Botkier “Gladiator Snakeskin Embossed Tote”

Helloooo… I’d like you to meet my bag of the day. What do you think of it? Isn’t it just like, mmmm… tasty? Even though I’ve always felt indifferent about Botkier handbags, that is definitely not how I feel about this one. Usually they make nice bags, nothing special but definitely better looking than many other fashion houses, but they always seem to be a bit plain and thus lack real charm imho. This one however made me think twice because it works great for this time of year and has a timeless look which is a huge plus. It has something special about it, the snakeskin embossed sheepskin, which gets me to the key question: if a bag is an exotic, then it’s an exotic, and if it’s sheepskin like on this one then it’s not - why try to make it look like an exotic if it isn’t one? Well nevermind, this one looks great regardless. It doesn’t look a tad bit pretentious and that’s what I like the most about it.

I like how it looks like a common everyday bag from the sides, but once you look at the front side you get a totally opposite impression. It would work perfectly for an afternoon lunch with my girls, or when I’m shopping for smaller stuff like a gift for someone or something simillar. It’s looks awesome in this color and with that oversized buckled turn-lock closure. The dark brown leather on the handles and bottom corners of the bag prevent any potential monotony and serve as a nice accent on the bright colored body. It is available for pre-order in limited quantities so hurry up if you like it.

SIZE: 13.75″ x 14.75″ x 4.25″

PRICE: $695.00 @ Nordstrom.com

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Botkier “Lita Hobo”

Oooooh… Me like! Me like very much! The shape is simply to die for! The perfect hobo shape! I found this beauty on the Botkier official site, nowhere else, and it is available online only in this pattern. I think I would like this bag even better if it was in plain, light brown leather, but even like this, it looks gorgeous. I know it will be available in fuchsia as well, since it is featured in one of the SS08 ad campaign. Hopefully we will see Lita in more colors soon.

It is made of Italian lambskin, so it is definitely soft, and we love soft! This is not strange since we are talikng Botkier afterall, but I had to say it out loud. As you can see from the ad I included, Lita fits on your shoulder prefectly - the 10″ handle drop is just right for a perfect fit under your arm and finding something in it shouldn’t be much of a hassle either, making it a beautiful and very practical day bag.

The only thing about the taupe snakeskin one that is kind of getting in the way is the light colored leather accent, which is making this bag look kind of sporty to me, and in no way should this bag be or look sporty if you ask me. The accent line itself is a nice detail, since it eliminates any chance of this hobo looking plain but it should stick out less. If it was the same color as the rest of the bag it would fit perfectly. This is why I want to see more color options, and I do not fully understant why Botkier decided to offer only the version available for online purchase on their website. As for the interior, it is conveniately equipped with 4 pockets (one zipped). The flap and the turn lock closure neatly round up the whole look making it a really interesting and striking bag.

Anyhow, to wrap it up, Lita is a wonderful bag which will serve you for more than only a single season. Taking into account it’s more than acceptable price, you cannot go wrong with Lita. We love it!

SIZE: 14″ x 7″ x 12.5″

PRICE: $675.00 @ Piperlime.com

Botkier “Zoe Clutch”

I must admit I first noticed this clutch when I saw it’s name. After I’ve stopped laughing, I took a look at the bag and.. shock.. I actually liked it, a lot. Usually when you see a product, be it a purse, a gadget or whatever, you share a name with, the product is not as appealing as you would have wanted it to be.. At least that’s what has been happening to me, so when I saw this clutch I was, needless to say, very pleasantly surprised.

Again, I do not find this clutch breathtaking or something I couldn’t be able to stop talking about, but as Tina said earlier in one of her posts, not all your handbags have to take the spotlight, leaving you in a back row. You deserve to get some of that attention as well ;). Do not get me wrong, this is a beautiful clutch I would love to have in my collection, and it is special, but it just couldn’t steal the spotlight.

Zoe is made of soft cowhide leather, available in gunmetal and gold. I am a fan of gunmetal and not so much of a gold fan, so my pick would definitely be the gunmetal Zoe. You can combine it with more outfits and carry it in more situations than the gold one. The shape is very interesting. Slightly grained leather gives this clutch a soft look and the flap with contour stitching fits it perfectly. The contour stitching is the lifter in this case and I love the subtle way it does it’s job. Other features include tonal hardware and topstitching, a flap with a custom logo eyelet and a hidden magnetic closure and interior zip and cell pockets.

SIZE: 10,5″ x 6,25″ x 3″

PRICE: $295.00 @ NeimanMarcus.com

Botkier “St. Tropez Satchel”

I was really torn when I was deciding whether to write about the St. Tropez satchel or tote. I eventually decided to go for the satchel St. Tropez because I personally like the satchel shape better and the bag in whole looks more compact. The St. Tropez satchel is a part of Botkier Holiday 2007 collection and it has a warm summery feel to it.

This bag is available in various colors and materials: gold canvas, white and black cowhide and a combination of canvas and woven leather in white or in black. My favourite is the one I found on NeimanMarcus.com in black leather because you can carry it not only during summer, but pretty much any season. However, if you are considering buying this bag for the warmer times of the year, all combinations are great. I personally would not buy the gold canvas version, it seems a bit to much for my taste, but I can imagine a person carrying it and it does not look bad at all!

St. Tropez features woven leather handles, which contribute to the summery feel, a flap with a hidden magnetic closure and oxidized copper hardware. The interior is featured with jacquard logo lining and zip and cell pockets. The handle drop is 5,5″, making this bag fall into the hand held category. What I particulary like is how the hardware is not very noticable, how the designers focused on the topstiching details, making them the key detail of the bags, practically leaving out the hardware.

SIZE: 18″w x 10,75″h x 6″d

PRICE: $425.00 @ NeimanMarcus.com

For other styles check Botkier.com