Handbags Fashion

Is there ever such a thing as too many sequins? That’s probably a fashion question for the ages, and it’s not one to which I can give you a definitive answer right now. Sequins are like chocolate – in some contexts, a little goes a long way; in others, too much is never enough. Now we just have to decide into which of those categories the Valentino Shiny Petale Tote falls.

I’m still a little undecided. On the one hand, the slightly-darker-than-champagne color is neutral enough to keep a bag like this elegant. On the other hand, the layered petals might be just a bit too much when covered in such a shiny material. Texture on top of texture is hard to do, and although this bag makes a valiant effort, it seems to fall a bit short.

From a distance, when the shine appears to be a leather effect instead of fistfuls of sequins, I thought that this fashion bag was kind of cool. I love it when designers handbags do unusual things to make leather look special, and I was all revved up to unleash a fit of sunshine in this review. That is, until I went to the bag’s product page and it became abundantly clear that there was no special leather to be found.

Perhaps I’m deducting a few extra points for my disappointment as a result, but it just seems like a cop-out for Valentino to take a bag they’ve been doing for seasons, cover it with sequins, and jack up the price. They employ some of the most talented accessories designers in the business, and although this isn’t bad, I expect better.

The Chloe Paddington “it bag” sensation was at its height. In fact, Vlad and I made a 6 hour both way drive to Munich to get one ourselves. Following the Paddington came the Silverado, which attempted to ride the wave. While the Silverado did not get as much attention as the Paddington, it did get our attention.

Chloe-Silverado-Python-Shoulder-Bag

And then one day the it-bag craze ended and the Paddington and Silverado slowly left our minds. So earlier this week when Amanda and I saw the Chloe Silverado pop up on Saks, it caused double and triple takes. Welcome back Silverado, not sure how much we missed you or wanted you back in our life, but you have arrived.

Amanda covered the leather Silverado and I’m bringing you the python version. Not much to report that hasn’t been covered before, other than this version is made with python skin. The price, relatively speaking, is not that absurd for a python bag.

We already saw this bag covered by Amanda, who really loved it. And now I found it in grey and I adore it. I have an admiration of grey handbags and this Michael Kors bag does not disappoint.

All I need is to see the bag in person and touch the leather handbags. Then I will know if I am totally sold on it. Because the price is amazing, under $800 for a calfskin bag with karung pulls. The leather is treated with a pearlized effect which gives a nice sheen to the bag. The other aspect that catches your eye is the multiple strands that twist into the shoulder strap. This gives a modern touch to an otherwise simple bag.

Michael-Kors-Tonne-Hobo

The Michael Kors Tonne Hobo is unexpected but welcomed. The hobo, measurements 14″W x 11″H x 3.75″D, and has a 9″ drop. The karung pulls are both on the front zip pockets of the bag, giving a nice separation to the hobo body. On the inside there is a zip pocket, cell phone pocket, and additional pockets. And I’ll get right back to the price, which finishes this bag with two thumbs up.

Prada-Saffiano-Soft-Frame-Clutch

I say a lot more negative things about Prada bags than I say positive, but I promise that I don’t have anything particular against the handbags brand(Prada). In fact, my first “designer” bag was a Prada crossbody bags, and I still have fond memories of it.

They’ve been doing more wrong than right in most of their high-profile bags lately, but they still make some great stuff that doesn’t grab as many headlines. I got a chance to examine a bunch of their bags up close this weekend, and I was particularly taken with the classic lines and superb construction of the Prada Saffiano Soft Frame Clutch.

Actually, “particularly taken” would be an understatement of my feelings. I’m in love with it – deep, inconvenient, all-encompassing love that I didn’t expect to find for a Prada replica bag. In my heart, that kind of love is usually reserved for Balenciaga or Valentino.

Please believe me when I say that the pictures don’t do this bag any sort of justice. I saw it in smooth black leather, which was ridiculously rich and perfect for this sort of oversized, take-anywhere, day-to-night clutch. It struck me as the sort of bag you’d look at and be able to tell that it was expensive, even if it had no logo. I’ll admit that it looks a bit boring in photos, but in your hand, it’s a great bag.

When I opened it up, I was even more pleased. The slightly retro, structured closure stands open to reveal a leather-lined interior (the black version has red, which is much more exciting than the taupe inside of the cream-colored version) with several pockets and enough space to hold more or less everything that you could put in a medium-sized shoulder bag. You probably wouldn’t want to fill it that full, but a little extra space in a clutch is never a bad thing.

Overall, I think I may have found the perfect clutch for me, and it was in one of the most unexpected places. Perhaps it was a cosmic reminder that in fashion, you should never count anyone out completely.

It looks like Christian Louboutin might finally be getting the hang of this whole handbag thing, finally. Christian, if you’re out there: it’s perfectly fine to do your best bag work right now in clutches. Once you start producing reliably in that arena, we can move on to bigger bags and concepts.

I believe in you, really I do, despite the fact that I’ve criticized many of your bags in the past (love your shoes though, natch). The Christian Louboutin Loubiday Nappa Clutch, for example? You’re showing tons of potential.

The whole look is just so pleasantly art deco. The soft, creamy nappa leather contrasts perfectly with the shiny black patent, and the inky black dots on either side of the center stripe provide a unique, restrained addition of visual interest. Plus, I really support the whole tiny-red-soled-shoes-as-a-clasp thing you’ve been doing for the past couple of season, Christian. It’s totally adorable.

