Rafe New York

Just yesterday I wrote about the Dooney and Bourke Large Croco Hobo. During this post I posed a question about whether you would rather wait for a real exotic handbag or if you would go for something like a croco embossed handbag. As I thought about it a little more, I began to think that an important thing to consider is how relatively close to “real” the handbag looks. Of course you know that it isn’t the real thing, but some look better than others. Take the Rafe New York Emma Convertible Shoulder Bag for example. This handbag looks to be a little more believable when it comes to the overall look of the bag. But even moving past authentic exotic or not, I like this handbag. The removable chain and leather strap lets you use the bag as a shoulder bag or a clutch. There are several pockets to choose from inside the handbag while lined with traditional Rafe logo fabric lining. More than anything I like how the handbag has a young, chic, sophisticated and versatile look. I could definitely see myself carrying this! Buy through Rafe for $525.

Rafe Totengco has made his Rafe New York Handbag line famous, accruing various awards and being the first designer to partner with Target back in 2006. A long time ago I ran into a few Rafe bags that I was not super fond of. But with time Rafe the designer grew as did we, and now I have found a beautiful jewel hued bag from this fashion designer. A perfect hobo option, the Rafe Hudson Blake Large Hobo Bag is designed with supple lambskin and accented with patchwork details and antique brass hardware. The bag is larger than it appears (16″ wide x 11″ high x 5″ deep, strap drop: 11″), meaning it will not overpower you by appearing too small, and a large hobo is a staple to every woman’s outfit. There is a single wide shoulder strap and a front zip pocket. We look forward to seeing more from this fabulous designer. Buy through Rafe for $575.