Frye takes a classic approach to the hobo with this Blair bag. In many ways we’ve seen it all before, yet I can’t take my eyes off this casual accessory.

All the traditional hobo trademarks are there, from the casual slouch to the distinctive crescent shape. The tiny cross-hatched stitching gives this bag a bit of individuality, but in essence this is the epitome of a classic hobo. The weathered tan leather adds to the Blair’s bohemian vibe, but it’s also available in a lighter brown and a dusty rose pink.

This is a sizable hobo, which is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand it’s lovely to have enough space for all your essentials, and any luxuries you feel like carrying as well. However Frye’s only given us a single zippered pocket, so keeping all those items straight will be challenging.

The Blair is the kind of handbag that is destined to become a wardrobe staple. Its weathered finish will only become more pronounced with age, and its style will never date. The lack of protective feet may see its base become scuffed, but if you treat it well there’s no reason why you couldn’t be carrying this hobo for the next decade. That makes it $468 price tag seem very reasonable indeed!

More Features of This Frye Classic Leather Hobo

• Antique brass hardware
• A single handle with a 7.5 inch drop
• Measures 20.5 x 10.5 x 4.5 inches
• Comes with a dust bag

Get this Frye Blair Handbag:

• Available to buy at Amazon (limited stock)
• Available to buy on eBay (see listings below):

[phpbay]Frye Blair hobo, 2, “”, “”[/phpbay]

• Check the Shoes&Art&Sunglasses&Watches eBay store to see if this Frye bag is in stock
• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More Frye bags on BagBunch
• The Frye Blair cross-body bag, a great alternative to this hobo bag.
• Searching for more Frye bags on eBay

Folksy European design and South American craftsmanship come together in the range of accessories from Jenny Krauss.

Krauss started small making baby toys and gifts for those she knew some 20 years ago. However the last decade has seen her expand operations to offer employment to more than 300 Bolivian and Peruvian artisans.

Every South American woman Krauss employs works under fair trade conditions, weaving, sewing, and knitting the label’s handbags, belts, scarves, and toys. This means they are paid wages that allow them to provide for themselves and their families, and they work in safe environments free of pollutants and toxins. These are conditions we take for granted but in the poverty stricken areas of Bolivia and Peru Jenny Krauss touches, such perks are considered luxuries.

“It’s important to give and empower those less fortunate,” Krauss explained. “Most people don’t have a lot of opportunity to better their lives, so it feels good to be able to contribute something empowering and sustainable.“

The women work with a unique curly woolen thread, which gives Jenny Krauss’ embroidered accessories their unique texture. This folksy finish is applied to a variety of materials, including wool, canvas, alpaca, and leather.

Jenny Krauss bags are available from $68 from the Harriet and Leo and Uncommon Goods websites.

[Source: Uncommon Goods website]

Embroidered Fair Trade Bags on eBay

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We might not all have a title and handsome prince like Kate Middleton, but we can enjoy a little of the same indulgence with this Princess clutch.

This golden barrel purse is covered in twinkling Swarovski crystals. That’s surprising at this point; I might have expected rhinestones or cut plastic, rather than the genuine article. They wrap around the cylinder too, rather than being restricted to the front as we see in so many affordable bags. I can’t see any evidence of corner cutting, a practice which happily extends to the interior.

That’s where we’ll find a luxurious satin lining, practical deep gusseted pocket, and ultra long strap. This allows us to wear the Princess as a cross-body bag once the canapés and drinks trays arrive! This is a small purse with a structured design, so space is of a premium, but that’s not an uncommon trait for bags of this ilk.

Franchi hasn’t reinvented the wheel here, but it has made this classic styled clutch much cheaper than we’d expect. $278.50 isn’t exactly loose change, but we could expect to pay a four-figure sum if this purse bore the Judith Leiber name!

More Features of This Franchi Swarovski Crystal Clutch

• Magnetic closure
• A braided chain strap with a 21 inch drop
• Measures 3 x 5.75 x 2 inches
• Made in China

Get this Franchi Princess Handbag:

• Available to buy at Amazon (limited stock)
• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More Franchi bags on BagBunch
• The J. Tiras Dottie bag, a spotted alternative to this crystal-covered bag.
• Searching for more Franchi bags on eBay
• Other crystal clutch bags on eBay:

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Gucci is celebrating Mother’s Day with the release of the Mamma Bag, a pretty, practical tote with heart. A quarter of the sales of the limited edition handbag will help UNICEF’s HIV and AIDS programs attempts to stamp out HIV infections in newborn children around the world.

