I’ve never give much thought to perforated leather, to be honest. It’s out there, but it’s not super common, and I usually keep moving right past it when I see it. There are times when I’ve made a positive post about a bag with perforations, but looking back, it’s been the exception instead of the rule. But I took one look at the B. Makowsky Perforated Hobo and it crystallized all of my thoughts on the subject – I don’t like it at all.

When I look at this bag, I think “basketball jersey.” And when I try to come up with a different thought about it, I have a hard time doing so because the resemblance is so striking. It would indeed be a cute bag to take to a sporting event to go along with whatever team jersey you were sporting, but beyond that, I think the look is a bit too athletic to be worn with a regular outfit. Or maybe I’m just too pathetically out of shape to be amenable to anything that reminds me of physical activity. Buy through Nordstrom for $258.

Way back when, I had a purse by The Sak. It was back when I was but a wee child and they made only the woven bags that made them famous, and I thought it was the most luxurious thing in the world. I eventually added a smaller, black version to my collection and thought of it as somewhat of an evening bag, even though a child of my age really had nowhere to carry such things.

I have since moved on with my handbag life, and it appears as though The Sak has done the same with it’s Convertible Satchel. Given the extremely reasonable price point, this bag is particularly well-tailored and sophisticated looking; it has a bit of slouch to it for a satchel, but not too much by any stretch of the imagination. It also neatly combines its second handle option by tucking the shoulder strap under the bag, hiding it until it’s necessary and then using the extra material at the ends to turn it into something of a proper-looking hobo. Look how far they’ve come. Buy through Nordstrom for $199.

Oh dear. It looks like I’ve finally found a beach-y, straw handbag that I don’t like. This is a big day for me, because I really thought that I liked anything that reminded me of vacation or sand or ocean. But I definitely don’t like the Kate Spade Hula Ida Shopper.

If this bag cost $15 at Target, I might think it was funny in a kitschy, literal way. And I hate to snark on Kate Spade, because their recent influx of new talent has turned out several good bags and has the whole company moving in a much-needed new direction. But with a price tag in the several hundred dollar region, this is just too silly and too ridiculous to be permissible. If the orange straw was all woven instead of like a hula skirt, then maybe. But as it is, no. Definitely no. Buy through Nordstrom for $295.

We’ve been talking a lot about Big Black Bags (BBBs) lately on the Purse Blog family of websites, and I’ve got another good specimen to throw on the heap: the Jack Rabbit The Atlantic Tote.

It’s got everything you could want in a giant, dark-colored carryall: lots of smooth, but not shiny, leather, minimal hardware, and enough size to make a statement. This bag is a little different, though, in that it’s a north/south style (for the uninitiated, that means it’s longer than it is wide). I’m of the personal belief that north/south bags are a lot harder to design than their east/west counterparts since they have a much larger propensity to look awkward and be difficult to carry, but I think that Jack Rabbit did a reasonably good job with this particular bag. It gets a little wider at the bottom to balance out the bag’s width and the handles also help with the proportion. All in all, a solid entry into the BBB wars. Buy through Bloomingdales for $450.

I am absolutely, without a doubt one of the biggest Linea Pelle fans out there. I should probably say that I am a bit spoiled because not only do I own a couple Linea Pelle pieces, but I also had the chance to meet with several staff members, including the Creative Director, Andrew Cotton, of the brand.

Yet, no matter what, the bags simply speak for themselves. Take the Linea Pelle Lola Clutch for example. I don’t own one (yet) but I have seen it in person. The leather is absolutely smooth, touchable and versatile. One of the great things about the leather used for Linea Pelle handbags is that it can withstand just about anything you put it through.

Beyond that, this bag in particular can be carried as a clutch or a small handbag. Although I am not sure I would use this handbag as an option with one of my fanciest outfits, it is sure to make its way into your daily rotation. Plus, this clutch is bound to transcend seasons. Buy through Linea Pelle Online for $225.

Roses are red, violets are blue, I am not too fond of this clutch, how about you?

This kind of floral theme is popping up everywhere. Last week I talked about the J. Crew Soiree Clutch and just today I discussed the Mary Norton Chiffon Rose Clutch. And just like many handbags out there, some work and some don’t work. I don’t think the Jessica McClintock Rosette Kisslock Frame Clutch is working for me. Several rosettes all over the small clutch do nothing but make it look too busy. In fact, the more I look at it, the more it seems like the bag was made quickly and without much thought. The one thing that is right, the price. Buy through Nordstrom for $58.

I always keeps my eyes open for red and black handbags. I’m an alumna of the University of Georgia, a fine institution of learning and football. In the South, as some of you probably don’t know, we don’t wear t-shirts and shorts (or hoodies and sweatpants, at the end of the season) to football games like the rest of the country. For generations, we’ve gone to college football games dressed in our Saturday best – dresses, heels and accessories – but only in school colors.

We get off easier than schools that have to contend with colors like orange and blue, but I still always notice when I see something like the Hype Rouge Malin Tote that fits my requirements. It’s not quite time for football yet, and this bag isn’t quite right, but it’s getting there – finding the right shade of red is probably the hardest part. Anyone else out there have their eye on color-coordinated accessories for their favorite teams? Buy through Bluefly for $197.99.

When you look at this picture, what do you see? I know you probably see straw, but what else? In a larger sense? When I look at the Mad Imports Cloudberry Tote, I see mini shredded wheat cereal; even the name sounds like the name of a breakfast food. Every little puff looks like a little cereal glob, and it looks like they’ve all be strung together to make a handbag.

An ill-advised handbag at that. I’m all for straw totes, and I generally like the things that I’ve seen from Mad Imports quite a bit, but I am simply not okay with this. Not even in a kitschy, summer way. It’s just weird looking and I somehow doubt that even if you were to buy it that it would last very long. The puffy nature of the straw is just asking to collapse if the bag is stressed – smooshed under and airplane seat on the way to the beach, for example. And what good is a straw tote if you can’t beat it up and not worry about it? Unfortunately, this handbag isn’t particularly good in idea OR execution. Buy through Shop Bop for $88.

Over on Purse Blog, we’ve had some critical things to say about the current crop of Donna Karan Collection bags – a lot of them are overwhelming in price or underwhelming in design. As it turns out, though, they could take some lessons from the design team that’s doing their less-expensive DKNY line, because they look a lot more high-end and well-designed.

My current favorite is the DKNY Knotted Soft Nappa Shopper. The operative word here is soft – a lot of bag claim to be, but this bag actually looks like it would have the matte, nubby texture that only the softest bags out there have. I also like that it looks ever so slightly unfinished – the straps running down the body of the bag appear to have raw edges, as does the option crossbody strap. The oversized knots at the handle attachment pull things together nicely, and the overall impression is that of a bag that would be awesome for everyday use in a variety of lifestyles. The price is half bad, either. Buy through Bloomingdales for $425.

One of the most important things that a fashionable girl can have in her summer wardrobe is a good straw clutch. Summer can be too hot for leather or suede, and straw clutches looks so season-appropriate and do a great job walking the line between casual and glam. We’ve featured several straw clutches in this space over the past few months, but none quite so glam as the Tory Burch Straw Logo Clutch.

This bag combines metallic, tightly-woven straw with the big gold logo that Tory Burch is known for. Usually I hate it, but on this bag, it kinda works. From a distance, the straw has such a shine to it that it looks a bit like woven chain, and other than that, the bling is the bag’s only visual interest. I think it strikes a sleek and sophisticated note despite the big logo, and I’d love to have one to match with printed maxi dresses and gladiator sandals. Buy through Shop Bop for $275.