Designer Handbags

Happy Monday everyone! Waking up to this scorching day has been anything but fun. I was contemplating taking a cab rather than the Subway because I thought I might have a heat stroke down there - but at 8:30am, it was ok. This afternoon will be a different story, with temperatures reaching into the 100s!! For a hot day like today, you need to pull off a cool look. This model has it all right. Sporting Ella Moss Madison shorts (which I have, yay!), a Hanky Panky Signature Lace Lined Cami, and topping it off with a white Kooba Carla Bag, this look goes down in my book as perfect for a dauntingly hot summer day. The Kooba Carla has never made it on the top of my favorite list, but recently I have seen it around and it has grown on me quite a bit. This white leather handbag shows off braided banding and metal eyelet detail on the top along with a knot and tassel detail on the front. Connecting the bag with the braided handle are large metal buckles. Finishing off the bag is a magnetic snap closure and two interior pockets. Buy this bag via Shop Bop for a sale price of $325 (also you can find the rest of the look there).

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Lately I have been feeling that my style is more subtle and understated. I go through phases I suppose. The Hogan Large Scout Bag screams out perfect fit and style when I see it. This handbag shows off a understated yet bold vachetta leather with chocolate trim and silver metal hardware. I am a huge fan of the long shoulder strap with buckles and rings. Some bags fit great under the arm when they are empty, but load that sucker up and your arm sits uncomfortably. Measuring 11″H x 16 1/2″W x 4 1/2″D, Hogan shows that understated style can still be chic. Available via Bergdorf Goodman for $695.

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And after red, comes white (duhhh). So for our first white bag of the day we have the Carlos Falchi Deerskin Double Pocket Hobo. Don’t give me a hard time, I know it is ivory, but it is close enough no? This hobo is made with supple deerskin leather and is put together with tonal topstitching and a woven shoulder strap. I love the simple front drawstring pockets. This hobo measures 12″H x 12.5″W x 5″D and is available through Neiman Marcus for $995.

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While I do love animals, I need to keep in mind that this site is about bags. Ah yes, purses are my desire and love. I am pretty sure most of us are feeling the summer heat already and the summer heat calls for colors and fun when you accessorize. While not all of Isabella Fiore’s designs are my favorite, some are over the top in my opinion, some are tastefully ornate. The Isabella Fiore Large Embroidered Hobo shows off an intricate floral beaded design in both turquoise and brown which offsets the tan woven body. Fiore accents the floral design with leather and embroidered trim along with antiqued brass hardware. I am not a huge fan of open top bags, but with a large hobo like this, measuring 16 1/2″H x 15″W x 4″D, the bag will fold over itself. On the inside there is a cell-phone pocket, pocket for pens and pencils, and key pockets. This fun bag is available through Bergdorf Goodman for $725.

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Our good friend Toni over at Hayden Harnett shot me an email yesterday, letting us know about their super fabulous new summer styles. For our readers, Toni also decided to throw in a 15% discount on all of their products. Gotta love deals! Just use the discount code “BPT2532″ during checkout, and you’re all set!

First of the Karanina in embroidered twill and straw:

Secondly, the Malia City Basket:

And last, but not least, the Nico xxHobo… a real winner in my book!

More Nico colors after the jump!

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For the end of the week, you guys will all be stuck with me. Horrible, I know. Mrs PurseBlog Herself Megs is taking a beauty break from the blog, the poor thing’s spent and needs some time off. Nothing easier than that! I’ll be more than happy to grant her that wish. I love her, afterall. And in the meanwhile, I will entertain you the best way I can. To start things off on a funky side, I’ve hunted down this colorful and fun spring number from Stella McCartney. This suede hobo measures 15.2 Inches by 5.1 Inches by 10.1 Inches, and comes in a wild color mixture of baby boy blue, purple, red and yellow. I think Stella did a pretty good job, the bag does not seem too overdone with the colors and the combination does please my eyes without giving me seizures. The hobo has got a zip closure, external and internal pocket space and comes with a contrasting strap, which measures 16-some inches in length. Granted, it’s not everyone’s taste, but I like it. And for just under $250, this hobo may just find a few more fans among our readers. Via Yoox!

