Designer Handbags Are More Affordable Through Online Shopping

By: Nicole Ross

Of all the handbags available to the handbag consumer, designer seems to be the best of them all. Designer handbags leave people green with envy when they see others carrying them. If you are not currently sporting one of these magnificent handbags, then you need to stop what you are doing and find the nearest retailer.

An even easier way to find the latest and newest styles is just a click away. That's correct, all you have to do is point and click on the Internet, and within a few days you too will have others admiring your fine taste.

Some find that the only set back that they have about purchasing an authentic designer handbag is the price. Not everyone has $200-$500, or sometimes thousands, just sitting around to splurge on a handbag. Therefore, finding these handbags for discount prices is a great asset for the consumer to have.

The best option for these individuals is to shop at online discount stores. eBay is a great store that offers many different styles of handbags. Just be sure to use common sense when online shopping. Always check for authenticity. Brands such as Coach and Louis Vuitton have a serial number printed inside each authentic handbag. Pictures are shown to verify the authenticity.

Amazon.com is another place to go to get great deals on handbags and other products. There are many online stores that cater to the needs of individuals who enjoy searching for the best prices and who love to bargain hunt. Some stores will even drop their prices to match up with their competitors. That is really cool!

Shopping online is a great way to save lots of money and also allows you to find other bargains without ever having to leave your home. The best thing about online shopping is the luxury of not having to fight face to face with other consumers who are after the same item that you are interested in. I just recently had to fuss with a sales associate in a store for giving away a scarf that she knew I just told her I wanted. Luckily, I told on her and got my scarf back. But, who wants to go through that? That is such a huge hassle especially around the holidays.

Online shopping is extremely helpful for men who are shopping for loved ones and do not like the hustle and bustle of crowds. I live with a man who will not do any holiday shopping outside of his office. Thank goodness for online shopping!

So, when you decide that you are ready to get that fabulous designer handbag, or anything else you need, remember that shopping in the stores can be fun, but when wanting to save money, what better fun is there than saving lots of money. Online shopping for your new purchase is a better way to go.

Article Source: http://add-articles.com

Hot Trend in Handbags – Hobo Purses

By: Tatyana Turner


Isn’t it great, when what is currently in fashion is also comfortable and practical? Totes and hobo purses are this year’s favorites. Find out how to select the best one for you.

A tote is an open-top bag that has straps or handles; you can wear it over your shoulder or carry in your hand. A hobo bag is a crescent-shaped bag that hangs from your shoulder. Both are large, so you can fit a lot of stuff in them.

You can get totes and hobo bags in just about any color. Bright-colored handbags are hot this year, but bear in mind that, if you have a large, brightly colored bag, it will attract attention. What I mean is that you don’t want your bag to overpower your outfit or face. However, if you wear a plain outfit in a classic color, like black, grey or white, you can brighten it up with a green or orange purse.

The most popular materials are luxurious leather, leatherette, canvas, linen, tapestry and straw. Combinations of leather and fabric also look very stylish, but are more affordable than leather.

Hobo bags and totes also come with beautiful prints on them; totes that feature celebrities are particularly popular, just now. Animal lovers can get totes that have adorable pictures of pups or kittens on them. You can even order a custom made tote with a photo of your own pet - all you need is to provide a photo of reasonable quality.

Most of us think of a tote as a casual bag for shopping, but you can also get elegant, stylish varieties. If it is leather, suede, or a leather-fabric combination, a tote can be a good companion for a work outfit.

Most hobo bags are not expensive. If you do a little bit of comparison shopping online, you will find fabric and leather-like bags for under 50 dollars, and quality leather for under a hundred. That is, of course, for non-designer bags - but they are of good quality, all the same. If you are after Gucci, Fendi or Prada totes and hobo purses, though, expect to pay a few hundred dollars.

