Call me boring, but I really like Longchamp totes. The medium short handle is my preferred means of schlepping my laptop around. It’s so clean, classy & functional–though certainly not as ergonomic as it could be, as I insist on the hand-held style (as opposed to the shoulder-tote style), simply because I think it looks better.
I’d failed to realize that those elegant proportions and unadulterated materials could make an excellent canvas for something a bit more exciting, a bit more fun, until I saw this limited edition Jeremy Scott edition. Love it!
The Jeremy Scott Red Hot Line bag is available on Magnums.net.
Last week, my trusty Hayden Harnett Gaza bag simply fell off my shoulder–plop! Yes, after years of abuse, the leather strap finally gave way. Instead of having it repaired, I’m dreaming about what new entity might replace it. I have two visions:
* Tie-dyed leather
The idea dawned on me when I saw this one in Daily Candy last week (seriously! Daily Candy actually provided me with some useful information! 
). Luxe tie-dye bags are by no means rare– Miu Miu makes one, and so do Foley + Corinna:
Though not strictly tie-dye, I quite like this Acid Rain bag by Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent, too. It’s suede:
(You can purchase either of these bags, or simply borrow their photos as I do, from the one and only shopbop)
* A massive tassel
I’m not going as far as fringe, but I love the oversized tassel I’ve seen on a few bags here and there. Bound to be shoulder-sag weighty? Sure, but hey, I’m blue-skying it here.
(This one, by Givenchy, available at Barneys)
p.s. If you know what you want but don’t know who makes it, ShopStyle is an excellent resource.
I always think it’s kind of suspect when I see a guy heading to work empty-handed. Don’t you have a wallet? How about a book or magazine? Where are your clothes for the gym? There’s really no getting around it: guys have to schlepp stuff around just as much as us ladies do.
Maybe men were conditioned against bag-carrying earlier on. I’m not talking about overzealous gender identity enforcement in the childhood home. Rather, men’s bags used to be a real problem. There were briefcases and LL Bean backpacks and that was about it. Happily, this is no longer the case: these days, there are plenty of man-purses and man-totes around, thanks to the likes of Jack Spade, Freitag, Bally, etc., etc.
And on a recent trip to Philly, I discovered yet another one. It’s new, as in new to me, and launched in Spring ‘07. It’s Philly-based brand TRKFLD:
How handsome is that, the Pelly bag? It’s not the only one. There’s the Benjamin, the Bob… reassuring names for the manliest man.
So empty your over-packed pockets, guy, sit down and check them out.
We live in a knock-off culture; just ask Diane von Furstenberg. But a $15 (i.e., flammable) dress styled to look just like a high profile designer’s is only one possible outcome. Sometimes, ideas are appropriated and adapted, built upon, and result in something pretty cool in its own right.
On the uptown 2 train, I caught sight of the Coach Bleeker Wool Blanket Tote. Check it out:
(Photo from Coach.com)
Doesn’t it remind you of the Louis Vuitton Trunks & Bags collection of ‘06 (among the many other it-brands that rock the oversized logo stamp)?
(Photo lifted from the What’s Haute Blog)
Now some might say, “Ooooh, dirty knock-off!” But I like the Coach bag. What do I think saves it from being a total wannabe? The braided leather, coupled with the wooly blanket material. It looks Western, or indigenous, and not at all Euro-luxe. In other words, I think it’s Coach’s own take, apropos of its American heritage, and safely distinct from the likes of Vuitton, Prada, etc.
Another sweet, singular interpretation of an existing design? The Ash Vanilla high top:
(Image courtesy of Olive Shoes, but they’re on sale in Gold at Urban Outfitters)
No one was wearing metallic shoes in Paris, but I don’t care; I can’t resist them! Nor can I refuse a) high tops or b) wingtip detailing! And if that’s not enough, there’s also a pair with buckles (swoon).
Is it me, or has anyone else been taken aback by Anthropologie’s fall offerings? With apparel by Anna Sui and stripes by my new favorite, Edward An, I’d think I had walked into some sweet local boutique instead of a national chain once renowned for knit ruffles and sister company to Urban Outfitters and Free People. They’re even selling the All Black flats that I was a fan of back in July.
