BagBible

I can’t see the beauty of tie dyed bags. To me they are like those 3D random dot stereogram pictures.  I just can’t see it.  On the left is a Bulga bag that is made of leather.  I did not know that you can do “that” to leather.  Most tie dyes I’ve seen are applied to fabric.  All I can say is that it is such a cruel thing to do to beautiful leather.  I know Bulga always uses beautiful leather for their bags.  What a waste, don’t you think? The bag on the right is a canvas tie-dyed Rebecca Minkoff bag.

To me, tie dyed bags look like hand me down bags that have been used a lot. Now, why would you spend money for something like that? The only suitable use that I can think of for the Bulga tie dyed bag is camouflage: In case you want to do some nature photography.  For the Morning After Mini tie dye I can’t think of any good use. The bright colors makes it impossible to camouflage.  Now, don’t get me wrong here, I love my Bulga and Rebecca Minkoff bags, it’s just the tie dye that I don’t get.

If you love tie dye you can buy the Bulga Mini Marquis bag and the Rebecca Minkoff Morning After Mini from Bloomingdale’s, where they are on sale right now.

I just love bright colored bags, they totally pop against your neutral outfit. This bag is pretty simple; it’s just a rectangular bag with double braided shoulder straps and some simple hardware. This bag has a modern and clean look.  It is very suitable for ladies who do not want to look too girly but still like to play with colors.

I often find my self attracted to shiny hardware on bags. I think they make bags look more luxurious.  However, I always complain when bags are heavy.  In the perfect world, handbags with luxurious hardware are light. I don’t think this particular bag is super heavy, nothing will be as heavy as the Chloe Paddington (3 lbs) with the giant lock.

I am now still at the age where I sometimes willing to sacrifice comfort for looks.  I’m wondering at what age will I stop doing that?

Buy from Zappos for $350

Kooba did it again:  They came up with an edgy design!  I admire Kooba for being able to design a bag that has so much going on but still manages not looking tacky or overwhelming.

I’m usually more into simple classic looking bags, yet I find this Kooba bag strangely attractive.  I love the belt and the knot, I think they are the punch line of the design.  This bag comes in black and sand (shown) and it measures only 9″H x 11.5″L x 3″D, a little too smallish for my taste.

There is a bigger version that has similar design, Kooba Jacinda, which measures 15″W x 10″H x 4″D. However, the bigger version has longer handles that are meant for shoulders. Hence, it lacks a detachable shoulder strap.  I’m not sure which one I like better, I need to see them in person. I do know that like the detachable shoulder strap a lot though. Buy from Neiman Marcus for $485

I know that this is not the wackiest design that Juicy Couture has ever come up with.  In fact, this design is not wacky at all.  The only thing that is amusing is the ginormous engagement ring.

If this were the Juicy Couture signature design (the overwhelmingly girly design with lots of bows, pinks and charms) I can understand why they feel the need to put the engagement ring on the bag.  However, this bag looks “normal” from the other angle (except from the angle where you can see the ring, obviously).

In my opinion, this bag doesn’t really hit the Juicy Couture target audience.  The women (or should I say girls) that want to have a huge engagement ring on their bags expect more from the bag and the women who actually like the plainer overall look of the bag might not appreciate the engagement ring.  They probably already have one on their finger anyway.  Buy from Neiman Marcus for $350

I have been looking for a bag to travel in the summer.  The bag of my choice would need to meet these criteria:

• A light neutral color so it would match most of my outfits.  I like to travel light, so having too much luggage is just too much of a hassle. Therefore, one bag that matches most of my outfits is a must.
• Generous size.  Since I’m usually traveling with my kids, a bigger bag would be helpful.  At least, it should be able to fit:  Travel documents, some snacks, some form of entertainment, camera, sleep mask for the plane ride and other necessities that I usually carry in my bag.
• Slouchy. Since I need the bigger bag, it has to be slouchy, to make it look not as big.  Too big of a bag will not look pretty on a petite like me.
• Convertible.  The bag has to be able to convert from shoulder to cross body, for practicality purpose.

This Sofi satchel in caramel seems to have all my required characteristics, plus it has these buckles that are placed strategically, making the big bag ruched beautifully. It measures a generous 19″L X 17″H X 14″D.

As much as I like to give this bag a glowing review, I was a little bit disappointed when I noticed the plastic zipper. Other than that, I think it is a beautiful and functional bag.  One that will get used very often.  I was told that this bag was launched in Saks this spring and it is the designer’s best selling bag.  I’m hoping to see more great designs from Helena de Natalio.

You can buy this bag from ebags for $484 or Ideeli, they are having a red sale on the Chocolate and Purple colors for only $160.  Click HERE for the Ideeli invitation if you are not a member yet.

I’m always happy when I see a Louis Vuitton bag that is not full of monograms all over the place.  This is one of them. It’s classy, it’s simple and quite functional with the removable shoulder strap.  The suede looks very fine and smooth.  I think Sofia Coppola did a very good job on this one.  Unlike most Louis Vuitton bags, this one really illustrates the meaning of subtle luxury.

You won’t find everybody at the mall wearing this bag, even though it is a Louis Vuitton. That is probably because it costs $3,870 and this bag might be too plain for some people who love monogrammed bags.

Image from Louis Vuitton

I love Rebecca Minkoff’s Morning After Mini bag, regardless where it is made.  The style is very classic, the leather is beautiful and it comes in so many different colors.  It’s like the cheaper version of Balenciaga bags.

