In My Bag
I love my ethnic bohemian styles as much as the next girl, maybe even more, which is why I am absolutely ga-ga over this Gucci Tapestry Hysteria tote!  I love anything that has personality, and craftsmanship, especially when it makes you feel like you're carrying a little piece of vacation on your arm. This is a perfect example of a bag that doesn't need any design gimmick, intricate logo, or heavy hardware to make it stand out. There is something vintage, and delicate yet sturdy about it. This is just one variation available, Gucci has other styles and shapes in tapestry for Fall and it was tough for me to pick one. You can choose your favorite, and pre-order it directly from the Gucci site. The Hysteria tote as shown is $1295, and scheduled to be shipped between 9/30 and 10/15. I know, $1295 may seem very steep for a fabric bag, but this also happens to be an instance where the Gucci style is itself a knock-off, or rather, inspired, by a classic style of bag. You can easily find other carpetbags most often in Victorian or ethnic prints. Carpetbags.com is one site that has some beautiful styles, check out the Henry in mulberry...it's gorgeous!
It seems that even the most virtuous of handbag labels can take a stumble and come up with a style worthy of a bonfire. Can-do-no-wrong Chloe is trotting out the Joan bucket bag in an assortment of colors and skins as it's new hot style, but this is no Paddington, or Bay, or even bulky Saskia. I dub it the Joan of Aack! Hobo.  Shaped like a boxing glove, and fashioned from muddy colored strips, this version (it is available in python as well) already looks dull and old, like something your beauty-parlor shopping aunt dug out from the closet to show you that everything she owns doesn't have rhinestones...and that she just has bad taste. The belt around the top has a drop of chicness, but it is misplaced here, and the zipper on the bottom compartment seems to be gimmicky. Stripes, which seemed fresh a while back, and playful as recently as this past Summer from Prada lately make me think of street vendors whose tables are awash in copies of the aforementioned Prada hobos, and all the variations of Dolce and Gabbana's striped hobo ( note: the bag linked is not authentic, and being used as an example...I'm not promoting it AT ALL)...though I have a feeling that those tables are exactly where I will be seeing a bag looking like the Joan Hobo show up the most...and for far less than the $1515 price the real thing carries. I dislike this bag so much, that I can not even in good conscience list a retailer...if you disagree, and must have one, you can always Google it yourself.
I don't often pay attention to Kenneth Cole. I remember about 25 or 20 years ago, they were the only shoes I ever wore, but for some reason the company fell off my radar (in spite of their still fabulous ad campaigns). Then I saw a terrific looking handbag in an ad, so I went searching for it, naturally, on the Kenneth Cole website. And there it was, right on the opening page, but alas, that was the only place it was. Not on the handbag pages, not even on the new arrivals. But since I was looking anyway, I paid attention, and a few bags caught my eye.  The Spellbinding hobo, in a super shade of gray washed leather that takes on an almost elephant like appearance. Something about it reminds me of another bag, maybe it was a Chloe camera bag from a few years back (my memory is muddled lately, feel free to e-mail me if you know what I am thinking of), but it has small touches that make it appear to be more expensive than it is. The rolled handle, for example, is just a tiny detail you might not even notice at first glance, but there it is, interesting, and artfully finished off with a tiny buckled binding. The bag is pretty wide, and has a magnetically closed flap pocket on the front, and a top zipper for the main compartment which has the usual assortment of pockets. From the few Kenneth Cole bags i have handled over the years, I would expect the quality to be decent, and definitely worthy of the reasonable $228 price tag. The Spellbinding Hobo can be purchased from Kenneth Cole, where you can currently get $50 off a purchase of $250 or more...maybe add a shiny red wallet for $29.97!
One of the things that has kept me from skiing all these years is the lack of suitable handbag gear for carrying on the slopes. Well, not really (it's a husband afraid of heights and snowy mountains) but still, Moncler, purveyor of super chic ski clothing has also sensed the dearth of such an item.  The Oversized Puffer Tote is made from the same quality materials as Moncler sport gear, and like their ski jackets, even filled with down (point of note, I have a Moncler jacket and it has never shed a feather, so there won't be any talk of loose feathers flying) Seriously, what is the point? I mean, it's cute in a tongue in cheek sort of way, but considering it is priced like Moncler garb, read: very expensive, not that cute. At $975, there are way too many bags I would rather drop my cash on than one that will only add heft to my Michelin Man winter appearance. But, I know there are snow bunnies out there for whom this would be an adorable addition to their apres ski wardrobe. They can click on over to Intermix and pick up their own Moncler Oversized Puffer Tote.
It can be so hard to find a clean and classic handbag these days...add on criteria like super fashionable, and uncommon, and you'll really be hard pressed. 3 sisters from New York are determined to change all that. The Magnes Sisters have crafted a line of handbags that are chic, understated, and elegant, but by no means wall flowers.  Mr Big, is a super slim, folded clutch style. I love the unisex feel it has, almost like a vintage 70s YSL smoking jacket...the short chain is evocative of a pocket watch fob. But, unfold it, and it's a cool short tote with an attached key chain and details, like a front pocket that were previously hidden. This would be the perfect accessory to punch up all the slouchy newsboy styles that are already appearing in stores for Fall! It comes in 7 great colors, but my favorite is the indigo. It's a reasonable $297 from Magnes Sisters. Another style that is Grace Kelly cool (and cooly named) is the Dry Martini.  A perfect day to evening clutch, this is the sort of bag you find yourself pulling from the closet time and again...it is that perfect. From the peekaboo handle on the flap, to the flat pleating and stitching it will look sharp and elegant with almost anything from jeans to a suit. A short chain strap can be tucked away, left to dangle, or used to free up your hands. It comes in a variety of neutral and metallic leathers, and can be purchased for $224 also from Magnes Sisters directly.
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