A few unexpected color choices help Etienne Aigner’s classic Cynthia tote stand out from the pack.

The Cynthia is the kind of bag that could have easily been passed over. It’s not covered with studs or sequins. Its shape is fairly unremarkable. But that rich earthy orange hue called apricot has made me pause and appreciate its true beauty.

This is a tote that will work hard for you. There are deep pockets in the front and back of the bag, which is just the right size for everyday use. A zippered compartment divides the interior into three, making its generous dimensions seem a bit more manageable. There are more pockets in the side walls, and a magnetic snap keeps everything safe and sound.

While the features are impressive, the use of leather rather than synthetic is the final functional touch. I don’t expect a leather bag for just a little over $100, so I’m thrilled when a designer delivers one.

The only disappointment is the shoulder straps, which have a tendency to slip off shoulders. An extra inch or two would have made all the difference. Still, if that’s the worst thing you can say about a bag then the designer’s done a pretty good job.

It bags might tempt you, but there’s a place in every closet for a reliable bag like the Cynthia.

More Features of This Etienne Aigner Leather Tote

• Fabric lined interior
• Dual handles with a 9.5 inch drop
• Measures 4.5 x 13.5 x 10 inches

Get this Etienne Aigner Cynthia Handbag:

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

[phpbay]Etienne Aigner Cynthia tote, 2, “”, “”[/phpbay]

• Check the eBags eBay store to see if this Etienne Aigner bag is in stock
• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More Etienne Aigner bags on BagBunch
• The Etienne Aigner Cynthia shoulder bag, a great alternative to this tote bag.
• Searching for more Etienne Aigner bags on eBay

Stage stores across America are showing their support for US troops and military families through sales of a star spangled reusable shopping tote. Each tote is emblazoned with an American flag and the slogan, “Helping Our Military & Environment.”

All monies raised by the tote’s sales will benefit Operation Homefront, a non-profit organization which gives emergency financial assistance and other support services to the families of American soldiers.

“In every hometown across our nation, we each know a family member or neighbor who is serving our country in the military. We are proud to show our support for these heroes and we encourage our customers to join us,” said Andy Hall, president and CEO of Stage Stores Inc., the parent company of Stage.

The totes cost just $5 and Stage gives every shopper who purchases one a $5 Bounce Back reward, which is redeemable on any $25 purchase, so when you think about it they’re free! The totes are available at all Stage stores, including its subsidiaries Bealls, Goody’s, Palais Royal, and Peebles.

[Source: PR Newswire]
[Image Source: Stage Facebook page]

Charity Tote Bags on eBay

[phpbay]charity tote, 3, 63852, “”[/phpbay]

The name of this Tylie Malibu Utility bag tells you that this accessory means business, but it hasn’t forgotten to have a little fun along the way.

Ordinarily designers decorate the body of their handbags and forget about the straps, so it’s refreshing to see a fashion house doing things in the reverse. A little contrast stitching along the pockets is all we see on the body, but the crystal studded strap makes up for it.

The diamond patterned gems create a luxe tribal look along the handle. For the decoration to work Tylie Malibu needed to make the strap a little wider for average, and I’m sure our shoulders are grateful! The wider the strap, the more heavenly it feels to carry after all!

When Tylie Malibu called this shoulder bag a Utility it sent our expectations sky high. I’m not disappointed though. While the contrast stitching doesn’t rev me, I’m thankful for the pockets it decorates. It’s always handy to have a space for stashing the items we want at our fingertips. The two front ones are complemented by another large pocket on the back. With all those exterior pockets we don’t demand many more inside, but Tylie Malibu offers a zippered one just for kicks.

At $325, the Utility is a well priced everyday bag with a little extra flair.

More Features of This Tylie Malibu Decorated Strap Shoulder Bag

• Black microfiber lining
• Metal clip closure
• A single 20 inch shoulder strap with a 9 inch drop
• Measures 16 x 10 x 8 inches

Get this Tylie Malibu Utility Handbag:

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

[phpbay]Tylie Malibu utility, 2, 63852, “”[/phpbay]

• Check the Richbororiches eBay store to see if this Tylie Malibu bag is in stock
• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More Tylie Malibu bags on BagBunch
• The perforated suede Tylie Malibu Utility bag, a great alternative to this plain suede bag.
• Searching for more Tylie Malibu bags on eBay

See by Chloe has always been one of the more interesting diffusion lines, but this season has been a little inconsistent. Its bags have walked a fine line between cool and kitschy. Fortunately, this Tomo backpack seems like it’s a return to the label’s reliably hip aesthetic.

