January 2011 - PurseBlog

Try Yves Saint Laurent for a chic little shoulder bag

Jan 31, 2011 by Amanda Mull

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.

What’s In Her Bag: Diana Tsui of New York Mag

Jan 28, 2011 by Vlad Dusil

Hermes Birkin Club for S/S 2011

Jan 28, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

The Hermes Birkin is synonymous with classic. But what do you think about Hermesâ€™ take on the Birkin Club for Spring/Summer 2011?

Barneys Blooper: Proenza Schouler bag marked as Lanvin

Jan 28, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Today I caught a handbag-world mistake from one of our favorite stores, Barneys, in labeling a handbag as Lanvin when it is in fact a Proenza Schouler design.

Chanel Spring 2011 Pre-Collection will make traditionalists very happy

Jan 28, 2011Jan 28, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Any post about Chanel handbags always elicits a fair amount of grumbling from longtime fans of the French brand who feel that its handbags have grown too faddish or lost their traditional Chanel feel, and when you look at the last few collections, perhaps those folks do have a point. If you’re among them, though, I’d heartily advise you to take a look through Chanel Spring 2011 Pre-Collection Handbags, which contains less handbag gimmickry than most of us have grown accustomed to from Lagerfeld & Co. If these bags are an indication of what’s to come for spring, I bet I’ll know a lot of happy Chanel fans.

Fill in the blank: The Balenciaga Alphabet Tote is…

Jan 27, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

Fill in the blank in the comments section below: The Balenciaga Alphabet Tote is ___________.

Marc Jacobs Baroque Bags: Hot or Not?

Jan 27, 2011 by Amanda Mull

One of the biggest developments in handbag trends over the past few seasons has been the return of the reasonably sized handbag, called the “lady-scale” bag by some, in reference to the refined women who once carries purses of a similar size. Marc Jacobs was a major producer of giant, shoulder-aching handbags back when they were having their moment in the sun, but now that the entire spectrum of possible sizes is available retail, he’s downsized a bit with the Marc Jacobs Baroque Ingrid and the slightly more petite Marc Jacobs Baroque Faye. The big question, of course, is do you like them?

PurseBlog Asks: What item in your closet gets you the most compliments?

Jan 27, 2011 by Amanda Mull

A few evenings ago, I found myself in an interesting discussion on PurseForum started by a person wondering how often others are complimented by strangers. The incidence at which one is approached probably varies widely depending on the city you live in, lifestyle you have and general vibe that you give off, but I can’t … Read more

Take a sneak peek at Celine Pre-Fall 2011

Jan 27, 2011 by Amanda Mull

We normally wouldn’t publish photos of this quality, but Celine bags are so hard to get a handle on that any photographic evidence of what’s to come is welcome, no matter the spotty photographic skills of the camera phone-wielding person who likely took these shots. They apparently first appeared on the blog of European retailer Nathalie Schuterman and were then identified by sharp-eyed PurseForum members as a preview of Celine Pre-Fall 2011 handbags.

Because these photos appear to include several versions of the Celine Phantom Luggage Tote that’s being introduced for Pre-Fall 2011, we’re inclined to agree with that assessment of these shots, although they probably shouldn’t be considered comprehensive. Take a look at the larger shots after the jump and let us know which bags will be on your wishlist.

Want it Wednesday: Proenza Schouler Croc Keep All

Jan 26, 2011 by Megs Mahoney Dusil

We will be seeing much more of the Proenza Schouler Keep All bags for both spring and fall 2011. But once you show me this croc version, plain leather seems too bland.

Today, I’m thinking warm thoughts with Bottega Veneta

Jan 26, 2011 by Amanda Mull

Everyone has seasonal colors that they tend to favor, and to me, nothing goes better with summer than lime green. If you’ve taken a look through Bottega Veneta’s Spring 2011 collection, you know that Tomas Maier has set the brand up to be one of the season’s best sources for lime, chartreuse and all shades in between. So far, my favorite of the options available is the Bottega Veneta Vernicetta Pitone Tote. For this design, the famous Bottega leather is woven in a rustic, basket-style way, but what you see here is far more luxurious than anything made out of straw ever could be.

French GQ picks Fall 2011’s best manbags

Jan 26, 2011Jan 26, 2011 by Amanda Mull

The start out Couture Week signals the end of men’s Fall 2011 presentations, and since we are nowhere near as obsessed with manbags as we are with those carried by women, we thought it best to defer to the experts at GQ France to pick the best men’s accessories of the just-finished runway shows.

Some of these offerings, like crocodile from Burberry Prorsum and the fantastically structured Prada creation you see at left (not to mention Hermes, because Hermes never does anything wrong), are indeed worthy of superlatives. Others…not so much. Let us know which bags are your most and least favorites in the comments.