I always thought that the more options I have the better.  However, I’m finding it hard to choose with so many colors available.  It doesn’t help that most of the colors are beautiful.  It just makes it even harder for me to choose.

After thinking about it for some time, I narrowed down my choice to  Peacock (shown) and Pool (antother beautiful shade of blue). I already have one neutral color, so a fun color of Morning After Mini would be a nice addition to my collection.

You can buy this from Revolve Clothing for $550

The first word that I thought about when I look at this bag is rugged.  It is a beautiful bag, but it is definitely not a girly girl bag.  This is the bag that you can use everyday and throw around without having to worry about scratches.  I think scratches will just add to the beauty of this bag.

The straps’ rings are connected diagonally, which makes this bag looks different and interesting. The small studs add to the ruggedness of the bag without being too overwhelming.

I’m usually not very fond of contrast stitching. But this bag surprises me, because I totally think it’s very suitable.  I wish I could find a store that carries this bag so that I can see this bag in person.

You can see more pictures and take a closer look at Forzieri, retails for $319

I am pretty impressed with B.Makowsky bags.  First of all, they have good quality.  Neat stitching, fine leather, and some great designs.   Second, their prices are reasonable unlike some high end designers who ask for thousands of dollars in exchange for their canvas bag.

I like this pleated satchel, it doesn’t have too much going on, but still manages to look interesting.  I also like the hardware. In my opinion, gold toned hardware looks better on white bags compared to silver toned hardware. The bottom corners’ hardware is a combination of good design and functionality.  When we throw our bags around, the corners tend to suffer the greatest wear and tear.  However, with hardware protecting the corners, the bag will stay nice longer.

There is another variant of this same model on which the hardware does not cover the bottom corners,  but instead covers the top corners.  I prefer the one with the hardware on the bottom (pictured). From Nordstrom $298

At first sight, I thought this bag was made of fabric because of the way the pleats looked.  I was pretty impressed when I found out that it was actually made of leather.  This means that the leather must be very supple to be able to do that “dress-like” design.

Zooming into the bag, it does look like the leather is as soft as butter! The lizard skin trim and buckle add a bit more interest and texture to the bag without making it look too “animally” like a full blown exotic bag.

On top of that, I’m also loving the fact that it has minimal hardware, which means that it must be light. Enough already with the heavy bags!  I just want to look stylish and not break my back.  We are already wearing heels, why do we have to carry a heavy bag as well?

The Large Nancy Bag retails for $1,805 from Smythson

I know these bags are probably not as functional as bigger bags (they measure only 8″W x 7 1/2″H x 6″D), but that’s what makes them so cute. Another plus of small bags is that you can’t carry a lot of stuff in them, therefore your bags will be light and your back will thank you.

I just love the pastel colors. Maybe because it is spring.  I noticed that I’m often drawn to colorful bags at this time of year.

When I was growing up my mom always picked black bags for me.  She said that they go with everything. That is true if you are only allowed to have one bag, but it was not fun if all you had was a closet full of black bags.  Now, I only have a few black bags.  Probably because of the black bags “trauma” that I have, I tend to avoid black bags.

You can buy these cuties from Nordstrom for $295

I don’t usually like studded bags, especially if they are heavily studded. I always think that bag with too many studs looks tacky and too rock n roll for me. However, I’m loving this Marc Jacobs Cecilia.

I especially like the color combination.  Gold studs with cream leather make the studs shine in a very subtle way. Although, I’m not too crazy about the blue trim.

The tiny stud size makes the bag look less rock n roll and their scattered placement makes the bag sparkle all over.

The ruching on the top reminded me of the Nancy Gonzalez Gathered Croc Shoulder Bag

Marc Jacobs Cecilia is from the Marc Jacobs Fall 2009 Collection.  It measures 17.5″ x 10.5″ x 5.5″

Image from Marc Jacobs

Kooba Harlow

When I saw this bag, I just had to have it. I know that I already have a handful of brown bags but the bagaholic inside me doesn’t care about that.  Usually, when I try to justify a bag purchase I would tell myself that the bag is functional and I can visualize myself using it everyday (does that sound familiar to you?) One day when I was chatting with my friend, Linda.  She told me that her sister (an uber bagaholic) also uses the same reasoning before buying a bag. Now, I’m wondering, do we really need a reason to buy a bag?

I like how the straps are connected to the bag, I also like the hardware detail.  Not too much hardware but still enough to get the bag noticed. Kooba Harlow comes in three colors, black, “luggage” (shown) and “grapefruit”.  In my opinion, the “luggage” color is the best of all.   It measures  9″ Hx 17″W x 5″ D- 8″ Drop.  Retails for $595.00

Image from Kooba

I love Rebecca Minkoff handbags, especially the Morning After Mini. I’ve been lusting over it for a while and finally I got it. I found a good deal on eBay combined with the Microsoft Live Cashback. When the bag arrived I could not wait to open it. I was inspecting it inside and outside. It was all perfect until I found a small “made in China” tag attached to the lining. I am ok with products that are made in China, it’s just I was not expecting my Morning After Mini is made in China. I always thought that Rebecca Minkoff bags are made in NYC.

I did some research and it turns out that the newer Rebecca Minkoff bags are made in China, the older version are still made in NYC. I went to Rebecca Minkoff official website and I did not see any “made in China” in the product description anywhere. I was kind of bummed about that, but I still like the bag very much. I would feel better if it is stated on the website that the bags are made in China.