Handbags

With the Fall season rapidly approaching there is always excitement in the air just thinking about a whole new season’s worth of accessories. Yet while the shopping list is always growing, budgets are often shrinking…which leads us to a brand new obsession – ColourMe.com – a recently launched website dedicated entirely to easy-on-the-pocket accessories!

Colour Me. not only offers everything from wallets & handbags to jewelry, watches & scarves easily making it a one-stop shop for all of your accessory needs, but the e-tailer has completely set themselves apart by uniquely merchandising their entire assortment by color. Mixing & matching is easy as pie with the Matchmaker tool & constant promotions make the already accessible prices perfect for gift giving and stocking up for future seasons. Check out some of our favorites below! (more…)

A few weeks ago I went to a Coach preview to check out their new Chelsea Collection.  As a gift, the brand let us pick our favorite piece from the collection- which I am sure you can imagine was a tough decision. Along with other lucky bloggers, I paraded in front of the mirror trying on bags of all shapes colors and sizes.  I was in the market for an easy summer bag and kept gravitating back to the Classic Leather Flap in my favorite color of the moment- Parchment- with warm gold accents and an adjustable strap.  Despite encouragement to go for something different, I decided to stay true to my classic roots and go for a staple that I’ll use summer after summer. For days when I’m “on-the-go”, I just throw it on cross body.  The bag is deceptively roomy and fits everything I would need for a day out.  And in the easiest day-to-night transformation ever- simply double up the strap and you’ve got a chic shoulder bag to go with any evening ensemble.  See more of the outfit at my style blog The Hsu Closet!

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I have a bit of a girl crush on Natalie Portman and not in a Mila Kunis way.  She’s been winning my heart stylistically with her support of Rodarte and Lanvin (one of my favorite designers) and the Lolita book clutch that she brought to the Black Swan premiere a few months ago. I’m a self-proclaimed bibliophile (my dream dwelling one day involves lots of high ceilings with wall-to-wall bookcases), so I love this blend of Dewey Decimal and fashion. Since the premiere, it’s been discovered via various blogs that Natalie’s particular version is by French designer Olympia Le-Tan, who sells in select US stores like Opening Ceremony, and designs a limited collection a few times a year.  Natalie’s version retails upwards of $1,000+.

Luckily for those of us with smaller pockets, Kate Spade started their own book-of-the-month clutch club, transforming classic titles like The Great Gatsby and Great Expectations into laminated silk twill clutches with 14-karat light gold plated clasp hardware. In classic Kate Spade style, expenses aren’t spared to the interior detail, with a contrasting silk faille interior zip pocket with space for 6 credit card slots.  Can’t afford the$325 price tag?  I’ve culminated a few alternate options, including a do-it yourself.  This month’s choice, in line with February, is Romeo and Juliet,

1. A DIY option, with optional handles, which you can personalize by selecting your own favorite book.

2.  A polished looking version from Etsy, with a vintage cover of the Ernst Hemingway classic, For Whom the Bell Tolls, $46

3.  This elegant, vintage one, of The Works of Conan Doyle, set on a delicate, thin gold chain $41

4.  A modern cover of Emily Dickinson Select Poems, with a beaded strap $48

What do you think? My favorite is the Romeo and Juliet cover, followed by the Ernest Hemingway version on Etsy.

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