Political Bag Bitch

Educate yourself.

Watch the first Presidential debate tonight at 9pm EST.

Update: In keeping with the spirit with this blog, a comment about the male equivalent of the handbag, the necktie - McCain's is FUG.

The Bead Store Threw Up and This Came Out

The Beaded Shoulder Bag by Matthew Williamson is truly heinous.

Maybe it would look appropriate if Mary Kate Olsen was carrying it in the 80s, wearing baggy acid wash jeans and an oversized purple crew-neck cotton t-shirt, big, dark, poofy, frizzy hair, and moccasins.

If you do not fit this description entire, then this bag is not for you.

$900 (why??????????) from net-a-porter.

do you see what i see?

picture one:
bottega veneta intrecciato shoulder bag (1,270 pounds) at net-a-porter

picture two:
bottega veneta hideous bikini top (free) at microsoft paint

now, perhaps we can't all appreciate my immense artistic talent, but perhaps we *can agree that this bag looks like a terribly unflattering, and terribly flattening leater woven bikini top (apparently, at least, it's "butter soft")

It"s One for the Money, Two for the Show

Apparently every fashion designer in the universe got the memo that suede is the "it" fabric this fall. Suede can be found everywhere you turn - blazers, shoes, and, of course, handbags - which are never left behind when it comes to the trend of the minute.

Below is a collection of some of the suede bags currently available. Click on an image for more information about each bag.

From top to bottom: Furla, Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch, Cole Haan, Valentino, Kooba. Prices range from $395 to $1,895.

Say "Layered Leather" 3 Times Fast

Several months ago I blasted Miu Miu for its Nappa Patch Petals Satchel, deeming it a worthy bag if, and only if, it was paired with a tree costume on Halloween. I never really thought this style of layered leather could work, but Valentino has proved me wrong.





The Valentino Nappa Allure Bag from Saks is beautiful. The layered leather gives the bag an interesting, unique texture that keeps basic black from looking boring. Pick this baby up for $2,495, and carry it everywhere you go.

The Prada Nappa S Ruffle Clutch in Beige:

The head of a golden elephant:

That's all.

$1,695 at Neiman Marcus in beige and nero.

A Horse Shoe of a Different Color

The summer of my 8th year, I went to a daycamp that offered horseback riding. That summer I came to love it - I was pretty decent at trotting, cantering, galloping, a.k.a. sitting atop the horse while it pranced along at faster and faster speeds.

Once I mastered the act of going up and down on top of the horse in concert with its movements, my counselors decided it was time for me to take my riding to the next level: jumping!

I was so excited. I sat on the horse, staring at the 1.5 foot high gate, visualizing myself sailing over it with grace, making it look so effortless that even the counselors would be impressed.

I kicked the side of the horse, rode towards the gate, and as the horse began its jump, I went up into the air and...

fell off the horse and onto my ass.

Ouch.

Later that day, the camp counselors, in great ceremony, presented me with two starbursts and a silver horseshoe. They mumbled something about bravery...strength...getting back on the horse...but now I recognize the gifts for what they were: hush money!

I swear this story has a point. As I was browsing through the pages of net-a-porter this morning, I was reminded of my fall and subsequent "please don't sue us" horseshoe and starburst combo.

Can you guess why?

The Trigger Shoulder Bag by Alexander McQueen - $2,345 at net-a-porter.

Supersize Me!

A recent trip to Bloomingdales made me fall in love with Kate Spade's Elba Exotic Paola clutch. Sure, its a little bit on the enormous side for a clutch (measuring at 8.2 inches high and 12.9 inches wide), but this makes it the perfect choice for daytime. Class yourself up by carrying this baby with a tailored suit for a business meeting. Made of embossed leather with la ovely lining, this clutch can be worn with or without the included gold chain. Also available in yellow mock-ostrich and berry red mock-croc. $395 at Kate Spade.

The Beauty of Outlet Stores

In my very first Bags for Bitches post, I talked about Linea Pelle's Dylan Patchwork tote. It really is a lovely bag, but at the time I wasn't willing to pay full price for it. When I finally got around to thinking about it again, it was no longer in stores. For a time, I thought the Dylan Patchwork would never be mine, but a quick trip to an outlet mall changed my fate.

Last Thursday, during a work-related trip to the Jersey Gardens Outlet Mall, I ventured into Neiman Marcus Last Call. Neiman Marcus is a fabulous department store that carries many, many beautiful bags that I unfortunately cannot afford.