It might seem a bit stingy for the thriving fashion house to pocket three-quarters of the selling price of each purse, but consider it this way. For every handbag sold, UNICEF can buy enough HIV test kits to screen more than 200 expectant moms. This really is a case of every handbag sold making a difference. Gucci has also pledged to donate a minimum of $70, 000 to the cause, so we can’t accuse Gucci of not doing its bit.

Gucci’s creative director Frida Giannini says the Mamma bag is for everyone “who would like to help make a difference in the lives of these families to contribute a gift that will have double meaning on Mother’s Day.“

You can buy the Mamma bag for your own mamma, or even yourself, for $970 from Gucci retailers worldwide and the Italian fashion house’s online store. It’s probably a bit overpriced for a bag made from linen and just trimmed with leather, but it’s hard to come down too hard on a bag designed for charity.

[Source: Ecouterre]

Gucci UNICEF Bags on eBay

[phpbay]Gucci UNICEF, 2, 63852, “”[/phpbay]

Francesco Biasia has gone large with this Edith tote bag.

The Edith is enormous, with almost enough space to carry everything you want, everything you think you might need, and then the kitchen sink. The pair of open pockets and zippered pouch are a bit inadequate to keep such a generous space organized, but if we use them for the essentials those must-haves should be easy to find.

It’s hard to make sure such a bulky bag doesn’t look like a sack, and I’m not sure Francesco Biasia has really achieved that here. The pale purple suede is lovely, but the large crocodile scales seem like overkill. They’re so ginormous that they’d never pass at the real thing, and not attractive enough to be appreciated on their own merits. Frankly I think they cheapen the Edith’s suede body, which is the last thing we want at this price point.

$278 isn’t exactly exorbitant, especially for a bag of this size, but it’s not small change either. Frankly I can think of better ways to spend that sort of cash, but packrats may disagree!

More Features of This Francesco Biasia Suede Embossed Tote

• Snap top closure
• Fully lined interior
• Dual woven handles with an 8.5 inch drop
• Measures 20 x 5 x 12.5 inches

Get this Francesco Biasia Edith Handbag:

• Available to buy at Amazon
• Available to buy on eBay (see listings below):

[phpbay]Francesco Biasia Edith, 2, “”, “”[/phpbay]

• Check the Interior Matters eBay store to see if this Francesco Biasia bag is in stock
• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More Francesco Biasia bags on BagBunch
• The Francesco Biasia Edith Two bag, a leather alternative to this suede bag.
• Searching for more Francesco Biasia bags on eBay

Get your hands on some interesting yet classic design with this gorgeous leatherette purse.

The Kane satchel is, at first glance, quite a traditional creation. It has everything you would expect from a satchel, from the exterior pocket, to the large front flap, to the handy multiple carrying options that come in the form of a top handle and an adjustable shoulder strap. I strongly feel that satchels are at their best when traditionally designed, so of course I am a fan!

The shape, however, is where the classic nature stops, and where this Vieta handbag breaks away from the norm. The usual expanse of solid leather is switched for a complex textured and shaded woven front flap, complemented perfectly by the mottled teal body and the shaded straps.It is unusual, yet somehow manages to work perfectly!

Although real leather would have been nice, this is an affordable and stylish satchel option that is going to be hard to pass up.

More Features of this Vieta Kane Satchel

• Also available in gray/brown
• Woven leatherette exterior
• Multiple interior and exterior pockets/compartments
• Detachable shoulder strap

Get this Woven Leatherette Handbag:

• Available to buy on Amazon
• Available to buy on eBay (see listings below):

[phpbay]vieta kane, 2, “”, “”[/phpbay]

• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More Vieta bags on BagBunch
• The Cole Haan Claire satchel, a great alternative to this satchel bag.
• Searching for more woven bags on eBay

Canvas? Check. Structure? Check. Well then, this couldn’t be anything other than an affordable Michael Stars purse.

The components of this purse my be simple and kind of earthy, but that doesn’t make them any less distinctive. Michael Stars has his own particular brand and style, and the Asymmetry clutch ticks all of the boxes. As well as the rough rustic fabric, Stars likes to do something crazy with the shape, and in this case that means a sloping design.

Of course, the problem with the sloping design is that it does, at first glance, look a little like a folding or convertible bag that has slumped. Were the lines crisper I am sure it would look much more intentional, but as it is the effect is somewhat lost. Still, it does look very clutchable, and the $80 price tag means we can’t complain too much about it not being haute couture.

All in all, I can see what Michael Stars tried to do here, but I’m not sure he quite hit the nail on the head. It is a good and durable purse for summer though!

