BagBible

I prefer to write positive bag reviews compared to negative ones because I would like to be a positive person.  However, I strongly feel that I have to say something about this Jimmy Choo Sky bag.  This is an example where “two rights can make a wrong”.  Studs are good; zebra patterns are good (up to a certain point) but when you combine them together they look like a total disaster.

When I look at this bag, I don’t know where to focus.  Do I focus on the studs or do I focus on the zebra print?  The top part of the bag looks so messy, that it makes bottom part look so unflustered. I never thought that I could consider zebra prints unflustered.

In my opinion, zebra prints and studs don’t go together. However, if you must have them both. You can perhaps put the studs only on the black part of the print.  That way it won’t look like you just slathered glue on the top, sprinkle some studs, and hope that they all stick.

I’m sure it will require more detailed craftmanship to put the studs on small sections, but if you are charging $3,795 for a bag, superior intricate craftmanship is expected.

There is another version of this bag that won’t make people cringe when you wear it.  It is just plain black with studs. Buy from Jimmy Choo for $2,995

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I almost jumped out of my chair when I saw this Chanel bag. Not because I like it so much or because I have to have it.  I was so surprised because it looks A LOT like my old Desmo bag that I’ve been trying to sell.  I wanted to sell it for a while but I am too lazy to post it on eBay. Now that I’ve seen this Chanel I might not sell my old bag at all.

Usually when I see two similar bags I always assume that the cheaper one copies the more expensive one. However, after considering the timeline when these bags hit the market,  this assumption was false.  Now, I’m not saying that Chanel is copying Desmo (gosh, I hope not! cause that will be sad), but isn’t it a strange coincidence?

Here is my old Desmo (I think I had it for 3 years already). Don’t you think they have an uncanny resemblance? The obvious differences would be the Chanel logo, the amount of grommets, and the comfort leather slips on the Desmo chain (but they are very easy to remove). I’m sure the Chanel lambskin would be so much softer than the Desmo bag, since it is probably priced 10 times more than the Desmo.  That’s the least we can expect, right? After all, the ingenious design factor is already out of the door.

This bag reminds me a lot of the 70s, particularly of a Disco ball.  Even though I was not born until the late 70s I remember watching movies from that era.

This bag has so many colors depending from which angle you look at it, just like a disco ball.  I for one am not someone who would wear a bag this shiny and colorful, but Beyonce might, since her style is often exuberant.

They have this bag in four different finishes: Suede, leather, patent leather and guccissima leather. I must say that the patent leather version screams “look at me” the loudest.

You can pre-order this bag from Gucci for $1,790

Here is a disco ball picture for comparison.

I’ve always had a soft spot for girly bags, maybe because I didn’t have a lot of girly stuff growing up.  My mother’s style was quite minimalistic, which influenced my style to be quite simple and clean. Since I’m her only daughter, we always shop together.  Now that we live far away from each other, I shop by myself and I have started to unleash my girlie fixation.

I love this YSL Y-Bow; it has just the perfect amount of girlie and at the same time looking very luxurious.  I’ve seen Dita Von Teese with the leather version, which was also gorgeous.  But I think this version is even more feminine thanks to the soft suede.  The suede leather makes the overal look of the bag much softer and lush while the embossed lizzard pattern gives it the luxury look without the hefty price tag (a real lizzard bag this size would cost a lot more).

This YSL Bowler is a bag that still manages to steal the show without a hint of shine from a single piece of hardware. Pre-Order from Neiman Marcus for $1,695

I don’t usually spill anything on my bag as I’m always very carefull with my bags.  However, when I was sitting on an airplane’s cramped seat with a full tray of food in front of me all bets are off.  Luckily, I decided to bring a cheap purse.  Unfortunately, this cheap purse also happened to be my favorite everyday throw around purse.  So, I was kind of sad when I realized that I had dried sticky apple juice all over it.

Needless to say, I turned to Google to find out how to clean it. (What would we do without the internet?) The remedy was actually very easy. I only needed to wipe my bag with a damp towel.  That way, the stain is diluted.  After wiping the whole bag with a damp cloth, I air dried my bag.  When everything was dry I didn’t see the stain anymore. Yay!

Most of the time I find bags with lots of zippers tacky.  However, I find this Gotham satchel quite appealing. The only hardware you can find on this bag is just zippers and one big zipper pull on the main compartment that has Donna Karan engraving. I think it is very wise to limit the amount of hardware.  The design clearly states that this bag is all about the zippers.  Additional hardware will just turn this bag to hardware overload.

One thing that I appreciate about this Gotham satchel is that it has just the right amount of rock and roll flavor to it.  This means you don’t have to dress like a rock star to be able to carry this bag.  As to the zippers, I must say that I prefer the bag with all the zippers open.  I think it gives the bag a fuller shape and more texture.  Pre-order from Neiman Marcus for $1,495

If you like to switch purses every now and then or you just want to be able to find your things quickly from your bag, you might want to use a purse organizer.

