Designer Handbags

… Literally. Gwen Stefani is no doubt known for her singing, her hot hubby, her baby Kingston, and of course her fashion line, L.A.M.B. Stefani has colleborated with Tim Schifter to introduce L.A.M.B Luxurious Line of Handbags that will hit Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel’s, Holt-Renfrew in Canada, eluxury.com, and in a select group of specialty stores like Intermix. The luxe line will contain 33 different styles of handbags. Schifter describes the bags as follows:

The bags themselves are closer to the European luxury feeling than the American contemporary handbag category. I think they’re highly differentiated but priced in the contemporary. Gwen’s unique personal take on fashion incorporated her signature elements like Rasta colors and the old English lettering. For spring, we’re incorporating velvet into the collection. For this first launch, there are two collections-the Signature collection and the leather collection which is called Love.

Stefani’s style is very edgy and colorful and I look forward to seeing more of what she has in store for us. Already sporting one of her new bags with Rasta colors, Gwen is making sure we all see how hot her new line of bags will be. Gwen is most likely using this bag to carry Kingston’s goodies while she spends the day with her little man and hubby.

{via The Daily Fashion}

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While I have no idea who Paris Hilton’s new friend in the picture is (feel free to educate me), I sure know the fab bag that she’s sporting during their shopping spree. It’s no secret that I’ve turned into a Louis Vuitton bags lover! Obviously, being a fresh enthusiast, I had to educate myself about their whole lineup of bags. The bag in the picture is the Louis Vuitton Stamped GM, from LV’s recent Stamped Collection. Vuitton remembers back to their days as a trunk and luggage manufacturer with the big stamped trunk and bags house logo that’s been used since 1905. The GM is a spacious handbag in suede calf leather with double-zippered pocket and pressed stud detail. The inside is lined in LV’s signature monogram micro lining. What a beauty. I am not sure about the price, but my good guess would be something past $2k. As always, you can grab your authentic Louis Vuitton handbags only at eLuxury.com.

Update:The gal in question is Kim Kardashian, thanks bagbragger. I still have no clue who she is. Nor do I really feel like I’ll miss out on much if I’ll never know.

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You know how I said equestrian is in style now? Even Juicy Couture is trying to appear rugged to fit in with the rest of the handbag bunch. the folks over at Luxist and I are on the same page that this Juicy Bag may say it is intended for books but Juicy’s ornate image does not coincide with this distressed bag and school books. Either way, I may need to be slapped across the face, because I still kind of like it. The Juicy Couture Canvas Messenger Bag is made with green distressed canvas and made with frayed edges to give a rugged look. There is golden hardware and a front flap with tie closure. Sling this 14″H x 14″W messenger style bag across your body and go on with your bad self out in the stylish world we live in. Buy it through Neiman Marcus for $295.

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You may be allergic to horses, but like them or not Equestrian is ‘in’ for fall. While shopping today I saw a plethora of horsebits, buckles, ‘riding’ boots, and horseshoes. While I never rode in shows, I did ride from time to time. I like to remember myself being great- but what I truly remember is when my horse spoofed and subsequently my sister got bucked off her horse. It is not funny, but it makes me chuckle. Banana Republic wants in on the horsing around with its addition of the Banana Republic Chatham Large Saddle Bag. This saddle bag can be worn across the body with its adjustable strap and 14″ drop. The saddle bag stands out with contrast stitching and brass hardware. The equestrian chic ladies can not go without thick bridle leather, twill lining, and lots of pockets (inside and out). The dimensions are 11″ x 13″ x 3″. Over the years I have witnessed Banana Republic bags transform from ordinary to extraordinary. Nab this bag while it is still affordable, because I assure you it is a sure hit for fall. Via Banana Republic for $278.

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While the man has been holding down the Purse Blog fort, I have been holding down a completely different fort. Tropical Storm Ernesto passed by us like a typical South Florida Thunderstorm and nothing much worse. For that we are super thankful. Now while Ernesto makes his way to the Carolina Shore, we have to keep those folks in mind. To ease my nerves I always eat or shop. Both are not the best way to handle stress, but at least the latter does not make my pant shopping experience less pleasurable. It seems like summer has flown by and we are already back to Autumn. One thing that keeps repeating itself for this Fall is ruffles. For a perfect ruched/ruffled bag, Be & D has released a beautiful number. The Be & D Ruffled Bag with Chains combines laced chain link detail with soft ruffled calfskin leather and the signature Be & D studs. The shoulder strap has an 11″ drop which should fit perfectly under your Fall coat and there are inside pockets along with suede lining. The chocolately expresso gets my pick. Measuring 101вЃ„2″H X 18″L X 6″W this bag is available via Saks for $1280.

