Marc Jacobs Cosmic Croc Embossed Leather Tote, $1995 via Net-a-Porter

I’ve been visiting my family in Atlanta for the last week, and because of the relatively temperate weather we’ve been having the South, I’m having a hard time remembering that the intense part of winter has yet to come. I haven’t worn a coat of any kind for seven full days. It’s sunny and shiny and happy outside. Snow? What’s snow? I’ve never heard of snow.

That being said, that’s probably why I looked at the Marc Jacobs Cosmic Croc Embossed Leather Tote and thought, “Oh, how perfect to take on a swanky resort vacation or pair with a sundress or, you know, whatever as long as the weather’s warm!” Except that the weather isn’t going to be warm for, like, four or five months. Sigh. (more…)

When I think of Paco Rabanne, I think of drugstore perfume bottles, but that’s because I’m only 25 years old. Decades ago, Rabanne’s company was revered for its innovative techniques and forward-thinking costume design for movies as famous as Barbarella. After years of drugstore residence, the brand is trying to remake its public image and restore some of its former glory.

The Paco Rabanne Le 69 Icon Bag is part of that attempt, but I doubt it’ll help the cause. Although part of Rabanne’s signature was piecing garments together with rings, this bag looks like it was made from the little bits that fall to the bottom of my recycling bin, including plenty of pop-tops from Diet Coke cans. That’s why it’s the subject of this week’s Fill in the Blank, and you won’t believe the price – $10,400. Yes, you read that correctly.

Buy through Luisa via Roma, or finish the sentence we started in the comments. (more…)

Fendi Cracked Suede Baguette, $990 in blue or silver via Bergdorf Goodman

For an entire generation of women (of which I’m a part), the Fendi Baguette was the first It Bag to penetrate our collective consciousness. Indeed, many fashion people count its popularity as the dawn of the entire It Bag concept, and I probably have its existence to credit, at least in small part, to my current employment. In handbag history, the role of this little Fendi bag can’t be overstated.

Like anything, though, the heady days of Sex and the City passed and the Baguette fell out of favor to make way for the Chloe Paddington, the Fendi Spy and all the other must-have, “ungettable get” bags that followed. The fashion industry is endlessly cyclical, though, and eventually everything old is new again. Nearly 15 years after its launch, is it time for the Fendi Baguette’s second act? (more…)