I have used the Purseket purse organizer before, and I liked it.  Even my husband who always thought my purse is a black hole, could easily find stuff when I use the purse organizer. I find that the medium size is much more versatile and functional than the large size. Although I like the fact that the larger size has more pockets, the pockets are also deeper and just swallow everything I put in. It’s nothing like the picture above.

The purse organizer worked well in my structured bags, but when I moved it to my slouchy bags, it made my bags look stiff, which is not a good look for slouchy bags.  I ended up using my purse organizer only for my structured bags, and I always took all my stuff out of the organizer once I switched to a slouchy bag.  However, after a while I lost my patience reorganizing my purse organizer ever time I switched between structured and slouchy bags. Now, I’m back to dumping everything all at once in my purse. I wish there were a purse organizer that would work for both types of bags.

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I have been a fan of Stuart Weitman shoes: From flats to heels, I love them all! However, I haven’t seen any Stuart Weitzman bag that I liked until now.  What attracts me to this bag are definitely the pleats; they kind of remind me of an accordion.  Nevertheless, they are what make this bag so appealing. This bag can easily be an all-year-round bag, since it is not too dark for summer and not too bright for fall.

This 17.5″ x 4.5″ x 9.5″ bag is made of soft calf leather. It also comes in a beautiful Moro Day (dark brown) satin for $650. However, considering my leather infatuation I probably would choose the leather version. Buy from Zappos for $798

Yesterday, I went to P.C Hooftstraat in Amsterdam, which is supposedly the most expensive shopping street in the Netherlands. Naturally, I went to look for bags. Since stores in the Netherlands close very early (6pm), I could only go to some stores,  of which one  was Bally.

In that store, I found a gorgeous deep green suede python hobo. I love the suede finish python; in my opinion, it looks more subtle and luxurious than the regular shiny finish python.  I observe that more and more designers are producing bags with suede python.

The bag was so light and fell so beautifully on the shoulder. Two sets of double gold-tone rings connect the strap to the bag. Knots that end with metal tips decorate the sides of the bag. You can’t see them from the picture but they’re there and they played up the sides of the bag really nicely. The side of the bag is the one that you see first when you see someone wearing a hobo bag on her shoulder. That’s why I think it is important that the sides show something attractive.
This bag is from the Fall 2009 collection.  It is priced €1500 Euros.

I never thought that I would be writing about this bag.  Seriously, this colorful woven Balenciaga work looks somewhat on the eccentric side.  It’s definitely nothing like the Bottega woven bags.  Especially with all the bright colors.  Recently, I saw a woman wearing this exact bag.  I was so surprised that it actually look pretty decent and very appropriate for summer.

I think what makes this bag tolerable is the soft and slouchy Balenciaga leather. However, for $2,825 I don’t want to get something that is only tolerable.  I always like to get the biggest bang for my buck.  For that kind of money I expect something astoningishly beautiful.

Here you can see how the bag looks in real life.  I like how the bag owner paired her bag with a neutral outfit. I think it’s the only way not to make the bag look overwhelming.

I must say that one of the most exciting parts of visiting other countries is tasting the different foods. A couple of days ago, we were treated for a pancake dinner by a generous family friend.  We went to a pancake house in Noordwijk with the whole family.  Like the name implies, the restaurant serves almost a hundred different kinds of pancakes.   The pancakes menu is so overwhelming, that you can have pretty much anything on your pancake.  There are two different kinds of pancakes; sweet pancakes and savory pancakes. BTW, the Dutch call pancake “pannekoek”.

The sweet pancakes are not as unusual as the savory pancakes since in the States we also eat our pancakes with syrup.  However, the savory pancakes are a little bit unexpected.  I’m always adventurous with food, hence I ordered the savory kind.  My pancake was topped with smoked salmon, capers, cabbage and red onions.  It also came with sauce that tasted a little bit like ranch but had a lighter taste.  The pancakes were not small and fluffy like the pancakes in the US.  They were flatter and bigger.

I also tasted the sweet pancake. It was topped with ice cream, fruits, whipped cream and powdered sugar.  I must say that I like them both; savory or sweet.  I’m just hoping I won’t gain too much vacation weight while I’m here.

Many Botkier fans have asked me about the Botkier Taylor from the Fall 2009 collection.  As you might already know, the Botkier Fall 2009 collection is very rocker chic.  The Taylor bags bring the rocker chic flavor through their one-of-a-kind tassels design. I finally have the following information about the bags that I would love to share with all of you.

Taylor Satchel
Will be available at Shopbop on September 2009
Size: 15.25″ x 4.5″ x 8.75″
Price: $545
Material/Colors: Black cowhide, brown lambskin, or sand pearl lambskin with antique brass hardware.

Taylor Crossbody
Will be available at NeimanMarcus on September 2009
Size: 15″ x 3.75″ x 10.5″
Price: $525
Material/Colors: Black cowhide, brown lambskin, or sand pearl lambskin with antique brass hardware.