More Features of this Michael Stars Asymmetry Purse

• Also available in camo brown
• Single interior zip pocket
• Canvas exterior and interior
• Asymmetrical folded design

Get this Slanted Canvas Clutch:

• Available to buy on Amazon
• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More Michael Stars bags on BagBunch
• The Pura Lopez Mottled clutch, a great alternative to this canvas bag.
• Searching for more canvas clutches on eBay
• Other asymmetrical bags on eBay:

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Fossil celebrates the season with this fun floral Cameron tote.

There’s nothing about chocolate brown canvas or typical box-style bags to rev us, but Fossil turns things around with that bright embroidered bloom. It really jazzes this tote up, saving it from being a pedestrian, blend into the background bag.

Canvas isn’t the most luxurious choice of material, but it is a smart one for several reasons. It’s incredibly durable and inexpensive, so we really see a lot of value for our dollar. Those fabric straps will also be much more forgiving on our shoulders than leather, particularly when the Cameron is loaded up.

And load it up you can, with an abundant amount of space inside. The zippered pocket and pair of pouches are pretty stock standard. I’d have appreciated a few more compartments for easier organization, but I’m not about to complain too loudly.

Because frankly, Fossil gives us a lot for our $98: space, style, and substance. For that price we don’t expect perfection, but as far as casual totes go Fossil’s come close.

More Features of This Fossil Embroidered Tote

• Silver-toned hardware
• Top zip closure
• Dual handles with a 7 inch drop
• Measures 4.2 x 17.2 x 13.8 inches

Get this Fossil Cameron Handbag:

• Available to buy at Amazon (limited stock)
• Check the GranniesGifts eBay store to see if this Fossil bag is in stock
• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More Fossil bags on BagBunch
• The leather Fossil Cameron bag, a great alternative to this canvas bag.
• Searching for more Fossil bags on eBay
• Other Fossil Cameron totes on eBay:

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Tracy Zych isn’t the only handbag designer enamored with the NBA. Hammitt has just released a limited edition Home Team bag to celebrate its favorite team, the Los Angeles Lakers.

This handbag is much subtler than Tracy Zych’s colorful creations, with its white leather body and 24-karat gold plated hardware and studs. This polished metal works with the bag’s purple suede lining to recall the Lakers’ colors in a very classy way.

I think this is a real improvement on Zych’s very obvious team colored handbags, but I also wonder whether it’s too subtle. Most people would never guess it was a Lakers handbag, which may disappoint real basketball fanatics.

If you’ve fallen for it you’ll need to head to the Cami store in Manhattan Beach. The boutique is the only one selling the limited edition purse. It’ll set you back a cool $725, more than most basketball merchandise but also not an unreasonable price for a limited edition leather shoulder bag.

I probably wouldn’t take it to any games though. That pristine white leather won’t mix well with beer, hot dog ketchup, or other arena hazards. Despite its finicky finish, has it won you over, or is this another of those limited edition accessories that’s strictly for the fans?

[Source: LA Times]

Los Angeles Lakers Handbags on eBay

[phpbay]Los Angeles Lakers, 2, 63852, “”[/phpbay]

Forzieri offers us real versatility for our dollar with this sophisticated tote messenger.

The detachable shoulder straps allow us to easily convert this handbag from a chic tote to a more casual messenger bag. Using two different detachable straps gives this handbag a clean look, no matter what mode it’s in. It’s such a simple idea, but it ensures we don’t have straps dangling aimlessly on conversion.

This handbag’s slouchy profile gives it a relaxed feel, but it stops short of being slovenly. The deep green leather sees to that, ensuring we can carry this tote messenger during the day and well into the night.

This handbag’s generous size helps it make that day to evening transition. It’s big enough to carry everything you really need, with enough pockets to keep those items organized. The black fabric lining isn’t ideal for such a large bag, as it makes it hard to find what we’re looking for, but at least it won’t show stains!

Considering its versatility and timeless style, this Forzieri handbag is relatively affordable at $398.

More Features of This Forzieri Convertible Handbag

• Zip closure
• Silver toned hardware
• Measures 16.14 x 15.75 x 5.91 inches
• Comes with a dust bag
• Made in Italy

Get this Forzieri Leather Tote Messenger Handbag:

• Available to buy at Forzieri
• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More Forzieri bags on BagBunch
• The Oryany Gwen convertible tote bag, a sequined alternative to this convertible bag.
• Searching for more Forzieri bags on eBay
• Other convertible leather tote bags on eBay:

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