Louis Vuitton “Monogram Tahitienne Cabas GM”

I hope Zoe won’t mind me stealing this bag from her to do-list, since she’s been pretty busy these days and it’s about time to givr this bag the attention it deserves. Let me start by saying that I’ve had a hard time getting my mind around which one to go for - the PM or the GM one… So here’s the deal, when it comes to tote shaped bags (which are pretty big most of the time), if they come in various sizes I will usually go for the biggest without thinking twice. The price isn’t usually much higher, unlike the effect the bag has on people (me included ). Zoe has recently added to her collection a beautiful LV Neverfull in the GM size, and it couldn’t look better than it does.

There is room to discuss which size to go for if you are a lady of rather petite proportions, but nevertheless, even if you are and you go for a big bag, I think you’ll look great as long as the style of the bag you go for expresses your personality. But back to the bag… I decided to post about the biggest Tahitienne available because it’s made of woven cotton canvas which just looks better and makes a much better impression if the bag’s body is larger.

What I particulary like about this bag is that it defines a certain fashion period, and it will do so in ten years from now. Five years down the road, people will see you carrying it and think “look at her, she managed to snatch it in time it was released, and OMG it looks great!”. It’s the kind of bags which define you as a fashion insider, and there’s no escaping that fact. You can choose between three colors which all look equally great: violet, rose or sable. Besides the large LV logo paying respect to Paul Gauguin, there is a golden LV plaque on front. There is a d-ring on the side, perfect for attaching a detail such as one of those amazing LV charms, and a strap that can be unsnapped so you can adjust the bag’s capacity or shape. The interior is textile lined and also features the tahitienne print.

SIZE: 21″ x 14″ x 8.5″

PRICE: $1,200.00 @ eLuxury.com

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Emilio Pucci “Cosmo Print Canvas Tote”

This is a true summer bag, and by summer I mean summer only… This is really the type of bag I can only imagine myself carrying during the summer. I mean, imagine yourself trying to catch a cab on a rainy autumn day, strugling with an umbrella in one hand and this bag in the other?! No way… I’m sure you will all agree with me when i say that this bag was made to match flaunting tunics and flats. The vivid print gives the bag a special touch and the colors have been chosen carefuly to make this bag an awesome all day summer accessory. The pattern itself isn’t all that crazy, but it’s interesting and amusing enough to make me want this bag in my collection. As you might have noticed, this bag is actually pretty simple. With no closure and no pockets inside, it’s perfect for the beach or a day out. Knock yourself out, fill it up with what ever comes your mind and flaunt it…

SIZE: 13″ x 10.5″ x 5″

PRICE: $630.00 @ Saks.com

Emilio Pucci “Sundial Canvas Beach Bag”

Tina and I were discussing how we both noticed the new Emilio Pucci summer bags and how we both really liked them. I found this one at NAP, which is the only place to buy it online. If you decide to buy it, you will take part in the fight against breast cancer, since this bag is a part of the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer Worldwide collection. Getting yourself something as delicious as a new bag, and at the same time donating for a good cause is probably as good as it can get.

Anyway, what drew me to this bag was the print. It is so vivid and beautiful and it just screams “summer, summer, summer!!”.  I like this one better than the one that Tina picked. It reminds me of a refreshing cocktail, I even managed to see an orange hidden in the pattern. Also, this one is equipped with all the pockets a woman needs, and that is a must when it comes to me and bags. It has a small compartment on the front, featured with a magnetic closure for all the things you want to have at your reach, a press stud fastening on the top and an inside zipped pocket for the things like keys or credit cards/cash. Carry it as a top handle, or as a shoulder bag if you are a bit petite. This bag will definitely carry everything you might need at the beach, and it is featured with enough pockets to organize all that stuff. Now excuse me while I go fantasize about summer and beach cocktails …

SIZE: 14″w x 15″h x 7″d, handle drop 8″

PRICE: $795.00 @ Net-a-Porter.com

Burberry “Canvas Tote”

Here’s a nice twist on the traditional check pattern that we all love. I really like the bag, but I can’t help myself thinking that it would only work for the warmer part of the year. I guess it’s because of the material. As far as I am concerned, canvas works for warm and dry weather only. If I buy a bag during the winter, I simply can’t carry it during the summer time only, regardless of the material or the color. Can you imagine buying a brand new bag and not being able to carry it for months? I can’t. I should probably try to get rid of that prejudice, but I just can’t help it. It’s like I have this blockade in my mind and I’m sick and tired of it to tell you the truth. Ok, baby steps I guess… This is not only a summer-time tote. Why should it be? It’s made of canvas and released in May, so what? A bag is a bag, especially if it’s a nice and rather simple and not too demanding one like this is. That means it can, and should be carried whenever we feel like it! Ok, I feel better now… So let’s get down to business. I was saying… Oh yes…

I like the enlarged check pattern on this bag. It makes it look more casual and laid back. It’s still perfectly recognizable, even without seeing the metal logo plate on front, but it’s not overwhelming. The smooth calfskin is used for the handles as a contrast to the canvas bag body. The interior is featured with a zip pocket, a phone pocket and one open pocket. I like it.