Article Source: http://add-articles.com

Guide in Choosing the Best Handbag for You

By: lhancel

Since most women always keep their eyes on hot styles and designs of handbags, they became more focused on following these latest fashion trends without considering if the handbags will suit their figure. Perhaps, this is one of the most common mistakes that they make. Instead of buying the right handbag that matches their body type, they go after with its brand, styles and designs just to be in step with the hottest trend in fashion.

Gucci Designer Handbags - eFashionHouse

We all know that trendy styles of handbags, most especially if these are designer handbags are very tempting to buy even though they don't suit your figure. But this attitude is not an ideal way to make your outfit looks stand out. Keeping up on the latest fashion is not just enough to make you shine. Always remember that anything you wear must have some coordination and balance with your body. For some women who are fashion enthusiasts, choosing and matching handbags are just simple but for others who are not, it's not just as easy.

Here are some basic guide lines to help you out in choosing the best handbag for you:

1. Select the Right Size of Handbag

Knowing the right size of a handbag for your body type should be the first thing to consider before buying it. This will help you find the most appropriate handbag that would look best for you. Just keep in mind that no matter how stylish and elegant a handbag that you carry, it will be unfashionable if it doesn't set off with your figure.

Most fashion experts suggest that if you're short and petite, it's best to choose small handbags to work well with your outfit. This is because selecting big handbags will make you look smaller. On the other hand, if you're tall and slim, you must avoid these small bags. You can rely to use for some mid size, bulky and large handbags because these sizes will be best suit for your stature.

2. Pick out the suitable shape of Handbag

Choosing the best shape of handbag for your figure is another preference before purchasing it. Always bear in mind that carrying a handbag that is proportioned with your body shape is the best way to look stylish and fashionable because it really helps to change and enhance your overall look.

The best tip to achieve this is to make sure that your choice of handbag shape is the opposite of your body type. So if you're slim and tall, you should choose rounded bag to best match your look. However, if you have a shorter physique, tall and rectangular bag is suitable for you to make you look elevated.

3. Choose Color that Complements most of your Outfit

After you have selected the right size and shape of a handbag that best suit to you, it's now time to choose for its color. Matching up the color of handbag to your outfit and shoes is an ideal way to have a fashionable style. Try to buy a colorful handbag that has dominant colors that will match most of your clothes. But to be more practical, you can also go for a plain handbag with just one color. It's most recommended to take neutral color handbags since they are popular choice. Black is a neutral color so you can never go wrong in selecting it because it always comes in style and fashion. You can also harmonize it with any color of your outfit. Brown and white colors are also advisable to use because you can also match them with most of your clothes.

4. Set off Handbag According to Occasion

And finally, it's really important that you know what will be the purpose of a handbag. To be practical, you must put some considerations on its functions because every occasion, place and season calls for different styles and designs of handbags. Just be sure that you're chosen handbag complements to a specific place or occasion and there's no doubt that you'll achieve the stylish outfit you most desire.

Now that you're familiar with some basic tips in choosing a handbag that looks well with your figure, you can now enjoy your shopping in some handbag stores and boutiques. But if you're a time savvy customer who doesn't have enough time in going out to mall, you can find some online shopping sites for your convenience and visit their designer handbag section for your wider selections of different sizes, shapes and styles of handbags that will make you shine above the rest.

Article Source: http://add-articles.com

DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF HANDBAGS THERE ARE?

By Gregg Hall
A ROBERTO CAVALLI BAGUETTE, A MARC JACOBS POUCHETTE, A PRADA BACK PACK, AN ELAINE TURNER BUCKET BAG ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLE OF WHAT EFASHIONHOUSE HAS ON OFFER

All handbags are not created equal, not even close! Just like automobiles and cowboy boots, some are classic, some are trendy, some are practical, and some are just simply arm candy. Check out this overview of handbags. Some of the most popular include:

Accordion: Made of two or three pouches side by side, fastened together by stitching, snaps or fasteners to allow expansion or contraction of the bag, according to its capacity.

Baguette: Long, small, narrow bag with a shoulder strap, carried under the arm.

