If I Was a Rich Girl

If I was a rich girl, I wouldn’t need to rock this purse. But since I’m not, I like to play ‘pretend’ and accessorize as if I am.

Dresscamp’s ‘Rich’ Purse is your basic black leather flap clutch but is embellished with diamantes and brass studs spelling out the word ‘rich’. It’s the perfect purse for every occasion - show off your wealth at work, out to dinner or a party. At $246.52, there won’t be much left to carry in your ‘Rich’ girl clutch, but the world will never know.

Pop Goes the Dooney

Sigh…

What has become of the legacy of Dooney & Bourke? What ever happened to the classic bags, high quality leather and brass hardware, and simplicity of design? This is one of those bags that left me utterly speechless when I first saw it. The only clue that this is a Dooney & Bourke bag are the D’s, B’s and the Dooney & Bourke name scrawled across the popsicles.

Popsicles?

Yes, Popsicles. Why are popsicles on a Dooney and Bourke bag? I’m not sure. If I didn’t know better, I would think this was some sort of knockoff, like a fake Fendi bag with interlocking L’s instead of F’s. But I do know better. I know that Dooney and Bourke no longer cares to appeal to a more discriminating clientele, and prefers the teenybopper set. I also know that has lost the fight with themselves to remain a relevant and brilliant design house and is quickly spiraling down the abyss of cheap. And not chic.

Dooney & bourke “Ice Pop” Bucket Bag - $140, Dillards

A Luxury Steal - the Balenciaga ‘Tron’

While the celebrity favored ‘Le Dix’ has arguably been the most popular in the Balenciaga family, the Balenciaga Tron is the undiscovered gem. It is the ultimate in classy bags for the mature woman. In my opinion it is the more sensible and sophisticated bag with its very contemporary and sleek calf leather, front gold ‘winged’ clasp and swivel top handles. I simply adore this bag. And it is an absolute steal at $520! These days, designers like Botkier and Goldenbleu are charging upwards of $700 for bags in their collections so why not get a luxury brand like Balenciaga for less than that?

Get a Jumpstart on Your Fall Handbag Collection

So brown zebra print may not be appropriate for the Summer but it’s never too early to get a headstart on shopping for your Fall wardrobe, right? Here’s a wonderfully designed clutch that I think will get a lot of wear in your wardrobe. The ‘Romy’ Clutch by Ignes Handbags is an odd-shaped but nevertheless chic clutch. The brown and black hair-on calfskin is unique to each bag, so no one else will ever have the exact same one as you. And the unique shape makes it both cute and comfortable to carry. Best of all, it’s on sale now for £55.00! (Also available in metallic pewter and metallic gray.)

I Think I’ve Seen This Bag Before

It’s time for a new style. Anna Corinna pioneered it, Ferragamo perfected it, others copied it, but I thought we moved past it. ‘It’ is the fold over bag. The Anna Corinna City Tote was one of the hottest bags last season. Now Michael Kors is trying his own version. Granted, his is a bit different; it looks slightly more complicated, but pretty much the same style overall.

His Fold-Over Shoulder Bag is actually a double-shoulder bag, with a detachable long strap and two knotted top handles. When you drop the top handles over the sides, the bag resembes a miniature box, and is actually kinda cute. If it was the first time I saw this style, I might really like it, but since it’s the 1468th version I’ve seen over the past year, I’m getting tired of it. Designers, can you come up with a new style please?

Devi Does Discount

Luxury accessory designer Devi Kroell is the next in line to offer low-priced luxury accessories to the masses. Her ‘New Luxury Collection’ for Target consists of high-quality, faux snakeskin handbags, in similar styles to her luxury collection. The bags look just as luxurious as her original collection.

Kroell rose to fame several years ago when celebs like Jessica Simpson were spotted toting her unique, oversized python hobos, spray painted on the underside with various metallics. Her Target line offers a similar slouchy Hobo at a severely discounted price ($34.99). The bag has a top zip closure, single shoulder strap and metallic accents.

