my resumÃ©. Lies!), I can understand why; if I had to try and wrangle that many different facets of an event at once, I’d probably need to be carted off to the loony bin too.

For any of you in the throws of the process, I have at least one thing that you can mark off your list: a wedding bag. The Valentino Floral AppliquÃ© Satin Clutch is perfect for a warm-weather ceremony and will look marvelous in the stylized accessory photos that everyone seems to be taking these days. If you’re going to have one of your handbags documented for posterity on one of the most important days of your life, make sure it’s a fabulous one.

Shop the Shopbop.com Fashion Insiders’ Wish Lists

Dec 19, 2010 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

All of the wish lists are now live on Shopbop, so if you didnâ€™t see mine and or want to see the rest, go take a look now!

Look for Less: Crossbody Pouch

Dec 17, 2010 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

My new obsession: crossbody pouch bags. I seriously have been living in my Rebecca Minkoff BF Pouch bag. I toss my things in there and throw it over my shoulder or wear it crossbody. I love the smaller size, the lack of needing to use my hands to hold the bag, and it seems to work well for my personal style. We told you that Proenza Schouler released a line of crossbody pouch bags, and even when I saw this I was tickled pink. That is right, I just said tickled pink. I still adore the original PS1, but my crossbody smaller pouch obsession runs much deeper right now.

I have the Proenza Schouler Crossbody Pouch along with the bag I am currently carrying from Rebecca Minkoff picked out as my two favorite crossbody bags (with very different prices).

Rebecca Minkoff gets in on the haircalf trend

May 9, 2011Dec 17, 2010 by Amanda Mull

Haircalf is such a versatile bag trend that it’s only a matter of time before it makes its way around to more or less every designer on the face of the planet, and I for one couldn’t be happier. Not only does it provide texture without looking messy or too “furry,” but the presence of haircalf also often means that designers are willing to play with pattern, as with the Rebecca Minkoff Haircalf Boyfriend Mini Bag.

Something about the material just makes stripes, spots and animal prints seem so appropriate, and any way to get more print and texture into an outfit is a way that I approve.

Gift Guides 2010: Young & Edgy

Dec 17, 2010 by Amanda Mull

Whether you’re trying to buy a gift for someone that’s young in age or just young at heart, picking the perfect present for a woman who’s on the cutting edge of fashion and trends can be a bit of a task. The style world moves quickly, and if you’re not paying attention to this particular sector all year long, dipping in for a few Christmas gifts might seem impossible. If you find yourself in need of some expert suggestions, we present the latest installment in our Gift Guides 2010 series, with options ranging from a mere $25 to over a grand.

I still love the Yves Saint Laurent Muse II. Do you?

Dec 16, 2010 by Amanda Mull

I have a little confession to make: I was never all that big of a fan of the Yves Saint Laurent Muse. Yes, it was a major It Bag back in the mid-2000s and still endures as a favorite today, but it just never really tickled my fancy in the same way that other popular bags from that era did. The Yves Saint Laurent Muse II, however? I’ve always loved it unconditionally, and seeing this lovely red version for spring confirms that those feelings show no signs of abating.

I’m not sure what makes me love this bag so much. The propensity for the design to come in multicolor versions? Its vaguely nautical lines? The lovely way it sags when carried on the arm? I don’t know, but I’m not so concerned with the knowing as I am with the having.

The Louis Vuitton Cruise 2011 lookbook is out and it is gorgeous

Dec 16, 2010 by Amanda Mull

As if we needed another reason to have mid-winter vacation dreams, the Louis Vuitton Spring 2011 lookbook is out and it reads like a 1960s Palm Springs road trip fantasy. The clothes are lovely and wearable, the bags are covetable, and the scenery looks much more inviting than what’s going on outside my window right now. If you’re in the mood to be jealous on a whole variety of levels, we have many more pictures after the jump.

Marc by Marc Jacobs makes a perfectly giftable wallet

Nov 14, 2013Dec 16, 2010 by Amanda Mull

Buying a bag for someone can be a bit difficult; although purses don’t have to “fit,” in the traditional sense of the word, most women have very specific preferences and picadillos about how their bags will be filled and carried.

Some people harbor those same preferences when it comes to wallets, but since they’re not something that has to hang on your arm all day, every day, some sort of money-holder is probably a safer gift. If you’ve still got someone on your list, perhaps consider the Marc by Marc Jacobs Saddlery Continental Wallet.

January Jones is the new face of Versace accessories

Dec 15, 2010 by Amanda Mull

Fans of Mad Men and Versace accessories alike should be excited by this news: Betty Draper herself, January Jones, has been photographed by famed camera-wielder Mario Testino as the new face of Versace’s accessories.

And if you’re a red-carpet watcher, you’re probably not surprised. January has been wearing some of the brand’s more esoteric creations to any and all events for as long as I can remember, including several dresses given to the actress by Donatella herself. Since she also fits the brand’s requirements of being blonde and sexy, it was only a matter of time before we saw January in print. And I’m not complaining; Mrs. Draper was a model before she was an actress, and these photos are nothing if not beautiful. Larger shots, after the jump.