Balantine: Made of leather, fabric or metal, suspended from a long cord. The Balantine swings back and forth at knee height as you walk. These are very popular at present.

Pompadour: Small velvet or lace pouches worn hanging from a cord used to carry small items, a notebook or money.

Pouchette: Also called a clutch, this is a small lady's bag without a handle or shoulder strap.

Reticule: Comprised of string, net or mesh. This bag once used for provisions or tools.

Rucksack/Backpack: Worn on the back, held in place by two buckled straps and closed by a drawstring sometimes concealed under a flap.

Bucket Bag: Usually known as the "carryall" bag. Sometimes closed by a flap with a loop to protect against prying eyes but usually open.

Purses are basically a large pouch, and have been used by man (and women, of course) for as long as we can remember. African priests carried beaded bags, which were used for carrying bones considered to be tokens of seduction. Peasants early on used bags to carry seeds.

In fashion, it's the little things that mean a lot. It is significant to you what goes into your bag. Which in turn become very personal, because it conceals a secret that gives you a sense of personal power? For a woman, the bag holds not only the things you need for your day but it is also your personal glamour shop, which is very important to your identity.

While the inside of a woman's bag is hypothetically personal and intimate, the outside is a commercial, selling one's place in the world. The handbag remains a desirable item, with must-have status.

The Handbag will continue to be invented and re-invented at the turn of every season. They will be done in terry cloth, tweed, with sequins on it, fabric appliqués, jewels, clasps, leather, fur and other most recognizable elements. To many women, a bag is the entry-level item to the luxury market.

The handbag has become even more significant over the past two decades due to the fact that women do not wear as much fashion. In the 1940's you wore the total fashion look, now clothes are mixed and matched and handbags are part of the new freedom of fashion. It is a lot cheaper to pay for a small bag than an entire outfit.

Meet the bag ladies

from Daily Mail

When it comes to must-have accessories, nothing quite tops the female fantasy list like a handbag. So obsessed are we with each season's essential piece of arm candy, we no longer flinch at the idea of paying a month's earnings for the latest It-bag.

But the price of instantly recognisable designer bags keeps on rising. Just a few years ago, it was all about the £595 Mulberry Roxanne - as carried by Scarlett Johansson and Julia Roberts. Now the standard Fendi Spy or McQueen Novak doesn't leave much change from £2,000.

Yet isn't it cooler to have something more unusual? While we continue to justify our whims with the bank manager, there are those who have been smart enough to make a business out of their obsessions. KAREN CLARKSON speaks to five women who have turned bags into business:

TOP RIGHT: Pontine Paus, 33, lives and works from her Notting Hill townhouse. Her bags are popular with Kylie and Queen Silvia of Sweden. Pontine says:

When I embarked upon my master's degree in industrial design at Domus Academy in Milan, I never imagined that I would end up as a handbag designer - I thought I'd go into furniture or architecture. However, as part of this course I experimented with materials and chemicals. I covered some silk in plastic and decided to make a handbag out of it.

One day in Milan a woman, who owned a boutique, asked me where my bag was from. When I told her I had made it myself she asked me immediately to make a collection for her to sell.

My bags took off. I sold them through shops in Italy and created a range for the designer Louisa Beccaria. My father encouraged me to learn some business skills, so I stopped making the bags while I took a business course.

In 2002 I started making bags again. They became popular straightaway. Now we're stocked all over the world - Scandinavia, Italy, France, the Middle East and Japan.

Not everyone wants to make a major fashion statement with their clothes - most women feel more comfortable experimenting with accessories instead.

The beauty of handbags is that they can suit you whatever your age, figure or looks. They're also not as intrusive as clothing, as you can put them down when you want. I grew up surrounded by bags as my mother loves them and has a huge collection of Hermes ones. Now she only wears mine!

I own about 70 bags. I used to have a lot of vintage ones but I moved house recently and had to get rid of loads as I didn't have enough space. Now I only wear my own - if I need one for an occasion I just design it. I carry one bag for maybe six months and wear it to death before moving on.

