shoulder bags

Ten best IT bags to buy and wear now

 in Handbags  tagged balenciaga / chanel / fall 2016 / gucci / jw anderson / loewe / louis vuitton / mansur gavriel / proenza schouler / shoulder bags / street style trends by

mansur gavriel handbag styled with culottes

Every year the crop of IT bags changes. Over the past few years we have seen the Chanel Boy Bag, Celine Trapeze, Louis Vuitton Petite Malle, Chloe Drew, Saint Laurent Sac du Jour, Balenciaga City Tote, Givenchy Antigona, Mansur Gavriel Bucket Bag, Mansur Gavriel Lady Bag, Chloe Marcie, and more enjoy their moment in the spotlight. While these bags still maintain a cult following, as well as IT status, they have moved into a more classic category on the handbag hierarchy. Enter the IT bags of right now, and early 2017.

At New York Fashion Week last month, and at subsequent fashion weeks in London, Paris, and Milan, there was a flurry of fabulous designer handbags on the arms of the well-heeled attending the shows. While I could only judge what was worn through photographs in London, Milan, and Paris, I did see first hand what was being carried in New York; and the bags were fabulous.

There were ten distinct handbags which kept appearing on the arms, shoulders, and clutched in the hands of those fashionable fashion industry insiders at the recent spring 2017 shows. These are the handbags which are hot right now, and will remain hot as we move into early 2017. Get your wallet ready, if you don’t already own at least one of these current IT bags, and you enjoy owning an IT bag du jour, it is time to start shopping!

My favorites from the current crop of IT bags:

The number one most spotted handbag on the streets of New York Fashion Week was the Louis Vuitton Petite Malle. This tiny little trunk has been proving to have IT status for the past few seasons, but it was quietly the stand-out at fashion week last month. I tried to count the times I spotted this bag, but sadly, I lost count. It was everywhere. If you like tiny, structured, trendy bags, this is the IT bag for you.

The next most popular bag on the streets of New York Fashion Week was the beautiful Pierce bag by J.W. Anderson. I might be biased, as the proud owner of this bag, but it was really pretty. If you are looking for an edgy meets classic shoulder/saddle bag for right now, this is the bag to get! The black and white version was the most popular, followed by black, then brown. I chose to purchase the Tangerine hue, I guess I was in a rebellious mood?

jw anderson pierce bag

Here are the other six IT bags that were everywhere during fashion week, and which stood out from the crowd. The Mansur Gavriel Bucket Bag is still hotter than hot, as is the Lady Bag by Mansur Gavriel. The Circle Tote by Mansur Gavriel was also spotted frequently at shows. These were three bags spotted at almost every show I attended. In addition to Mansur Gavriel, the Chanel Boy Bag was everywhere, as were the Proenza Schouler Hava satchel in black (I thought I was unique, apparently not!), the small version of Loewe’s Puzzle bag, the Gucci Marmont, and the up-and-coming Gucci Dionysus shoulder bag. 

new york fashion week street style handbags

So to sum up the best street style handbags from New York Fashion Week, which happen to be the current IT bags du jour, we have the Mansur Gavriel Bucket Bag, Mansur Gavriel Circle Tote, Mansur Gavriel Lady Bag, Gucci Marmont, Gucci Dionysus, Chanel Boy Bag, Louis Vuitton Petite Malle, J.W. Anderson Pierce bag, Loewe Puzzle Tote, and the Proenza Schouler Hava satchel.

I wish I had taken photos of people and their handbags when I was at fashion week. Lesson learned. I will do this in February 2017 so that I can give you a visual of the current IT bags! In the meantime, you can see them in all their marketing glory around the web. Below I have divided up the top ten IT bags of the moment so you can check out the ones you like! Which IT bag will be your bag du jour?