Neiman Marcus Last Call is named as such because it carries last season's inventory at reduced prices and is the customer's last opportunity to purchase such products. When I walked into the store, I obviously headed directly over to the accessories department, bypassing perfume, apparel and the rather large furniture section. I dug around for buried treasure. Hideous Marc Jacobs, YSL, and Botkier bags were aplenty (hey, even the best designers sometimes have misses).

Then, on a rack on the edge of the department, I saw it: a brand new black leather Linea Pelle Dylan Patchwork tote, complete with brown and white zebra print silk lining. The bag was already marked down 35%; I haggled with the store manager and he knocked off an additional 20% (the bag was hanging on the wrong T-stand which proclaimed that all bags were 20% off, so he gave me the benefit of the doubt). Suddenly, the beautiful leather bag I had longed for was within reach. I knew if I let the opportunity pass by I would regret it; after carrying it for three out of the last four days, I know I made the right decision.

Say hello to Dylan:

Shanghai Shichang

Hello my loves,

So today, as promised, I went bag shopping! I went to a relatively good fake (oxymoron?) bag market. Here is one of the storefronts

The stores look pretty much identical, and carry pretty much the same bags,
such as these Balenciagas:
and these Chloes:
Other popular brands were D&G and randomly (to me) Tod's. But what I walked away with instead is this Bottega wallet:

for which they originally quoted 600 RMB, but for which I bargained down to 120 RMB (or ~17 USD). I'm not sure if I actually paid too much... but I like it!

上海post 1

so what i learned today...

shanghai has no mid-level bags. it's either below $100 or above $1,000. this makes sense when you think about the customers - and the dichotomy between rich and poor. you either make enough money to be able to buy a nice bag, or there's really no chance of saving up. coach (which, as shannah already pointed out, i hate) has priced itself out of the mid-level bags, or at least is much more expensive than in the states.

this weekend i'm hoping to go to one of the chinese markets where i will, if not thrown out for strange behavior, take pictures of these "low end" bags and show you what i mean. to me, they're actually quite nice. when your fancy has ended with one bag, just buy another!

Beautiful Blues

Are you blue? Cheer up! Feast your eyes on a pair of beautiful blue bags available this season. Blue can be a tough color to wear, for sure, because there's always a chance your bag will match your denim and you'll end up looking like a blueberry. But these bags are vibrant enough that you should be able to avoid looking fruit-y.

First we have this gorgeous blue Chloe tote. A tote is an extremely practical day bag - you can fit everything but the kitchen sink and look stylish at the same time. Great for carrying files back and forth from the office, this bag is sure to be a winner for both work and play. The diamond patent leather trim makes this bag stand out and lets everyone know that you're a diamond in the rough. The bag has a magnetic closure at the top and is lined beautifully with black canvas.

$1,790 at net-a-porter.

Now this is what I call electric! Spice up your life with this gorgeous leather Mabel bag by Mulberry. I already covered a red Mabel bag in one of my first Bags for Bitches posts - but I think this blue may be my favorite of them all! Pair with black pants and a white top, and you'll look smashing.

Grab this baby up for $1,195 at net-a-porter.

Bags that Won't Break the Bank

So, yeah, the bags on this site are very, very pricey. Sure, only a small portion of the human race can afford them. But by no means am I telling you to run out and spend $1,500 on a Louis Vuitton bag. Isn't it just fun knowing that they're out there, and that one day down the road, hopefully not too far away, you may be able to write a check for a couple grand and not care?

But I get that looking at expensive designer bags can be frustrating, because in the event that you see something that you love, the chances of actually being able to make it your own are minimal.

So I've decided to start posting slightly less expensive bags that may be a bit more in your price range. Don't get too excited - I'll never post the $29 bag available from H&M - but hopefully you'll be able to find some good options that won't leave you eating ramen for weeks on end.This is the black patent leather clutch from Banana Republic. It's very structured and has some interesting detail (how great is that buckle!?) that brings it to a whole new level. And the best part: there's a detachable shoulder strap, making this bag a great option for day and night. Bring it to work, and then tear off the strap and take the Robson out for a cocktail. $160 at Banana; also available in grey.

I'm not usually a fan of bags made out of a printed fabric, but I think I'll have to bend the rules a bit for this beauty. Soiree is a laminated canvas bag with an absolutely gorgeous print that is neutral enough to go with anything but exciting enough to increase your outfit's fun level by a factor of 10. It's laminated, which means that your bag will remain in great shape, come rain or hail or gale force winds. A great daytime bag - pair it with a casual LBD and flip flops for a polished look. $78 at J.Crew.

This bag definitely screams business. But you know what they say - All play and no work makes Jackie a poor gal. Buy this structured leather tote from Ann Taylor and you're sure to make an impact on your co-workers. Lined with numerous pockets to keep your life organized. $168, in black only.