I love big bags for the day. But for evenings I vary them depending on my outfit - my favourite is a clutch bag called The Night Owl. Every season I'm inspired by something different. I want to make beautifully-crafted bags with character. My Hunter bags for next season are all about war and hope - symbolised by star and camouflage prints. My Bandit bags were inspired by cowboys. I like having a story behind each one - that's where my art background comes in. www.pontinepaus.com

Swedish-born Charlott Vasberg, 31, lives in Chelsea. She says:

I studied womenswear design at London College of Fashion, followed by an MA in womenswear at St Martins. I graduated in 2003.

I didn't want to work for someone else, and making bags enabled me to be creative with patterncutting which is quite stimulating for me. My first collection consisted of five bags. They were soft leather bags with lots of zips. I called them 'transformation bags' - by opening and closing zips you could change their shape and look. In 2004, I sent some pictures to a few shops and got a call immediately from Selfridges. They placed an order on my first collection.

I own at least 40 bags. For day I like big bags which I can throw everything into. I have a large Twist Bag which I've been carrying almost every day for two years. For evening I like small totes and clutches. At home, my bags are hanging on the sides of my wardrobes. I also have a huge basket full of them. Most of these I've made myself, but if I was to wear one by another designer it would probably be Fendi. www.charlottvasberg.com

Susannah Hunter, 35, lives in Kilburn, London, and has been designing bags for five years. Elle Macpherson, Nicole Kidman and Uma Thurman are fans. She says:

I studied fashion design at St Martins, graduating in 1993. While working in retail at Margaret Howell, I began making handbags in my spare time for myself and for friends. The first one was olivegreen leather with irises appliquÈd all over. I carried it everywhere.
One evening at a party I met a model called Angela Dunn. She loved my bags and promoted my work within the fashion industry. She was best friends with Patsy Kensit who immediately bought four bags from me. Soon I had an order from the fashionable Holland Park boutique The Cross.

Now we're stocked in Harvey Nichols, The West Village, Paul & Joe, and Barneys and Saks in America. We're also about to open our first shop in London. Initially, I made the bags in my bedroom. Now I have a workshop with a full-time team of six people.

With the appliqued flowers, my bags look distinctive, but I change the colours and shapes each season.

Growing up in Scotland where my mother is a painter, I was always surrounded by colour and images of nature. I take pictures of flowers whenever I travel and this is the inspiration for my bags. My drawings get turned into leather flowers, which are layered onto the bag.

Everything is made by hand - it takes about a day to make each bag. I find it amazing how much women are willing to spend on bags. Mine retail between £295 and £770. Designer bags in big department stores are even more. I only own about 15 bags. Most of them are my own, apart from a few vintage bags and one from Issey Miyake. My favourite is still the first one I ever made, which I still carry to this day. www.susannahhunter.com

Canadian-born Victoria Sleeper, 35, lives and works in London and Paris. She is a bag consultant to fashion houses from YSL, Chanel and LVMH, and sells her vintage bags in Liberty, Urban Outfitters and Portobello market. Vicky says:

Growing up in Mid-West Canada, I learned how to do needlework, metal work and woodwork because if you wanted something personal you had to make it yourself.
I never studied fashion - everything I know about bags I've taught myself. I'm not very interested in fashion, but bags encompass so much - they hold our money, our lipstick and all the things that are important to us, while being tactile, sculptural and interesting to look at. I'm constantly researching things about bags.

I probably have a collection of about 20,000 bags, dating from 1600 to 1980. They come from all over the world. One of my favourites is a gentleman's hobo bag from the 1920s and I love my pre-1970s Hermes bags, the stitching is amazing. I'm also a big fan of beaded bags, probably because of my Canadian roots.

I love to change the bags I carry around with me. Sometimes I'll carry five bags in one day - I hate the thought of them being locked up in a cupboard, they need to live!

