Handbags

Chanel Fall 2010 RTW Collection

 in General Fashion / Handbags  tagged 1990s / chanel / fall 2010 / minimalism / paris fashion week / runway / vintage styles by

Chanel has long been considered the benchmark of fashion for haute couture and ready to wear. Designers and clothing companies around the globe are inspired by the collections that Chanel puts on the runway every season. It may be no surprise that the upcoming fall season will be a reflection of what Chanel showed on the runway. As we know, 90’s minimalism was all over the runways in Paris, Milan and New York. This theme has been reflected in the ready to wear collections hitting the stores for Fall 2010.

The Chanel ready-to-wear collection for Fall 2010 will give any fashionista in the bay area a sense of deja-vu. Chanel’s collection is a sharp nod to the minimalism of the 1990’s. Black was the dominant color for suits, jackets and dresses. Asides from black, there was a large amount of charcoal and grey with a splash of red thrown into the mix. Chanel’s shoe line is almost completely black with one small hint of white trim. The signature camellia garnishes the toe box of Chanel’s flats for Fall. The handbag collection is clearly classic with a full line of 2.55 handbags and classic flap’s in mini, small, medium and jumbo. The classic collection is arriving in black, white, plum and a darker red. The red is actually quite stunning. It has more of a blue undertone as opposed to the brighter reds we have seen in the past few seasons. The contemporary handbags are classic in theme with clean lines and basic colors such as black, white and grey. Chanel is showing varying sizes of totes and shoulder bags that are variations of the classic collection. Anyone interested in a Chanel bag that is considered contemporary cannot go wrong this season. The handbags in this collection will not go out of style. They are true investment pieces. There is also a good mix of lambskin, caviar leather and sparkling patent leather. The patent plum is to die for!

The wonderful part about this upcoming Fall’s collections will be the classic lines and colors that allow bay area fashionistas to buy key wardrobe pieces that will never go out of style. Every fashionista can use a classic black Chanel tweed suit paired with a fabulous red patent leather classic flap handbag. This is the ultimate go-to outfit for any event; especially when the event is short notice! Happy shopping and stay fabulous!!

The Seasonless “IT” Bag

 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion / Handbags  tagged chanel / classic style / investment dressing / shoulder bags by

The San Francisco Bay Area is proud to be a region that classifies its style as “classic.” Here in the Bay Area, as well as most of the country, women’s handbags are as much of a status symbol as a man’s car.  Since the region is flush with millionaires and wannabe millionaires, it comes as no surprise that one of the most popular purses on the shoulders of the well-dressed is the classic Chanel 2.55 or flap handbag.

This fabulous purse was invented by Coco Chanel, who wanted a handbag that would free up her hands. She designed a handbag with a strap and introduced it in 1929. In 1955 she was enjoying a resurgence in popularity so she decided to update her handbag design and in February 1955 she introduced the 2.55 handbag. This beautiful black handbag had a burgundy interior and secret zipper pocket which Coco used to store love letters. As the decades have moved forward to present day, the remake of this handbag is known as the “reissue 2.55” and it comes in a variety of colors on vintage-treated lambskin.

Chanel also has a classic take on this handbag which was introduced by Karl Lagerfeld. This is a similar style to the reissue 2.55 but instead of a traditional clasp, there is an interlocking “CC” symbol on the clasp. The chain strap also has the same fabric as the handbag weaved through it. One chain strap takes an artisan roughly 17 hours to complete. This variation of the classic Chanel handbag is called the “Classic Flap” handbag. The classic flap comes in a variety of fabrications such as lambskin, caviar leather, jersey, tweed, patent leather, patent vinyl and other seasonal fabrics.

Every Fall, Winter and Spring the San Francisco Bay Area is host to many fabulous semi-formal events such as the Junior League of San Jose Fashion Show Luncheon. If a fashionista takes a moment to look at the handbags on the shoulders of many women in attendance at these events, she will notice a pattern. On average, one in five women is wearing the Chanel Classic Flap or 2.55. The majority of them are in black! Some women wear theirs with silver hardware while others gold. The size of choice varies as well. There are small, east/west flaps, medium flaps, jumbo flaps, maxi flaps and the 2.55 in sizes 226 and 227. It is amazing how many fashionable ladies in the Bay Area carry the same handbag for these special events!

