Juicy Couture

More so than basically any other brand I can think of, Juicy Couture seems to always manage to make bags that I SHOULD like, but I don’t (I’m speaking only of their leather bags – most of their cloth ones have earned my scorn rightfully). I was faced this conundrum again when I saw the Juicy Couture Padlock Grace Tote. I like the color, I like the chain and tassel details, and I generally don’t have much of a problem with satchels.

So I think that my general dislike for the bag, and for other bags from the line, is that it just seems like it’s trying too hard. There’s too much unnecessary seaming, too many coy little rivets, and too little attention paid to the overall shape and flow of the design. Instead of spending so much time trying to decide where they could put seams that don’t even serve a functional purpose, they could have better spent it making the bag a more interesting or unexpected shape. But they didn’t, so this is what we have. Buy through Shop Bop for $428.

Fringe. Although I typically have a love hate relationship with it. However, I have been loving it more than hating it lately. Perhaps it is because fringe is everywhere or perhaps it is because of something else. No matter what the reason, you can’t simply slap on a bunch of fringe and have a stellar handbag.

The Juicy Couture Leather Hobo is a good example of a fringe bag I am on the fence about. At first glance, I like the bag. At second glance, I think the fringe looks a little sloppy. The brown leather looks really nice, while the touch of hardware helps draw the eye to something other than the fringe. I might actually have to say Juicy Couture did something good here. Buy through Saks for $378.

While we have the pleasure of living in a climate where it is beach weather all four seasons, I know most of you do not have this opportunity. But now it is time to bring your beach bags out of the closet along with your bikinis and hit to nearest shore. I found a clever little combination that Juicy Couture put together, a towel and a bag in one, the Juicy Couture Vento Towel Sling. Ultimately, this is merely an expensive towel, but the idea behind it is totally cute. The beach towel turns into a handy bag when you tie the corners together and then carry it by the rope shoulder straps. I am supposing that you can put your sunscreen and water in the handbag when you have it tied up, and if that is the case, this is totally worth the $85. Towel measures 26″ x 71″. Cute and so perfect for summer. Buy through Saks for $85.

I am the oldest of four kids. And for whatever reason, I remember just about every stroller and diaper bag my mom had. Don’t ask me why, it’s just one of those things. One thing that I continue to see is a lack of really nice diaper bags out there. You get either the basic diaper bag with few styles and colors to choose from or you get something that is super expensive. Although I am not in the market for a diaper bag, I had to stop and applaud when I saw this one.

The Juicy Couture Juicy Baby Tote is an excellent example of a fashionable diaper bag at a reasonable price. For a bag that holds items that are bound to spill, possibly smell and most likely stain, I don’t see the point in dropping serious bucks. Personally, I’d rather save my pennies for something like the Bottega Veneta Python Fold Over Clutch (if I ever have serious pennies to drop). But this terry tote has double shoulder straps, leather trim and base, goldtone hardware, plenty of pockets, and the other diaper bag must haves. Buy through Bloomingdales for $298.

You know, when I first came across this clutch/wallet I was reminded of college. Why? Well, back in college, I was always carrying around a clutch/wallet. I never liked carrying around a handbag when I went to parties or out to campus bars. I was too worried that my handbag would come home smelling like cheap keg beer or simply stated, ruined. So, I bet you can see why the clutch/wallet option seemed best.

Now, back to the real topic at hand. I am really liking the Juicy Couture Crown Button Elongated Clutch Wallet. The color is great. The shape is great. The hardware adds a slightly edgy feel. Clearly, this is something you could grab as you run out of the house on a quick errand, but it wouldn’t be something to carry if you have lots of stuff you need to carry around. Well, you could, but this would just be one of the many things in your larger sized handbag. Of course, I was pleasantly surprised that the clutch/wallet doesn’t have Juicy Couture logo nonsense slapped all over it, but you will find the logo once you open it up; this I can live with. Buy through Bloomingdale’s for $158.