I sell a lot of bags to fashion designers but in Portobello I have all sorts of customers. Teri Hatcher bought some recently when she was in London; this morning I sold one to Helen Mirren; and I even sold a bag to the Queen.

The bags I make appeal to men and women. They're lightweight, multi-functional and in primal colours. I've just finished creating my first collection of Vicky Sleeper bags. My daughter describes them as avant-garde; my friends say they are art; and someone else has called them 21st-century urban camouflage. www.vickysleeper.com

Tabitha Somerset-Webb, 31, lives and works in Battersea, London. Customers include Cat Deeley, Denise Van Outen and Dannii Minogue. Tabitha says:

I'm probably the least likely handbag designer you can imagine. I never studied fashion or art, and I can't draw. Bags weren't even something I particularly liked. The problem was I could never find the right one for me, so in the end I thought I should just design one.
After working hard as a producer in advertising and TV, I wanted to get out and start my own business. I came up with an idea to make one bag, and ended up going around the East End begging manufacturers to make up my designs. One agreed to make some samples.

The scenario was haphazard. I took a stand at the Top Drawer trade fair in Olympia to try to start selling my bags to retailers. After three days no one had placed an order, and I was about to give up when House of Fraser placed an order for £20,000 worth of bags.

Our first orders arrived late and half the bags fell apart. But despite the hiccups, the orders grew, so I went to China to find a decent factory to make the bags. We've become well-known for our modernlooking metallic leather bags, and we're now stocked in Fenwick, Harrods, Graham & Green and The Conran Shop, and Macy's and Bloomingdale's in the U.S. We're just about to open our first shop on the King's Road. My own collection is around 40 - they are stored under my bed. I have a few vintage ones, but they are mostly my own creations.

STYLE MATTERS: Hip, handy handbags

LOUIS VUITTON designer handbags
VINTAGE neverfull GM monogram shopper designer purses.

By Judie Schwartz & Evelinda Urman, Special to the Rocky

Let's face it: We spend more time with our handbags than we do with our significant others. It's worth it to take some time in selecting the best one. We asked three fashionable women-about-town why they chose their handbags and what they carry in them.


Brandi S. Shigley

A self-styled Denver Fashion Ambassador, Shigley runs Fashion Denver, a support association for local designers. A handbag designer herself, Shigley's favorite bag is not one of her own, but rather a bag she found in a dumpster.One rainy day while walking by an old eviction pile, Shigley's sharp fashion eye spotted a Chloe handbag that had been unceremoniously tossed out. FYI: Chloe bags can run more than $2,000. What fashionista could ignore this find? Most of us carry the usual stuff in our handbags: wallets, cell phones, sunglasses. But Shigley carries a claves, an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument. As Shigley says: "It's always nice to start a party wherever you go!"

In Brandi's Chloe bag

* Moleskine book of thoughts, songs, poems and rantings
* Wallet someone gave her when she hosted Bingo at Sputnik a few weeks ago
* Thank-you card from her Grandma
* iPod Nano
* Altoids (Tangerine sours)
* Meomi mirror
* Mat & Nat pouch with business cards and stickers
* Kickball socks
* Lotion that she took from a hotel in Los Angeles
* Lucky little rabbit
* Extra gum
* Lip liner


Sarah Peay

Attorney and senior account executive at the Bradsby Group. Peay has specific requirements when it comes to selecting handbags."It is mandatory that the purse has a zipper," she says. "You never know when your purse is going to turn over. I need a bag that doesn't get dirty easily. I carried a white Miu Miu purse all last summer, and by the time August came around, I had to have it cleaned for the second time. I need a long enough strap - and only one strap - to fit around my shoulder, although I generally carry it on my forearm. I also stick to basic colors."Lastly, when choosing a purse, Peay tries to avoid choosing one that is too trendy."I love getting the full use out of a purse," she says.This woman knows what she likes.What is Peay carrying now? "A black, distressed leather, giant Balenciaga purse with silver embellishments," she says. "I chose this purse after months of searching for the perfect black purse." Peay has our vote for carrying the most considerate object in her handbag - her father's reading glasses. He uses them to read the menu at their regular lunches together.