The anthracite gray leather on the Tomo is totally on trend, but not in any obvious way. It has a slightly weathered look, and the supple softness of the material gives the bag a great slouchy look. The brushed gold hardware is unobtrusive and consistent with the Tomo’s low key style.

The shape of this Tomo backpack is a little bit retro and amazingly streamlined. Its generous size will allow you to pack all your daytime essentials in style, and the front pocket will help you get to oft-needed items easily. The combination of the drawstring and clasp closure on the main compartment will keep the bulk of your items safe.

The Tomo is the kind of bag that you could carry across the world stylishly if you pack lightly, or it could be one of the most fashionable book sacks ever. Either way, at $540, it’s extremely well priced for its size.

More Features Of The See by Chloe Tomo Leather Backpack

• 13″ x 15″ size
• 4″ strap drop
• Fully lined in tonal cotton twill

Get this See by Chloé Tomo Backpack:

• Available to buy at Net-A-Porter
• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More Chloe bags on BagBunch
• The Botkier Jaden Hobo, a larger alternative to this bag.
• Searching for more Chloe bags on eBay
• Other gray leather backpacks on eBay:
  [phpbay]gray leather backpack, 2, 63852, “”[/phpbay]

The simplest of leather satchels is given a steam-punk twist in this beautiful Nicole Miller cross-body.

If there is one handbag every girl ought to own, it is a satchel. They are the very epitome of style, and offer a beautiful meeting between fashion, function and maybe a hint of sexy schoolgirl! The challenge with finding the perfect satchel is finding one that lets the shape do the talking whilst looking different from the rest.

I think the Addison may be just that bag. The body is simple yet stylish, in a gorgeous beige leather and with those sleek buckle style straps. The difference comes in the shoulder strap. Granted, that steam-punk metal work may not be all that comfortable, but doesn’t it look good? It looks even better in the khaki, like something some stylish Lara Croft wannabe would wear!

With a million pockets and plenty of pizazz, this Nicole Miller satchel is a winner in my book!

More Features of this Nicole Miller Addison Satchel:

• Also available in olive and black
• Genuine leather exterior
• Multiple zipped interior compartments
• Stunning metalwork handle

Get this Military Cross-Body:

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

You may also be interested in:

• More Nicole Miller bags on BagBunch
• The Jimmy Choo Rosalie satchel, a great alternative to this simple bag.
• Searching for more leather satchels on eBay
• Other Nicole Miller bags on eBay:

[phpbay]nicole miller handbag, 2, “”, “”[/phpbay]

Wave hello to this cute little clutch by Jessica Jensen.

OK, first things first; apologies for the terrible pun. The Wave clutch deserves better, and so do you. That said, the name (and corresponding design) do indicate one of the most important features of this little purse, that being the layers of curvy stitched (wave shaped, in fact!) pink and brown leather.

Whilst it sounds potentially ugly, this wallet is actually anything but. I think the curvy shape of the decoration ensures it is tasteful, and the gentle tones mean pink and brown go together better than you would ever normally expect.

As for the shape, well, this clutch is kind of unremarkable. It fulfills most of the duties of a wallet, from the streamlined shaped through to the interior card pockets and change section. However, I am not convinced that Jessica Jensen has fulfilled as many of the points of a clutch. A phone, for example, would distort the lines and ruin the look.

At roughly $200 this may be one of the most expensive wallets you could choose, unless you think there is a chance you would actually use it as the clutch it was always intended to be.

More Features of this Wave Patterned Wallet

• Also available in gray and black
• Italian leather exterior
• Central divided and car pockets
• Zip closure

Get this Jessica Jensen Clutch:

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

You may also be interested in:

• More Jessica Jensen bags on BagBunch
• The Jessica Jensen Wave tote, a great alternative to this leather clutch.
• Searching for more leather wallets on eBay
• Other Jessica Jensen bags on eBay:

[phpbay]Jessica Jensen, 2, 63852, “”[/phpbay]

I’ve always really liked the work of Nancy Gonzalez, but she has really outdone herself this time. Seriously, I am about to start gushing, because this metallic croc clutch is one of the hottest bags I’ve seen all season.

