$400 - $599

Over the past couple weeks, I keep seeing Lamarthe handbags. I have to say, there is something about these handbags I absolutely love. After trying to pin point what I love about the bags, I realized that more than anything, they just seem to be impeccably made. The Lamarthe First Class Drawstring Bag is no exception. At first glance, this handbag screams class and sophistication. The dusty rose leather and silvertone hardware work well together. I’m not usually a huge fan of this color, but it doesn’t look too girly which I do like. The drawstring opening is covered by a flap over with ring detailing and there is one of my favorite additions to the handbag world, an interior magnetic snap closure. You know, the other thing about this bag that I like is that it seems as though it could work for a wide spectrum of age groups. Well, Lamarthe designers have done something right since the first boutique opened in 1936, celebrities as well as some of the most fashionable women of their time have been spotted carrying Lamarthe handbags. What about you, if you haven’t heard of Lamarthe before, are you going to keep your eye out? Buy through Bluefly for $455.

I can’t help but find myself wondering what it would feel like for a handbag designer (or any designer for that matter) to see one of your bags being carried by a celebrity. To think about all the time and effort you’ve put into your designs, the line, and then finally – one of your bags is photographed being carried by a celebrity. It must be an amazing feeling; perhaps a combination between a sigh of relief and holding your breath waiting to see what others are going to say. Well, the Tracy Zych New York Medium Edie Bag has been seen on the arm of many of Hollywood’s most famous celebs. And to me, it seems like there is a good reason for it. First of all, the bag is the perfect combination of practical, young and fun. Plus, the handbag is available in several great colors: red (pictured here), blue, pink, black, ivory and yellow. Of course, some colors are harder to find than others, but they are out there! I’m a fan of the red right now because well, if nothing else, how fantastic are most red handbags? Even if the bag is pretty simple, almost any red handbag has an extra hint of sexiness to it. Double straps, gold hardware and plenty of storage space makes this bag perfect for so many occasions. Buy through Singer22 for $575.

I love when I stumble across a new designer where I continue to be pleasantly surprised. This is how I feel about Kale handbags. I hadn’t heard much about the line before this week, but as I continue to look at the handbags a little more closely, I have to say, I like what I see. The Kale Chilton I Shoulder Bag was a breath of fresh air. No, it’s not anything fancy. There aren’t any out of this world bells and whistles, but I think the bag is perfect for day to day and even night time use. The walnut washed lambskin looks soft yet sturdy. This certainly looks like a handbag that will age gracefully. The brasstone hardware offers just the right amount of accent along the extended leather handles. Usually, I am not sure how I feel about extended handles. I feel like they either fail miserably or totally work out – no middle ground. Here, the handles look great. Now, I know I said the bag didn’t have any crazy bells and whistles, but how about this: fuschia suede lining. Brilliant. Buy through Bluefly for $417.

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.

My mother is a woman with very specific requirements for a bag. It has to be soft, it has to fit over her shoulder, it has to zip or otherwise fasten at the top, the inside has to be divided into at least two large compartments (the more the better), and there have to be outside pockets. Bags that do not have all of these characteristics, no matter how awesome or attractive or drool-worthy they may be, shall not be considered. As such, it takes my mother about eight years to pick out a new bag.

A brand that mom mother has had an oddly high amount of luck with, however, is Marc by Marc Jacobs. I say that this is odd for one reason – MbyMJ simply does not consider her part of their target demographic. If you were to ask anyone in their marketing department who their customer was, they would tell you that it’s a young, hip 20-something with a slightly odd (but not too odd) aesthetic and possibly a newly-gotten degree in a creative field. In short, they want ME to buy their bags, and they don’t give a whole lot of thought to my mom. Being the awesome lady that she is, however (I mean, she did beget yours truly, after all), my mom does not believe that she is not cool enough for these bags (because she obviously is), and she just bought her second Marc by Marc Jacobs bag – the Totally Turnlock Teri. Click here to keep reading...

From Tory Burch we have grown to expect the signature logo. I do love the Tory Burch Reva Ballet Flats, and yes I know millions of people in NYC alone wear them daily, but they are comfortable! But Tory Burch bags have left me hanging. They just do not get the job done as far as offering a chic bag that is not logo-fied, although there is the Tory Burch Resin Clutch which gets the job done quite well. So ok, we have a clutch that is good from Tory, but what about a handbag. What about a bag that is not in the realm of too much at one time, but just right?