The Shopper ($39.99) is a large nylon tote, great for carrying to the office or a day out. The faux snakeskin straps and sheen of the nylon add a glam factor.

The Anthracite Clutch ($29.99) is my favorite - a small, sturdy barrel-shaped clutch with a bar clasp and chain strap. It’s a chic bag for a haute night out!

The Pouchette in Goldtone ($19.99) is a haute, versatile purse for both day and night. The slim shoulder strap snaps off so you can easily transition to a clutch.

All bags are currently available for purchase online. You know how quickly Target sells out so shop now!

Prada’s Rocketpop Bag

Prada’s Fall 2007 handbag collection is a departure from traditional Prada bags. Instead of basics (browns and blacks), Prada borrowed inspiration, it seems, from a rocket popsicle.

The Ombre Patent Leather Tote is a shiny, happy anti-Prada tote, with tricolor bands of blended black, red and white. It’s a fantastic bag - a large, roomy tote with a detachable shoulder strap and Prada’s signature quality workmanship. The colors are unusually perfect for your Fall wardrobe. (Also available in gray, both $2,270)

Who Did It Better?

60’s-inspired chevron prints are making a comeback. But who did it better?

Marc Jacobs’ Ivory Chevron Leather Framed Handbag

or

Furla’s Giselle Medium Shopper?

Happy 4th of July!

I hope you’re celebrating with tons of barbeques and fourth of July fireworks! In celebration of the holiday, here are some haute red white and blue bags to tote this holiday:

Get the Betsey Johnson - Viva La Betsey East/West Tote (Red) - Handbag
a rockin’ red satchel with gold nameplate, chain detail and turnlock closures.

Jean Paul Gaultier’s Le Prive Satchel in white is a crisp, clean addition to your holiday wardrobe.

Carlos Falchi’s Witty Sparkling Mini Satchel is a sparkly suede pouch, sure to cause fireworks!

Check out more red, white and blue bags at zappos.com

Barney’s Baffling Bags

I’m all for uniqueness, especially in fashion. But Barney’s selection of CO-OP bags are just plain odd. I found three that were especially perplexing:

Jas MB’s Limited Edition Hobo is the least expensive of the three (on sale for $339), but equally strange. Why, oh why would anyone want top handles on a hobo? Why would you even want to carry it that way? Isn’t the whole point of the hobo’s shoulder strap so that you can leave your hands free?


The Bing Bang Ruched Leather Messenger is a normal bag, if you ignore the bottom flaps sticking out of either side that are buckled to flaps attached to the chain handle of the bag. Whew…That sounded odd just explaining it. Anyway, the edges appear to have the ability to unbuckle, leaving more room on the sides, but really, what would you put there? Spare change? Socks? I’m baffled. And $745 is quite a bit of money for a bizarre bag.


Sissi Rossi’s Medium Maxi is a satchel with short handles (a la the Louis Vuitton Speedy), except in my opinion, the handles go the wrong way, and are way too short. How in the world are you supposed to carry this bag? And then they placed the zipper directly in the middle, meaning your forearm will rest directly over it, so that you’ll never be able to comfortably and easily retrieve your stuff. Huh? At $775, you won’t have any money left to retrieve though…

Check out more baffling bags at Barney’s.com

Came straight to this page? Visit What’s Haute for even more haute handbags!

Jenny was here…

When I’m tired of over-logo’ed, over-studded, heavy-metaled bags, I look to emerging designers for something fresh and fun. Enter Jenny Yuen. Her bags consist of primarily Italian cowhide but my favorites are the custom printed canvas bags which showcases the designer’s hand-drawn illustrations.

While I’ll never understand the use of some animals in fashion (like Marc Ecko’s rhino), Yuen’s elephant covered bags are a playful distraction to summer same bag madness. But her prices won’t drive you mad-prices range from $325-$650.

Available in rainbow, gray and brown.