I’ve always loved Balenciaga‘s motorcycle bags for men, but I always hear the same criticism of them from dudes, gay or straight, who are concerned about looking masculine – they look too much like the women’s bags to be distinctly male. And really, that’s fair – there have been times when I’ve questioned whether a particular shape belonged to the men’s or women’s collection, and with Balenciaga’s signature grommets, buckles and zippers on everything, it’s genuinely hard to tell what’s what.

It looks as though Balenciaga has heard those concerns loud and clear, at least if the Balenciaga Wide Leather Messenger is any indication. That’s why it’s the subject of this week’s Man Bag Monday – this bag keeps the Balencaiga feel but adds a healthy dose of masculinity for regular dudes who want a nice bag. (Or for fashionable ladies who want to treat their regular dude to something special.) (more…)

Mulberry Small Bayswater, $1100 via Net-a-Porter

Ever since the launch of the Alexa, Mulberry has been on a roll. With the company’s penchant for punched-up basics that don’t break the bank quite as badly as some of the similarly covetable handbags on the market, Mulberry has found themselves uniquely well-positioned with a group of young, stylish, upwardly mobile customers that can’t get enough of their bags.

And what do young, stylish, upwardly mobile customers want lately? Crossbodies. Enter the Mulberry Small Bayswater, a slightly more diminutive version of the Mulberry classic that offers a carrying option that no other Bayswater has included thus far. (more…)

Jimmy Choo Whipstitched Fur Crossbody, $1336 via Neiman Marcus

When I discovered the Jimmy Choo Whipstitched Fur Crossbody on Neiman Marcus’s sale page (naturally) last night, my brain flooded with innumerable questions. Why had I never seen this bag before? Surely it had been around for a while if it’s now on the sale page? I trawl Neiman Marcus for things to write about nearly every day, how did I miss it? Did it go directly to the sale page, do not pass go, do not collect $200? Might this be the most heinously awful crime against humanity that I’ve ever seen from a major handbag brand, or is it too hilarious to really be bad? (more…)