I think Tory Burch hit the nail on the head with the Tory Burch Horseshoe Hobo which offers a chic hobo shape, alluring color, fun buckle design, and perfect chain shoulder strap. The front buckle detail is just for show, as the bag opens and closes with a magnetic closure. The shoulder strap features link detail and the interior has plenty of pockets for storage. Is this the grown up Tory Burch bag that you have been hoping for? Buy through ShopBop for $565.

Over at Purse Blog we review Chloe bags often. Do I love Chloe bags? Yes. Do I own Chloe bags? Yes. But then there was the introduction of the See by Chloe bags, which I looked at, reviewed, and felt underwhelmed by. The See by Chloe bags looked like a sack, a large lifeless sack. Granted a handbag is just that, a mechanism to hold goods, but I want a pretty bag!

Luckily for See by Chloe they also had the Day Tripper Bag, which seems to be a huge hit! But now I have run into the See by Chloe Charlie Slouch Shoulder Bag which again appears to be a lifeless mass of denim waxed cotton. Furthermore, there is that pricing problem, asking us to pay mid $500 range for a bag that is merely related to Chloe, but does not bring anything special to the table. This bag bored me, leaves me with a yawn, but I realized that some people like this bag. It is an editor’s pick over at Shop Bop. So am I missing something? Does the Charlie Slouch Shoulder Bag offer something that I can not see? There are two handles, four pouch pockets around the outside, contrast purple lining, and large contrasting logo letter charms on the front. I dunno, still not feeling much from this bag. Buy through Net A Porter for $530.

I’ll be honest. It isn’t very often that I find a new(ish) designer whose line I instantly fall in love with. Yet, I have to say, this is how I feel about CC Skye. Not only does the line offer fabulous handbags, but it also has gorgeous accessories. We had the opportunity to look at some of the bags in person and they are as well crafted as their images appear. The handbags range from classic to a little more eclectic. Leaning towards the eclectic side is the CC Skye Nana Clutch. First of all, I absolutely love the color! I don’t always think I can pull off really bright colors, but this electric blue is a color I am dying to try out. Blue is already one of my favorite colors, but this blue absolutely pops. Then you add the shape and hardware accessories into the mix and you have a chic, fun and eye-turning clutch for the night. And if blue isn’t the color for you, fear not, the clutch also comes in carmel and cappuccino. Buy through CC Skye for $435.

Right on first glance, looking at the smaller image of this bag, I liked it! Then there was a mini downer, the downer that showed embossing of the Tory Burch name across the bag. Do I yearn for this look? Not exactly. The thing is, I am not a huge lover of over-logoed bags. Read what I have said at Purse Blog, no over-logoing, thank you very much. But as much as it was a mini-downer, the Tory Burch Embossed Jordana Tote does not show off the logo too intensely on the patent leather bag. In fact, you can get away with just thinking that the bag has some texture to it, rather than the Tory Burch logo all over it. And at first glance, I love the bag! Especially in bright sunny yellow patent-leather. The contrast leather trim and logo studs at the front and back offsets the sunshine gleaming from the yellow leather. There are double top handles and the interior is lined and offers a zipper pocket and two patch pockets. Measurements are 11.5″H x 16″L x 3.5″D. And while there is a black version (blah) and a frost grey/brown version, the yellow version has my attention. So my final thoughts, well, I need to see how Tory Burch this bag is in person. Does it call out too much or does it slide by perfectly, showing the designer name but not over-doing it? Buy through Shop Bop for $495.

Do you ever find yourself looking at something and you don’t know why, but you just like it? Well, that is how I feel about the Gryson Lola Liquid Nylon Bag. As much as I like to find bags that stick with classic shapes, I also like to spice up my collection every now and again. Now, don’t think I am uber plain or anything like that, because I know you might be sitting there thinking, “umm, Shannon, this bag isn’t *that* out there”. But for some reason, this bag really caught my eye because it is so different than anything I currently own. I actually really like the way the bag has a mixture of texture and color. Shimmery Italian eggplant colored nylon is accented with black leather trim, a rib patent stripe and lined with my favorite… suede. All of this is then tied together with silvertone hardware and stud detailing. A snap closure secures the contents in your bag and there are several different interior pockets to store items you need to be able to quickly grab. I think more than anything else, this bag seems fun and who doesn’t like fun? At the same time, the bag is practical and versatile. I don’t think you would grab this as you head out in an evening gown, but there are plenty of places you could wear this bag to. Buy through Saks for $475.