SIZE: 12″ x 17″ x 6.25″

PRICE: $695.00 @ Saks.com

YSL “Ivory Tan Leather Trim Large Tote”

Say what you want, but this is a true shoulder tote. I mean, the shape, the material, the combination of colors… Everything about it is right where it should be. Even though I’m not all crazy over each and every design that the YSL designers come up with, I have to give them credit and admit that their handbags always end up looking great.

 This is the type of a bag you simply can’t go wrong with… The type of a bag I like to refer to as an investment, an investment you’ll never be sorry you made. If you decide to pass on this one, there will be bags in the future that’ll match up to this one of course, but if you like it and you are in a position to buy it I would wholeheartedly suggest that you go for it. Summer is here and this is the bag you want to be seen carrying around. Featuring a brown leather trim on top as a contrast to the soft ivory canvas, this beautiful hobo is both elegant and casual which makes it a perfect summer all day bag. The double handles have large grommets along the back and front which can come in handy if you want to give the bag a personal touch with a scarf or some other detail. The open top reveals a fabric lined interior with a zip compartment and a zipped pocket.

SIZE: 17″ x 13″ x 6″ ; handle 19″

PRICE: $1,436.00 @ Bluefly.com

Dior “Soft Lady Dior Avenue Woven Hobo”

Umm… So… This bag is a part of a new S/S seasonal Dior collection called Avenue. There are a few pieces available as a part of this collection, and this is one of them. I’ve heard people comment on this collection, saying that it didn’t end up among the hotter Dior collections because the bags resemble Bottega’s designs and because the designs are not “fresh”. Personaly, I like the whole collection despite the fact that there is something Bottega about them. The bags presented in the ad campaign were what really got me going and then I’ve seen the woven hobos which I loved even more. Thanks to the renowned designer house behind these bags, you don’t have to worry about these being a case of copy-paste design. The design does remind me of BV but still… I don’t think I would ever mistake one of these for one of their designs… If you look closer, the top of the bag and the handle have nothing that would make you think it’s a BV. Anyway, enough blabbing, let’s get back to the bag that made me write this post in the first place…

It’s made of smooth weaved lambskin which gives the bag that soft and slouchy look we can never get enough of - in the end, we are all just girls and girls need soft and slouchy bags I think it looks perfect for the upcoming summer and that it’ll last for many summer seasons to come. On the other hand, if you’re into this kind of bags, I guess you’ll probably be more open to spending a bit more money and going for a Bottega. Anyway…

Rolled handle of a 10.5″ drop is attached to the bags body with polished gold clasp attachments, which are also used to carry dangling Dior logo detail. Zip top closure reveales suede lining interior featured with zipped and a patch pocket. Yummy.

SIZE: 13″ x 13″ x 3.25″

PRICE: $1,910.00 @ eLuxury.com

Mulberry “Latimer Shoulder Bag”

I am a die hard Mulberry fan, I really am… Mulberry played an enormous role in the process of me getting used to, and learning to love patent leather. I absolutely fell in love with the Mable bags from the first sight, then came the Soho bags, especially the Soho Ostrich which I posted about and predicted for it to be a huge hit. The next Mulberry design Zoe and I both went crazy over was Agyness… A beautifull, sumptuous and feminine bag made in a multitude of material and color combinations to fit every style imaginable. That’s why I am not happy to say that this bag is a total miss.

Even though the front buckle tickled my imagination at first, it alone couldn’t hide the fact this bag isn’t well proportined nor properly defined. To be honest it looks like something someone would make from leftover scraps after creating a huge bag. I get the simple bag idea, but this is just boring… It could never work. It has no charm and it’s not attractive at all. The shape is very strange, even though it doesn’t appear so at first sight. I don’t even have an idea about how this bag could ever work, so I guess it’s ok if I go ahead and say that it’s a complete miss… It would be much better if the designers took the original idea to a higher level by adding just a pinch of uniqueness, freshness, life… something… I bet the response would be much better… It’s not a bag you’ll be saving money for, drooling over or carrying until it falls apart and spontaneously recycles itself. Even if I bought it, I’d get bored soon. After two years I’d have forgotten I have ever bought it.