Mulberry put on their Fall 2010 show in both NYC and London. The color palette was not muted neutrals like many other shows we saw, rather bold jewel toned colors, which was a welcomed change to many other shows we saw. The Mulberry show was playful and youthful, while still retaining a fashionable upper hand.

I was checking all of the photos and came across my favorite look from the show. This look appeals to me in every way possible.

Let’s start off with the color scheme. Purple is one of my favorite colors. Purple is a very flattering color on many people, and always seems to look good against my skin tone and coloring. The scarf has stripes of different hues of purples, almost blues, with large pom poms at the end. Of course there is the replica bag, which we can not miss. The grainy plum lambskin bag is the Mulberry Small Greta.

I have saved the best for last. Is anyone else extremely excited to see the adorable French Bulldog making his way down the runway, with a purple tonal sweater as well? Can I just say that finished off this look and made me fall in love. Of course I love the look without the bulldog included, but he is more than icing on the cake.

You know what I really appreciate? The return of the oversized clutch. I’ve got lots of keys, a keyless-entry fob for my car and a Blackberry with a case on it, all of which have to leave the house with me no matter what. I’ve encountered a fair number of miniscule handbags that wouldn’t have fit one of those items by itself, let alone all of them together – don’t even think about adding in a lipgloss or card case.

The designers at Miu Miu know my struggle, obviously, which is why they’ve been so kind as to create the Miu Miu Oversized Sequin Clutch. Finally, I can carry a sparkly little bag that’s not actually too little to be useful.

Miu Miu did a good job of keeping the colors of this clutch neutral so that it won’t overwhelm an outfit – when a replica bag is this big and this shiny, also choosing a statement color would perhaps be too much for a lot of potential customers. The subtle gold, silver and green variation could go nicely with a lot of different outfits without upstaging the other elements of an ensemble. In addition to all of that, if you need your hands free for something, it has an optional strap.

Marc-Jacobs

I’ll be blunt: Marc Jacobs is New York Fashion Week. It’s the show that everyone wants to go to and no one can stop talking about, and it may have produced more activity from the people I follow on Twitter than the Super Bowl. In a way, I suppose, it’s sort of the same thing, just for a vastly different group of people.

Marc had another right-on-time start this year, causing latecomer and heavyweight André Leon Talley to stand (the horror) to watch the show. And what a show it was – the reaction so far has been practically rhapsodic – fashion editors everywhere are panting and drooling like mere commoners! And why wouldn’t they be? It’s Marc Freakin’ Jacobs.

This collection may not have been particularly “innovative,” but it’s just like Jacobs to decide that innovation is passé and that he’ll do what he pleases, regardless of the buzzwords overtaking the rest of fashion. There were retro references to his own classics like the grunge collection for Perry Ellis and various other items from fashion gone by, like Peter Pan collars, classic trench coats and long casual skirts.

The entire collection was rendered in a palette of subdued neutrals, featuring heavily shades of beige and grey. To remind us all that this was still extremely expensive clothing, there were plenty of lush materials like sequins, fur and velvet (which seems to be the fabric of the week). I’m not salivating quite as hungrily over the collection as many of my compatriots, but it’s hard to look at these clothes and not acknowledge that Marc Jacobs is an utterly masterful designer and creative thinker. Ok, I lied. I’m totally salivating, in particular over all the sparkly gunmetal pieces. I bet I didn’t have anyone fooled for a second.

It is sometimes hard to believe that Halston’s ticket to fame came when the company’s founder, Roy Halston Frowick, designed the pillbox hat Jacqueline Kennedy wore to her husband’s 1961 presidential inauguration. The company today, with London-based designer Marios Schwab currently holding the creative reins, is most famous for its sensual dresses and simple, yet chic handbag designs. Many fashionistas find themselves longing for the effortless glamor that only Halston can deliver. Unfortunately, most Halston pieces lie far beyond the reach of an average gal’s budget.

halston-clothing

But not to worry ladies! In case you haven’t already heard, this legendary label just recently launched a diffusion line. Introducing Halston Heritage! It is through this line that the company will be reinventing some of its archive pieces and marketing them at a lower price point. Wait… the effortlessly elegant silhouettes of Halston at prices we all can afford? Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me!

So what are my favorite pieces so far? I absolutely love the Metallic Night Shoulder Bag and Sequined Evening Frame Clutch  that you see pictured here!

Both are just so lovely and perfect for an evening out! I really love how these simple designs were paired with some sort of sparkly adornment. So pretty!

Ladies and gents, I need you to weigh in here. I cannot decide whether or not this Yves Saint Laurent handbag is genius or simply not enough for what you are paying for.

Yves Saint Laurent is one of those brands, one of those brands that is almost always worth a second look. This is the case because the first look might take you in the wrong direction, but the second look, the second look could reveal sheer genius. While I want that to be the case here, I just don’t think that is the case.

The thing about the Yves Saint Laurent Yes Large Leather Bag is that it actually is a bit of genius. It is the kind of day-to-day genius that so many bags lack sometimes. This bag is slouchy, yet structured. The colors are neutral, yet versatile. But, is it worth the price? I love handbags, I really do. And I have no problem spending big bucks on a bag I love, but is this bag worth it’s price tag?

The olive-green leather tote has a contrast pale-green leather trim and two pale green handles. You might not be able to tell, but if you press the studs at the side, you can actually adjust the size of the handles – always a nice, understated detail. Clearly the replica bag is functional, and it is also fashionable, but I am stuck on the price. I can see tons of women carrying this bag and loving it – loving it for seasons to come, but I have some reservations.