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From time to time it is so much fun to be a totally girly girl. To feminize, accessorize, and dress up is more than fun for most ladies. Yes men, it is true and I won’t deny it. Most females love to play dress up. Along with dress up come the girly accessories. One of my favorite colors to work with when I am feeling girly is pink. Yes, I obviously am Captain Obvious. For some reason this not too feminine but perfectly cute pink bag has me feeling very girly today. The Paul Smith Regent Mangrove Crescent Medium Hobo is a preppy yet simple bag that “evokes a bohemian spirit of adventurous wanderlust”. That line was too good not to quote. Trimmed with brown leather and white topstitching, the pink canvas with the Regent Mangrove print flows perfectly. On the front there are two pockets, one closing with a buckle and the other with leather ties. There is antiqued brass hardware, ecru linen lining, and a magnetic snap closure. Overall this hobo measures 17″ x 8″ x 3.5″ and is so simple but is calling my name. Whether it be the pink or the print or all of the above, I love this bag. Available via eLuxury for $745.

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Every girl is supposed to love pink. Growing up I was not one of the little girls who enjoyed being pretty in pink. Today that is a different story. But there is a breaking point for me, and this bag is it. As much as I love pink and love the Audra, I do not love the combination of the two. The Isabella Fiore “Whip Flashback” Audra Hobo in Pink has been revamped from the original with supple Italian cowhide with a slight gold metallic pink marbling. I might even consider the bag if it were not looking glossy. The glossy finish looks cheap to me. As far as the studding goes, the brass studs from the original have been replaced and now the stud detailing is enameled the same color pink as the rest of the bag. I can’t say that using a different color hardware would be better, in fact it may be worse, but the pink enamel also does not do it for me. The rest of the hardware is brass and the inside is lined in cotton. Pink is a color that I use often in my wardrobe and the Audra is a bag I love, but this combo I will not be seeing anytime soon for myself. Buy it through Adasa for $450.

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It has been a while since Viewer’s Choice Monday has graced us all with its presence! (Don’t forget to email me or post in the forum what you would like to see!!!) Thanks to Heidi for writing in for her choice. Heidi has been reading long enough to know that I am not the biggest fan of Fiore, but wants to know my opinion on this Fiore bag. The Isabella Fiore Cut-Out Leather Hobo is not completely my taste, but is definitely one of the better Fiore’s I have seen in a while. The cut-out style of this bag adds some dimension and evens out the possibility of the bag being too over-the-top. For the underlay, there is bronze which shows through the cutouts and perforations. On top of the underlay is, of course, the overlay (lame attempt at a joke, I know) of brown Italian leather with tan topstitching and vintage brass hardware and stud accents. Pulling the bag together is a zip top with tassel ( I think I would chop the tassel off, it is too much for me), shoulder strap with rings, a tab with a buckle at the bag’s base, and measures 10″H x 17 1/2″W x 2″D. Do you like the bag? Let both Heidi and I know! If you do, buy this through Neiman Marcus for $465.

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For whatever reason I always thought that buying the more expensive product meant it was better. An example is when I would go to the hardware store for a specific ‘thing’. As much as I’d love to be the trendy girl that could make sense of the hardware store, I can’t. Ask Vlad, he could go on for days about it. So when I would go into the store, if there is more than one option I always go for the more expensive one. In my head, I figure that the more expensive product must be better. Later on I find out that is not always true. And everyday I realize it is also not always true with fashion. Thanks to Luxist for pointing out that a price tag of $2100 does not mean the bag looks better than a bag for $1000. Thanks to Luxist, we have found our fug bag for the week. The Jimmy Choo Nubuck Hobo with Crystals is overwhelmingly adorned with Swarovski crystals which are on top of smooth nubuck leather. The bag is perfectly explained by Luxist, saying that the bag “takes a couple of different trends; the hobo shape, all-over ornamentation, and dangling zippers and combines them to eye-paining effect.” Exactly my thoughts! Nevertheless the bag measures 7½”H X 10″L X 3″W and is available for those of us who love some bling bling via Saks for $2100.

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