SIZE: 10.5″ x 8″ x 5″ ; handle drop 9″

PRICE: $995.00 @ Net-a-Porter.com

Chloe “Sue Patent Leather Bag”

And once again it’s Chloe… Their bags are definitely stealing the show this season, and I am very glad because of that. I’ve seen many new Chloe bags recently, and they definitely seem to be making sure they have every corner of the market covered. Whether we’re talking about a day in the city, an evening out with your girls or an easy walk in the park, Chloe designers sure seem to be making sure there is a Chloe bag for the occassion. I’ve shared my feelings about the Chloe Odessa with you recently, and now I want to do the same thing with this one.

The Sue is (another) white bag with a front, gold toned metal plate hidding a magnetic snap closure underneath it. The bag is made of patent leather, and as much as Zoe keeps venting about how she is fed up with patent, I must say I think that white patent leather bag is a perfect way to freshen up your summer look. Despite the fact that we have seen what was probably too much of patent throughout the year, somehow it always manages to shine in a new and totally disarming way. As expected, the S/S collections brought us brighter colors, and the color that seems to be stealing the show is definitely white. There are patent bags in other colors, but this season it’s all about white, white and more white, so it’s only logical that we are seeing more white patent bags than ever before.

Anyway, back to this bag. One thing that surprised me slightly is the shoulder strap, which is pretty thick. Summer shoulder bags are usualy made with a thin and gentle shoulder strap, but the designers over at Chloe decided to go for a thicker, wider strap and I must say I like that! Thin patent leather shoulder straps look kind of cheap, and not in a cheap&chic kind of way, which is not something I like on bag. The shoulder strap on the Sue bag is however a beautiful detail itself and lifts the whole bag up a notch. Seeing a flap top on a Chloe means only one thing - the flap trend alive and kicking and we will be seeing more of it in the days to come. The front of the bag is detailed with two patch pockets and there is another one inside the bag. Tina likes!

SIZE: 11″ x 6.5″ x 2.5″ ; handle drop 9.5″

PRICE: $1,180.00 @ Net-a-Porter.com

Fendi “Leather Chain Hobo”

Hmmm… It’s a Fendi… It’s a small hobo shaped shoulder bag… It’s made of soft nappa leather and detailed with a polished gold toned chain which also serves as shoulder strap… All in all, I must say I like it! This bag was designed to last and last and trust me, it’s not a type of bag you’ll get bored with easily. You’ve got the simple shape and the completely unintrusive design, which I must say is refreshing to say the least. Fendi usually makes it pretty hard to mistake any of their bags for anything but a Fendi by slapping their logo and their name all over the bag. This one, however, got spared from any type of aggressive branding, and the end result is a highly practical bag that can be a real lifesaver in many situations.

This is the kind of a bag that will work in pretty much every one of those situations when you don’t have the time or the energy to dig through the closet and think about which bag to take. No matter if you are heading for an easy night out or a short lunch break in the middle of a busy day, this one will do. Every woman needs at least one or two bags of this type, bags you can just pull out and have an instant match to almost any outfit, and more importantly, bags that will carry you through the day/night even if you realize, once you are already in a cab three blocks away from home, that it might have not been the perfect match to your outfit.

The interior is zip top closed, fabric lined and featured with zipped pocket.

SIZE: 11.5″ x 8.5″ x 2.5″

PRICE: $764.00 @ Bluefly.com

Jean Paul Gaultier “Satin Boxing Shopper”

Love the color, hate the bag… I hate the trashy looking picture as well… No really, this bag is an insult for bags, and nothing can make me change my mind. The only thing about this bag that’s right is the name… It really looks like it’s made of the leftovers of boxing shorts. I mean, even a girlfight fanatic wouldn’t carry this around, or am I wrong? In the sea of bags of all kinds, shapes and colors, there are many items much more worthy of spending $680 on them than this one. Who would buy this? Hahaha… And it actually has stripes on it’s sides… Imagine seeing your boyfriend mistaking it for his shorts and trying to get into it. And let me tell you, the satin will get torn in that case… Maybe this bag really was a pair boxing shorts somewhere in the past… Ahhh…

As I said it’s made of satin and the open top reveales mesh lined interior featured with center and side zipped pocket.
Knock out… Black out…

SIZE: 17″ x 10.5″ x 6″

PRICE: $680.00 @ eLuxury.com