In Sara's Balenciaga purse

* Prada makeup bag
* Fresh Sugar lychee body lotion
* Adriana lip balm
* Stila lip gloss in Tangerine
* Flowerbomb perfume
* 2008 day planner
* Checkbook
* BlackBerry
* Keys
* Sniff tissues
* Gucci wallet
* Heart mirror
* Marc Jacobs sunglasses
* Mints from a fundraiser for Josh Hanfling, candidate for Colorado State Representative, House District 6
* Mason Pearson hairbrush
* Blockbuster DVDs: In the Name of the King and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead


Ivette Dominguez

President and owner of Alpine Buick Pontiac GMC. Dominguez likes to invest in good purses that last a long time, as opposed to buying trendy purses each season."I always choose a classic style in a durable leather," she says. "I have a 5-year-old daughter and am very involved in the community - so I may be in and out of the office, car and home 20 times a day. That puts a lot of wear and tear on a purse." The most unusual object Dominguez carries in her handbag?"A snack for my puppy, a Maltese named Simba."

In Ivette's Louis Vuitton purse

* Altoids mints
* Bare Essentials "Parfait" lipstick
* Keys
* Louis Vuitton wallet
* Tweezers
* Dog treats
* Fruity Snacks
* Cash

Bright on! Handbags in vibrant shades of yellow, green, pink and blue are trendy for spring.

Handbags Online - A Blog Dedicated to the Rantings of Handbag Addicts!

We all have our weaknesses. Some people like to collect antiques, others spoons. Well, we like to collect handbags. I guess it all began for me about twenty years ago when wearing a comfortable pair of jeans and a T-shirt needed an accessory to pull the ensemble all-together. At first, spending more than $50 on a new purse seemed an outrage. Yet, after my first expensive trip to Fendi, it became an easy to shop for a new designer handbag.

I remember my first designer handbag purchase as though it was yesterday. I'd heard about brands like Prada, Gucci and Fendi. But, I never visited any of their shops. I lived in Houston at the time and the Galleria Mall had all the fabulous designer stores. There was even an ice-skating rink in the center of the three-level enclosed shopping center. It was a wonderful place to get lost for a few hours.

Back in the 80's and 90's designer backpacks were really sylish. The Prada backpack was the biggest thing on the market and just about the time I started looking for my first designer purse, I stumbled into the Prada boutique at the Galleria. The Prada salesperson wasn't very friendly. I didn't feel welcomed. I asked a few questions, and really didn't feel like spending my hard-earned cash at Prada. So, I left. Besides, the Prada backpack didn't seem like it was worth $550! It consisted of a thin layer of nylon, a top closure and backpack adjustable straps. Actually, I was shocked at it's price tag.

I walked across the mall and entered the Fendi boutique. The salesperson was very friendly and I felt more at ease. I had been in the Fendi boutique several times before, so I was somewhat a familiar face. Yet, I hadn't made any purchases, I felt like a purchase was about to happen. I had been eyeing and trying on a Fendi FF Zucca print backpack for about a month or so. It was $450 on sale that day for $325. I pulled it off the rack and threw it over my shoulder again. The salesperson said, "If you try that bag on one more time, it's going to be worn out by the time you buy it."

To me, making a purchase for a $325 purse was a life-changing event. The most I'd ever paid for a handbag was $39! But, I had to have that Fendi! I called my husband and explained my dilemna. It was an approach avoidance conflict and I was stuck! He said, "Buy it."

My walk back into the Fendi store was fun. I explained to the salesperson how difficult it was for me to spend over $300 on a new purse. Of course, she laughed, and said,"The fist time is always hard, but believe me it's downhill from there."

Little did I know I had just entered a new phase of my life. I learned it's not difficult to get the things you want as long as you are willing to work for them, appreciate them and not get too carried away.