The pale gold metallic crocodile skin on this clutch is one of the most extraordinary materials I’ve ever seen. I’m not just saying that’ it is truly fantastic and I’ve never seen anything like it. The Gonzalez line calls this color gold, but that’s not really doing it justice, because the shimmer on it makes it look more like pearl or opal.

The shape, like most of Gonzalez’s designs, is nice and simple. It’s a simple fold-over envelope with a convertible strap that makes it very versatile.

This is one seriously glamorous evening accessory, and at $1,900, it’s extremely reasonable for such a luxurious exotic piece.

More Features Of The Nancy Gonzalez Metallic Crocodile Fold-Over Clutch

• 10″ x 6″ x 2″ size
• 21″ strap drop
• Fully lined in beige suede
• Interior zipper and pouch pockets

Get this Nancy Gonzalez Metallic Crocodile Clutch:

• Available to buy at Net-A-Porter
• Search online for this bag

You may also be interested in:

• More Nancy Gonzalez bags on BagBunch
• The Botkier Jaden Hobo, an everyday alternative to this bag.
• Searching for more Nancy Gonzalez bags on eBay
• Other metallic croc bags on eBay:
  [phpbay]metallic crocodile, 2, 63852, “”[/phpbay]

The 83rd Academy Awards are done and dusted, leaving us to contemplate the winners and the losers, and perhaps more importantly, what they wore! The gowns will be dissected by all the style magazines, but we’d prefer to look at the pretty purses.

We loved the way Hilary Swank paired her silvery Gucci dress with the complementary Tube Barree clutch from Roger Vivier. The muted leather purse was the right choice for such a glitzy gown.

Roger Vivier was also the designer of choice for this year’s best actress, Natalie Portman. She paired her stunning purple Rodarte gown with Tiffany jewelry and the golden Bois de Nuit Clutch. Celebrity addicts might remember Anne Hathaway carrying this same purse at this year’s Golden Globes!

Her Black Swan costar Mila Kunis opted for one of our favorite purses, the Bottega Veneta Knot Clutch. Her creamy crocodile version was a particularly luxurious pairing for her lilac Elie Saab dress.

I wasn’t surprised to see Helena Bonham Carter supporting her fellow Brit and carrying Lulu Guinness’ black and white fan clutch. It brought a bit of Bonham Carter’s signature quirkiness to her fairly traditional black Coleen Atwood dress.

Who carried your favorite clutch of the night?

[Source: The Examiner]
[Image Source: Wikipedia Commons]

Roger Vivier Clutches on eBay

[phpbay]Roger Vivier clutch, 3, “”, “”[/phpbay]

With Oscars fever in the air I’m thinking about purses that make a dramatic statement. Sure, most fashion critics will be gazing at the gowns, but we all know the right purse can make or break an outfit. I’m not sure I’ll see anyone clutching it at this year’s Academy Awards, but if I were nominated for a gong I’d carry the Venus Minaudiere from Clara Kasavina.

There’s so much that I like about this purse, but most of it stems from one central idea: it dares to be different. When its peers have traditional box designs, the Venus is imperfectly round. When most evening bags are dripping in jewels the Venus prefers to gleam with polished metal. It doesn’t need to blind us with bling; its unusual design is all it needs to stand out.

The Venus is hand-sculpted to resemble gnarled, twisted branches. Its nature inspired design is beautifully rustic, lacking in polish but not poise. Leather lies underneath the metal, and the interior is lined in silk, so we needn’t worry about our precious cargo slipping through the cracks.

Not that you’ll be able to fit a lot into this minaudiere. A round design isn’t made to be practical, so I hope you know how to travel light. Honestly I was surprised by the drop-in chain, an unexpected piece of functionality in a purse that seems mostly concerned with its appearance.

And what an appearance it is. That alone justifies the $550 price tag, one which is significantly cheaper than those attached to the bags we usually see on the red carpet.

More Features of This Clara Kasavina Metal Minaudiere

• Magnetic top clasp
• A drop-in chain with a 6 inch drop
• Measures 5 x 6 x 1 inches
• Comes with a protective silk dust bag

Get this Clara Kasavina Venus Handbag:

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

You may also be interested in:

• More Clara Kasavina bags on BagBunch
• The Oroton Chevron Mini bag, a great alternative to this round bag.
• Searching for more Clara Kasavina bags on eBay
• Other metal minaudieres on eBay:

[phpbay]metal minaudiere, 2, “”, “”[/phpbay]