And to our folks in Ernesto’s path- I hope he is as weak and kind to you as he was to us.

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Stunning bags, sexy dresses and chic boots dominate eLuxury’s Fall Catalogue - check it out!

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Being a city girl and a working girl can be hard to manage when trying to also look stylish, especially when it comes to bags. Walking quite a bit everyday to and from the subway and work gets a bit hard with heels and a cute bag in hand. Lately, I have been carrying my Louis Vuitton Damier Speedy 30, which is great, but sometimes a bit hard to manage with everything else I have to do and carry. So I have decided I am on the hunt for a chic messenger bag. I think I have found a posh one! The Anna Corinna Sister’s Saddlebag is a large 15.5″L x 14″H distressed leather messenger style bag. The key to making this bag so perfect and accessible is the leather shoulder strap which is adjustable. You can chose to wear this bag over the shoulder or sling it across your body for a messenger style, which would be perfect for commuting. The front of the bag features a flap pocket with a magnetic snap closure and on the sides of the bag are slant zipper pockets. On the inside there is a large accessory pocket for work gear and all other travel necessities and a zipped pocket. Taking some stress off rushed NYC traveling along with some weight off my one arm, this bag could be perfect. I would opt for the shiny finished Brass color. Available through Shop Bop for $504.

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This post is especially dedicated to all of the teachers out there. I have been lucky enough to have some amazing teachers in my life. One in particular opened my eyes to the joy of philosophers and deep and meaningful books, poems, and thoughts. Mrs. Campbell, a late and very warranted Thank-You. I still remember to this day my Walden Pond song I made up with my group! PS How is your fight against Cliff-Notes going??

All this talk is leading up to one of my favorite quotes by Thoreau.

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”

So while there are so many bags that seem uniform, there are bags and people that are unique and different. While they may not be my personal favorites, they may match that person stepping to his or her own music. The Tory by TRB Fish Messenger Bag stands out with a green fish and the pailettes on the shoulder strap. To some this bag may be too much, but I am sure marching to the beat of a different drummer today. The fish has blue trim and pailettes on it which only glitz it up more. White canvas is used as this bags palette which is then adorned with a green stitching pattern. On the inside there is blue lining and a magnetic fastening. If you are stepping toward this fishy bag, buy it through Net-A-Porter for $330.

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Some bags just don’t do it for me. There is just some special spark missing. When I looked at this Celine Small Leather Messenger Bag I thought to myself, “Yea, so what?” Not that the bag isn’t cute, but there is nothing special about it that makes it stand out from so many other brown bags and makes me want to buy it. Especially with the price tag. Now, I am sure some of you are remembering my liking the Kooba Sienna brown bag just a few days ago, but I truly liked the shape of that bag and thought it had some character. This bag is a petite messenger bag made of supple leather with polished silvertone hardware. The sumptuous leather drapes on the flap closure which gives an overall bland feeling I think. The only different thing about this bag is the shoulder strap, which looks harsh and uncomfortable with all of the silvertone links and blaison-embossed studs. Not that the links and studs don’t add something special, but that is where all the weight of the bag will be laying - on your shoulder, and I just see that getting quite uncomfortable quite quickly. The inside does have a zip pocket, a cell phone pocket, and an open slot pocket. This bag is called a messenger bag, but unless you are carrying an apple around town, the bag doesn’t offer much other room. The measurements of the bag are only 11″ x 6″ x 5″. When you think about that size and how the bag can be worn, all I can think is how silly it would look on a tall woman or almost any woman unless she is petite like whoa. Looks like I have given this bag a bad review. All I can say is, “So what?” Pricing in at $895 via eLuxury, this bag will not make it onto my wish list.

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An important thing to remember when trying to be fashionable is to Always Be Natural. Jill Swid says, “From cables to feathery knits, this fall you’ll want to express your warmth in a collection of cozy, natural pieces. Keep the colors simple. Let the interest come from the texture and tonality.” Ok ladies and gents, it’s time we find bags that do just that. The Spiegel Cable Knit Messenger Bag is a chunky knit bag with a pin snap closure. Simply done the bag shows off style with simplicity, practicality with originality, and style with affordableness. That last word may be partially made-up but it is self-explanatory. The inside has a zip pocket also. I love this bag because it feels so warm- as if you would carry it into your house, plop down on your big leather couch, and sip on your hot cocoa by the fire. Ah, isn’t that a good feeling? The dimensions are 14 x 10″ with 42″ handles. Best part of this bag is it doesn’t leave any of us wishing we hit the lotto (well we all wish that but I merely mean to afford the bag). The bag is being sold for a cheap price of $24 at Spigel. Let us all begin to clap and cheer at an oh-so-affordable cute bag!!