$400 - $599

Can you ever have too many black handbags? To me, the answer is, no. I absolutely love the color black. Black clothes, black cars, black handbags… love them. For whatever reason, I feel as though black is the kind of color that can look classy or laid back at the drop of a hat. That being the case, you can always spice up your wardrobe with something black and then a splash of color. The Lauren Merkin Rebecca Tote in black is fabulous. This is a great day to day bag which really emphasizes what she wants. The Lauren Merkin line promotes durable yet classy and fun handbags. When I looked at the tote, I did think it looked very durable while at the same time it had a soft touch. This glazed leather handbag has is accented with pleating at the front and back plus a splash of gold hardware. The double handles mean the bag can be carried by hand or thrown on your shoulder without a glitch. Who doesn’t like options? At the same time, the tote is roomy enough for everything you might need as you run around to work or on weekend errands. Buy through Shop Bop for $575.

I think it should be clear by now: Kooba is a brand that keeps my attention despite making at least a couple of missteps per season. I’ve already written about one Kooba bag I loved and one bag I hated for their fall collection, and I’m about to write about yet another one: the Kooba Halle in red (also available in black and brown, but you know me…).

So do I love this one, or hate it? This one, I LOVE. Well, I love it without the chain. The chain is kinda awkward, right? But I love the color (the red leather is really saturated and bright, unlike a lot of red bags), I love Kooba’s super-soft signature leather, and I love that the flap is asymmetrical and with an unexpected zipper for emphasis.

Kooba went through a weird phase for a few seasons where their bags got increasingly more expensive, and I felt like they were pricing themselves out of their market a bit – their bags weren’t selling at nearly $700 for a regular-sized purse, so their stuff was continuously in the sale section. This last season, though, was a bit of a change – most of their really popular bags seemed to be in the $500-$600 range, and a lot of them never made it to the sale sections of our favorite shopping websites.

This season seems to be a continuation of that trend – the Halle, a perfect everyday bag, is a mere $495. I can personally attest – for the quality of leather that I’ve had in my previous Kooba bags, that’s a steal. Buy through Shop Bop for $495.

We all have styles we don’t normally like. It could be the color, the shape, the material, the brand, or really for no reason at all, but we just don’t like them. That is how I normally feel about this kind of bag. Usually, I’m not one who is drawn towards metallics. However, I actually kind of like the Michael Kors Newbury Large Drawstring Satchel. As Goldey-locks might say, the metallic snakeskin-embossed leather seems to be “just right”. It’s not too shiny, but it’s not boring. I like the leather straps, stud detailing and leather drawstring ties. Plus, there is a magnetic tab closure which reassures me that my stuff *should* stay in the bag and not accidentally fall out of it. And actually, the inside of the bag has some noteworthy details too. I hope you like pockets because there is a leather-trimmed zip pocket, patch pocket and cell phone pocket. And a feature I rarely use, but always like, there is a leather strap with key clasp. Maybe one day I’ll use it, but I feel like there are plenty of times where I grab my keys in a hurry. During these instances, I frankly can’t be bothered unlatching them. I think overall, this is a bag I could definitely carry around. Perhaps it has a bit of a “bad girl” vibe going which I always love. Buy through eLUXURY for $428.

I tend to be the kind of person who finds a day to day bag and just sticks with it. When you think about it, for the most part there is one bag that tends to be your “go to bag”, right? It’s that bag that seems to go with every outfit and serves multiple purposes. Sure I will switch things up when I go out at night or if I have a really awesome handbag that goes with a certain outfit. It usually takes my sister or my mom to point out that it is time for a new bag. So, when I saw the Foley + Corinna Studded City Clutch, I thought this could be my next “go to bag” replacement. The leather looks soft and the studs give the bag an extra bit of flare. Is it just me or when you hear “flare” in certain contexts do you instantly think of Office Space and the pieces of flare Jennifer Aniston is required to wear while working at ChiChi’s? Ok, I digress, back to the bag. You know what I like even more about the bag? It can double as a clutch. There are handles and a detachable shoulder strap and by folding the handbag you have a clutch! Two functional bags for the price of one? Not too shabby. I guess the only thing I am wondering is if the bag is too small for all my day-to-day stuff. I guess I’ll just have to think about it a bit. Buy through ShopBop for $478.

I still don’t know how I feel about most handbags from the L.A.M.B line. Sure, Gwen Stefani has her own look, one that is much different than many other bags out there on the market. However, sometimes, the bags make my eyes go “ouch”. The LAMB Ombre Patent Manchester Tote tends to be one of the bags that hurts my eyes. The shades of green are too bright for me. And more than that, the bag is made out of patent leather. This patent leather looks like the kind that will stick to you on a hot day or make some kind of squeeking sound when it rubs up against another plastic. Do you know what I mean? On the other hand, I do like the size of the bag and I guess you could use it as you head to the beach or something like that. But, I think it is the kind of handbag I would get bored with very quickly. Like I said before, I think we all know Gwen has her own eclectic style. Some of the items she designs I like, others not so much. Yet, you would have to drop a significant amount of money to have this bag over your shoulder. If this is an item you could see yourself sporting, you can buy it through ShopBop for $495.