You can’t always be practical, right? Sometimes you need a little sparkle or a little bit of embellishment to make your days (and your outfit) a little brighter. In these cases the Karen Millen Studded Handle Bag will do quite nicely.
The light colored leather makes this bag casual enough to go with everything and the gold and silver studded handle gives it enough pizazz to make it stand out in a sea of tan leather. Not sure how comfortable it would be to carry, but that’s beside the point. We’re trying to not be practical here.
You can buy the Karen Millen Studded Handle Bag at Karen Millen, originally $350 and marked down to $199.
I don’t usually like bags made from PVC and I don’t often like animal print but somehow this Marc by Marc Jacobs Franny Animal-print PVC tote does them both well. The print is lively but neutral enough that you won’t tire of it too quickly. Also, the print is a brilliant choice for the PVC material as it has a nice sheen without looking cheap.
This bag will look great with jeans and a solid colored tee and can take you from summer into early fall. It also comes with my new favorite bag addition: the detachable shoulder strap. You can buy it at Net-a-Porter for $330.
Although I understand the daintiness of a clutch, I have decided I am more of a wristlet type of girl. I lose things too often to not have them strapped to me. Wristlets are perfect for a night out because they don’t have to be so small as to fit in your palm, but are generally are still sized to fit your phone, keys, and credit card and not much else.
I have a green leather wristlet that I bought at the Gap about 10 years ago. For my starving college self, $40 was a stretch to spend on it, but the purchase has proven worth it. I carry it everywhere. The only thing that might replace my trusty green purse is this: the Tory Burch Distressed Metallic Leather Wristlet.
This came in a deep blue color that I can’t find anywhere but you can get the rose gold and silver, both pretty stunning, from Neiman Marcus.
Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere has collaborated with Coach to design a handbag and it’s now available for sale! I’m a little crazy for this purse. I like the pearly pink leather and the chain detailing and the size and pretty much everything else about it. From reading Cupcakes and Cashmere it seems like this Coach purse is a great representation of Emily’s personality and her aesthetic.
If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. There are only around 200 New Emily’s Satchels available and you can buy yours here.
UPDATE: This link is no longer working so I think the C & C bag is sold out. I wish they’d make more.
I have pretty much always been rooted in the backpacks should not be purses camp. I feel that backpacks are for school books and traveling through Europe but do not make stylish handbags.
Even backpacks from big names like Louis Vuitton and Prada have not changed my mind. But then I saw this on Camp Comfort.
I instantly loved this Baggu Backpack! I am not sure why I am suddenly willing to throw my no backpack rules out the window but I am! The Baggu Backpack is made of recycled cotton canvas and comes in 9 bright and beautiful colors. The best part is that it is only $28.
I see a Baggu Backpack in my future. How about you?
My husband would say that I am a little tote bag crazy. Okay, tote bag obsessed. What he doesn’t get is that tote bags are the workhorses of the bag world. You can use one to pack for a trip, you can take your lunch to work in one, you can saunter home from the market with a tote bag full of bread and wine. And of course each of these tasks needs the perfect tote bag.
I have all shapes and sizes and if I added one more tote to my collection, I think it would be this one-the Tory Burch Small Jaden Tote.
I love the dark purple shade and the simplicity of the leather accents. This is the Audrey Hepburn of tote bags. Chic, simple and not at all intimidating. The canvas is rugged enough to take to the beach but the design is classy enough to carry on a date.
You can buy the Tory Burch Small Jaden Tote at Nordstrom for $195.
I saw this purse on the British site The Bag Lady and I was instantly drawn to it. The cut outs give it a nice boho vibe but the metallic backing keeps it from looking too Woodstock. I think I also like it because the cut outs remind of the spirograph I had when I was young. Anyone else have a spirograph?
It is made of polyurethane, not leather, so it is machine washable but I wonder how good it looks in person. You can buy it from Miss Selfridge for about $40 including shipping and they have a very fair return policy. Someone let me know if you buy it because I’d love to get your opinion on the materials.
PLUS…
Amazon.com is having another great sale. 35% off orders of $80 or more on select Big Buddha, Puma, Calvin Klein and Melie Bianco purses. Offer good for today and tomorrow with most bags eligible for free shipping.
Need a simple but stylish bag that will go with everything? Take a look at the Halston Heritage Metallic Canvas Sac Bag. The beautiful gold tone is stand-out but not blinding and the single strap shape is simple enough to go with a sundress but chic enough to take into evening. This Halston bag is available from Saks for $175.