It is very interesting to think about what attracts women to the same handbag. Critics may say it is because the handbag is made by Chanel and women are buying into a brand. Other critics may say it is because women like to keep up with the Jones. Who are the Jones anyway? The reason so many women in the San Francisco Bay Area flock to Chanel for their classic handbags is because the handbag is just that, “Classic.” Not only does Chanel give you a lifetime warranty on the construction of the bag, it is made to withstand the test of time. Chanel has the top resale value out of any handbag designer. Vintage Chanel handbags hold their value, as the prices for new Chanel flaps and 2.55’s increase, so does the resale value of the vintage purses. Therefore, if one were to purchase a Chanel bag in 1985 and sell it in 2015, she may very well make a $2000 profit! This is one reason investment dressing is so popular in the Bay Area. With one of the highest concentrations of graduate degrees in the country, the San Francisco Bay Area is home to women who know the value of the dollar and a hot commodity when they see it.

Perfect Handbag for Spring 2010!

 in Bay Area Fashion / General Fashion / Handbags  tagged balenciaga / satchels / spring 2010 / totes by

In the San Francisco Bay Area, particularly in Silicon Valley, California Casual has been the definition of fashion in this tech-heavy area of the world. The individual style of Silicon Valley residents is influenced by the workaholic culture surrounding the start-up company and high-tech industries. Bay Area residents who work in Silicon Valley are no stranger to long hours. They have always gravitated towards more casual dress for professional settings as well as on personal time. The professional culture of the valley combined with the fabulous weather has created the perfect environment for California Casual to be born decades ago and continue to develop over time. This is why it comes as no surprise that fashionistas in the Bay Area are drawn to Balenciaga Handbags, also lovingly known as “Bbags.”

We are unique style setters in the Bay Area. Our politics, our culture and our diversity have created the perfect style vacuum for individuality. This is why Balenciaga handbags are so perfect for fashionistas here in the Valley. Balenciaga handbags became popular when the “motorcycle” handbag became an “IT” bag a decade ago. Worn on the arm of many celebrities, Balenciaga’s motorcycle handbags became a must-have for any style savvy and edgy fashionista. The fabulous part about Balenciaga’s handbags is that they never tire season after season. The Italian fashion house delivers bright and fabulous colors season after season to keep enthusiasts continually wanting more.

Balenciaga delivers their motorcycle style handbags in many shapes and sizes. The popular small version is known as the “First,” followed by larger styles called “City Tote” and “Part-Time Tote.” These are just a few of the many sizes that Balenciaga offers as a choice. In addition to various sizes and shapes, Bbags come with different types of hardware: Regular Hardware, which are small, dark rivets and Giant Hardware which has a more glam look to it and can be found in silver, gold and rose gold. You can also find Giant hardware in “Covered Hardware” which is hardware covered by leather to match the handbag. The regular hardware handbags come with edgy tassles that not only look really cool but function as zipper pulls. The Giant hardware styles do not have the tassles, they have more traditional, leather zipper pulls.

Bbags are known for their amazing colors and soft, squishy distressed lambskin. The color saturation on the handbags are not found on other designer’s handbags. This is something that is unique to Balenciaga and keeps Bbag lovers coming back for more season after season. It is very easy to collect handbags from the same color group just by varying the size and hardware choices. No two handbags in your collection will look the same, even when they are all shades of purple! In Fall of 2009 Balenciaga had a color choice called “Tempete” or “Storm.” This was a fabulous chambray blue which is straight off the runway for Spring 2010. Any girl who was able to snag this color is very lucky since it is next to impossible to find unless you look in the secondary market. But, if you were not able to snag the “it” color of the season, last season, never fear! Spring 2010 brings more fabulous colors to Balenciaga’s handbag line in addition to traditional colors, such as black, anthracite, Sahara (beige) and brown. The hot colors for Bbags this Spring are Cyclade (turquoise), Outremer (bright blue), Papeete (rich, dark seafoam), Sang (cool red), Tomate (cool orange) and Sorbet (bright bubble gum pink).

So, pretty soon all Bay Area Fashionistas will have their very own Bbag. The popularity continues to grow, and since the Valley doesn’t seem to be moving away from California Casual any time soon, the time to grab one of these fabulous handbags is now! After all, they encompass everything we are about; forward thinking, edgy, casual yet glamorous and individual! Who could ask for anything more?

bal