Remember these?
But there’s a price to be paid for national access to such niche lovelies. The aforementioned All Black flats, for example, go for $105 at Tani on West 72nd where I first spotted them and $138 at Anthropologie. Yikes! And the Rafe Molly Medium Hobo:
Would you rather buy it here for $425 or at Anthropologie for $448?
The moral of this story? If you fall for something at Anthropologie, a little research could turn it up elsewhere for less. If not, just wait a while then amble on to the back of the store for those fabulous Anthropologie sales.
The aforementioned Florida wedding experience also revealed the popularity of the clutch. A great many ladies, myself included, stowed strap-free bags in the crook of the arm while gorging on mini crab cakes with mango salsa and tossing back Bellinis. We all looked oh so elegant, if I do say so myself.
Now I had known that I wanted a clutch for the wedding, but as I am a Practical Girl, I wasn’t going to shell out for a bag that would only serve me for the one occasion. But the day prior to my departure, I ambled into Frida’s Closet.* My original intent was to peruse the shop’s awesome printed tees, but–lo and behold–I discovered a bin by the door (pictured above) holding a great many fabric clutches and wristlets. Not only did they come in a variety of textures and colors, but, since talking money is so gauche, let’s just say I could buy one for the price of a movie ticket. Practical Girl threw caution to the wind, and you should too, if you can catch them before they’re gone.
*Frida’s Closet is located at 296 Smith Street, near Union Street.
The humidity may have dropped, but the temperature just keeps on rising. 78 degrees at 8 AM? That’s damn near uncivilized!
With the threat of melting ever-looming (Isn’t that euphemistic? What I really mean to say is, when you’re all too aware that your ladylike glisten could degrade into an ungodly sweat at any moment), the idea is, the fewer clothes, the wispier the fabric, the better. And forget layering!
But not in New York. Even in the summer, the layering muscle (always well-toned amongst the our most stylish friends) never goes unexercised. Here are some summer layering techniques those of us in NYC have definitely gotten the hang of:
**Necklaces: why wear one when you can wear three? I myself layer two: a short strand of pearls on a gold chain, paired with chunky wooden beads.
**Tanks: Now in its third summer, who would’ve thought the racerback tank would still look so sexy? These tanks look even better with one poking out under the other. My favorite racerback is the American Apparel Rib Racerback Tank (you can buy them here in just about a million colors).
**Bags: Unless I’m going out at night, I don’t pack light, and I can never fit everything I need into the dainty little handbags I’m so attracted to when shopping. To carry it all, buy that clutch an older brother, like this Prada Robot tote bag.
**Bangles: I’m almost sick of the arm-stacked-with-bangles look, but not quite! I love bakelite bangles (the quiet ones). I spotted this lovely green one on eBay. Maybe you can still catch it.
Pick up an US Weekly and if they don’t tell you explicitly, the It bag of the week will become immediately evident. Botkier Trigger, Fendi Spy…keeping track of them is one (fun) thing, but why would anyone actually want to buy one? Or, perhaps better put, why would I want to see the bag I’m carrying in varying colors and sizes toted by girls just like me? Frankly, I just don’t get it. If it’s a matter of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on a bag, there’s no shortage of expensive yet under-the-radar leather goods. Spike your huge price tag with a shot of imagination!
But diatribes like the above aside, everyone has a soft spot, and sometimes even a popular bag can reach out and massage mine. Like the Balenciaga Motorcycle bag, size small, bright yellow:
Wouldn’t it be perfect with Kelly green leather ballet flats?
Logo bags are ubiquitous in this city (and malls across the country, I’d conjecture). The success of logo bags by Gucci, Vuitton, etc., is that they serve as a patterned neutral, an asset for any wardrobe. In the interest of stylistic diversity, I’ve resisted the urge to buy a Gucci belt bag or the Dior Baulotto, but yes, I too have a dream logo bag, and that’s any one by Goyard. Goyard is an ancient French luggage company, and they now make impossibly expensive handbags, too, sold at Barneys in the US (see them on the Barneys site). Look at the lovely logo:
Oh mysterious benefactor…
