Normally I don’t have any problem accurately identifying materials in person, particularly when those materials are commonly used for handbags. It’s my job, after all, and I’ve manhandled a lot of purses in my life. When I saw this version of the Treesje Bare Revealed Satchel in person a few weeks ago, however, I would have sworn to anyone who asked that it was made of very, very soft sueded canvas or linen. When I saw how much it cost, I put the bag right back on the shelf, assuming that the price was too high for a non-leather bag.

As it turns out, that’s not quite right.

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I hate to be an optimist when it comes to the brand that we all know I love to hate, but Juicy Couture seems to have turned out fewer handbag crimes against humanity lately. Is it just me, or is the brand turning over a new leaf? By virtue of even writing this, am I somehow guaranteeing that the next handbag I see from the brand will be atrocious? Probably.

But for now, the Juicy Couture Brogue Duchess Bag is decidedly non-atrocious. For once, Juicy’s designers picked textural elements that all manage to work together in piecemeal harmony.

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I’m normally an ardent and vocal Marc by Marc Jacobs fangirl, as many of my previous posts on the brand prove. Lately, though, the brand’s bags are almost entirely missing the mark (or the Marc, as it were) for me.

When I saw the Marc by Marc Jacobs Fantastical Perfect Purse, my first instinct was to roll my eyes. I’ve been ok with Jacobs’s use of embossed initials in the past, but when you add things like spades and clubs into the mix, the effect gets cheap and silly very quickly.

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A bicolor bag of significant size is a legitimately difficult thing to design well. Since the interplay between the colors is usually the main event, choosing the shades and how they’ll be placed is crucial and often makes or breaks a design. Most designers simply don’t manage to do it very well.

The Kooba Kelsi Satchel is the rare example of when two colors combine to create a very attractive bag. The lighter and darker shades of red are combined in a way that sort of reminds me of a 50s diner – whether you think that’s a good or bad thing will depend on your personal taste.

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I’m a broken record when it comes to Tory Burch‘s handbags: they’re simple, sophisticated, and very appealing. The one over there at the left? It’s no different. Ms. Burch is just not capable of disappointing me lately.

The Tory Burch Dayton Satchel is only the most recent in a still-growing line of sartorial successes. And indeed, it’s everything that I mentioned above, in addition to being a bit reminiscent of Yves Saint Laurent (unless that’s just in my own head, which is entirely possible).

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It wasn’t so many years ago that I was schlepping a 15-inch MacBook Pro around a far-too-large college campus, but it seems like tech options for stylish students have exploded since my graduation in 2008. Honestly, I’m a little jealous – my black neoprene laptop sleeve is positively awful compared to all of the options college kids have now.

Now that high-end brands are hopping on the bandwagon at somewhat reasonable price points (my boring black sleeve cost about $60 with no fancy design whatsoever), we have a whole new category of bag to discuss: the luxe laptop case. Here are four of our favorites – larger pictures and price information are after the jump.

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Not only do I dislike real fur, but I really dislike fur bags. Faux fur can be styled to look modern and interesting, but handbags generally do not have the scale or structure necessary to accomodate such a dense material in an attractive way.

Instead, almost all fur bags tends to come out looking like the giant fuzzy blob that is the Marc by Marc Jacobs Cheeky Nico Fur Bag. At the very least, the designers chose to use the fur of an animal (lamb) that is also used for meat and leather, which probably minimizes ethical issues for some shoppers.

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Of all the brand to spawn new bag lines in the past couple of years, Elie Tahari may be my favorite. I’ve had the chance to see a number of the label’s purses in person, and not a single one has failed to impress me. The leather quality is high, the details are precise and the overall effect is almost always chic and expensive-looking.

The Elie Tahari Amber Clutch is only the latest in a long line of Tahari bags that have caught my eye, mostly because it’s managed to do something particularly difficult: look bohemian and high-end simultaneously.

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Fall fashion may be rolling in to online retailers left and right (for pre-order, at least), but in most of America, it’s still scorching hot outside. I was reminded of this all too abruptly last week when I spend five days moving out of my apartment – it’s hot out there, you guys.

With approximately three months of warm weather left in my neck of the woods, it’s not too late to be looking for bags to carry at cookouts and pool parties. If you’re in the same boat, check out the Elain Turner Bamboo Handle Clutch.

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Sometimes, you see something and you just know.

That’s what happened when I spotted the Treesje Crimson Crossbody Bag at Intermix a few weeks ago. I was perusing some pretty patterned dresses when I lifted my eyes to a back shelf and BAM. There it was. I had to go touch it.

I’m still not exactly sure what about this bag in particular makes it so appealing to me. Studs have been done nearly to death by more or less all of my favorite bag designers, but for some reason, this crossbody makes me love the look all over again.

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