Ugh, punch me in the face, I hate this. In fact, I hate the Juicy Couture No Drama Hobo so much that I’ve spent several days contemplating it, trying to think of ways to most accurately explain just exactly how much this thing irritates me. I hate embroidered things in general – they very often look cheap and hippie, and not in a cool boho way. I hate embroidered flowers in particular, since they often look like unfortunate ripoffs of something that actually has ethnic or cultural significance, and turning that into a Juicy Couture handbag is just annoying. It also has the brand’s name emblazoned on it, because of course it does, because that’s what they do. The handle and the way it attached to the bag look flimsy, and the overall effect of the entire bag is decidedly not high-end. I don’t know what they were thinking with this one, because Juicy has made some bags that I don’t hate lately, but this is at least two steps back in their march to becoming a respectable handbag brand. Buy through Saks for $188.

I like the Juicy Couture Kennedy Tassel Hobo, but in kind of a vague way. I don’t dislike it. And there is sort of a low-level attractiveness to it, don’t you think? It’s white, which is nice. It’s particularly nice on a day when it’s 43 degrees and raining in Georgia, although it was 84 and sunny a week ago (and 30 degrees and snowing 7 inches a week before that, but I digress), since a crisp white bag (or dress, or skirt, or anything, really) in the “new arrivals” section of any website always means that warm weather will be here and staying very soon. I like the chain and the tassels quite a bit, since they give a bit of an edge to a bag that would otherwise just be a regular hobo. But is something about this bag reading “Coach” to anyone else? I can’t find a picture of the bag that I’m thinking about, so if you are seeing what I’m seeing, help me out, but there is SOMETHING that keeps bugging me about this bag. At any rate, it’s an understated and versatile bag that would be great for everyday use in summer, and the price isn’t bad (although I wish it was lower). Buy through Saks for $428.

It’s Spring Break in the college town I live in, and I was sure that my limited budget meant I’d have to be spending my time at home. So imagine my surprise when today, yours truly got an offer for a spontaneous, basically free trip to Puerto Rico for the last half of the week. It’s a long story, but an old roommate of mine has an extra ticket and assures me that I’ll be able to work from the hotel at night, so as long as she can get the name on the reservation changed, off I go with her! I’ve never been to Puerto Rico, and the last time I spent any kind of significant time on the beach…well, I think it was sometime circa 2003. But an offer like that is impossible to refuse, so my mind is reeling trying to think of what I’d pack, should things work out in my favor.

One thing I know I don’t have is a water-and-sand-friendly bag, and the Juicy Couture Plaid Towel Sling caught my eye immediately. The bag itself is a cheerfully bright cotton-linen blend that would take well to being thrown around on the beach – the material would dry quickly and the plaid pattern would cover any stains or spots. Plus, the folks at Juicy Couture have been thinking one step ahead of me – the bag already comes with a screen-printed beach towel, trimmed in the same plaid as the bag. I don’t know if I’ll be able to take this to Puerto Rico, or if I’ll even get to go, but this might be a great option for anyone that has yet to depart for their own spring trip. Buy through Nordstrom for $85.

Say what you want about Juicy Couture. They make their fair share of missteps, and they’ve produced some truly horrendous bags in the past. They don’t always get it right, which is the case with a lot of young brands. One thing I do know, though, is that occasionally they make something really interesting or really pretty, and it’s always a pleasant surprise. Another thing that I know is that the Juicy Couture Queen Anne Clutch looks way more expensive than it is. I could see Gucci or Dior making something similar (the hardware is reminiscent, don’t you think?) and charging four or five times as much for it, and people would gladly buy it. So consider, for a second, ignoring the branding and looking at this bag for what it is – a beautiful, functional clutch with beautiful-but-subtle details that you’ll use for a long time. Buy through eLuxury for $228.

Back and forth and back and forth. That is truly how I feel when it comes to Juicy Couture Handbags. Most of the time I find myself hating the handbags that are put out. Usually, the bags are covered with logos and all sorts of over the top additions. Then, there are other times when I am shocked (in a good way) that the bag I am looking at is made by Juicy Couture. Take the Juicy Couture Classic Leather Hobo. I’m thinking I was still totally shocked that this bag wasn’t covered from top to bottom, side to side with some sort of logo. Instead, I saw soft leather, a nice shape, topstitching and basically a nice day to day bag. But, as I looked a little closer, I saw a mess attached to the bag – iconic Juciy charms. Luckily, it appears as those are detachable, which again, makes me happy. Buy through Saks for $378.