Gucci Dionysus

Gucci Marmont

Mansur Gavriel Bucket Bag, Lady Bag, and Circle Tote

Proenza Schouler Hava satchel

Chanel Boy Bag (pre-loved)

Louis Vuitton Petite Malle (pre-loved)

J.W. Anderson Pierce Bag

Loewe Puzzle Tote

mansur gavriel in stock summer 2016

JW Anderson Pierce bag review

 in Handbags  tagged fall 2016 / handbag reviews / jw anderson / shoulder bags by

jw anderson pierce bag it bag 2017

jw anderson pierce bag inside jw anderson pierce bag capacityjwanderson pierce interiorjw anderson pierce bag

Pictured: JW Anderson Pierce bag in Tangerine

Every year a new IT bag emerges from the runways. For 2016, the ultimate IT bag has emerged from the fall 2016 runways in London by Irish designer J.W. Anderson. When JW Anderson sent the Pierce bag down his London catwalk, handbag lovers everywhere were left breathless. This was it, the new IT bag.

For the past several seasons, Chloe has enjoyed IT bag status with the Drew, followed by the Faye, and then the Hudson. While fashionable heads still love all the handbags from the iconic Parisian design house, heads have turned towards the cool leanings of Northern Ireland. The J.W. Anderson Pierce bag is the handbag to own right now, and well into 2017. Love it!

Jonathon Anderson’s Pierce bag embodies everything women look for in an IT bag. It has high quality craftsmanship, it has an unique design, it offers an easy access flap closure which makes the bag practical for everyday wear, and it has a design element which is familiar, yet new and exciting; this is the most difficult element on a handbag.

This element happens to be the “Pierce” which looks like a typical piercing ring found on bellybuttons everywhere, yet it is large and bracelet-like, which is what makes this saddle bag unique, exciting, elegantly edgy, and just different enough to make everyone covet it.

I knew the J.W. Anderson Pierce bag was the new up-and-coming IT bag, but until I was in New York for fashion week, I had not witnessed this handbag in action. It draped beautifully on the arms of those lucky enough to carry one to fashion week. It glittered, glowed, and called my name. The Pierce bag added elegance and edge at the same time to anyone’s outfit who carried one. It looked like ultimate perfection wrapped into one beautiful handbag. I had to have one.

The Pierce bag by JW Anderson comes in a variety of colors for the fall 216 season. There is a beautiful cobalt blue, green, navy, burgundy, red, medium brown, classic black, chic grey, and the Tangerine hue I ultimately chose. The most popular color I noticed on the streets of New York Fashion Week was the black and white, color blocked version of the J.W. Anderson Pierce bag. It seemed to be everyone’s favorite.

Out of all the classic colors, I decided to go with a color I don’t normally wear; the Tangerine. I’m not really sure what drew me to this color. Perhaps it was the uniqueness of an orange which I find palatable. Or maybe I felt like it was the edgiest color of the lot, and the piercing detail got me in a rebellious mood. Whatever drew me to Tangerine, was fabulous! I have fallen in love with this color. While I don’t often wear shades of orange, it has become a fun compliment color to my fall wardrobe. I am looking forward to wearing it all the time this season!

Now onto the review!

The Pierce bag comes in three sizes; small, medium, and large. I chose the medium size because it seemed to have nice dimensions for everyday life. The interior of the Pierce bag is open and roomy. There is one large, interior slip pocket which is great for holding lipstick, keys and my phone. The main compartment of the bag fits my other purse essentials nicely. Love it!

The strap has three notches and can easily be adjusted if you would like to shorten, or lengthen, the length of the shoulder strap. I have mine set in the middle, which is how it arrived from the store. I like where the length is set, so I have kept it there without adjusting it.

Craftsmanship is a huge factor for me when purchasing a designer handbag. When you spend four figures on a bag, you want it to be well made; and investment worthy. The JW Anderson Pierce bag is extremely sturdy, and well made. The stitching is precise, all of the edges are even, and the hardware is placed perfectly, and secured.

The interior of the Pierce bag is a soft suede, and the exterior of my Pierce bag is a soft, pebbled leather which is scratch resistant, and durable enough for everyday use. This is a workhouse shoulder bag. I love it!

J.W. Anderson’s Pierce bag is chic enough to be worn with dressy attire, yet edgy enough to wear with jeans, and casual ensembles. The small version is great to use an evening bag for any type of outfit except gala or formal. This is a versatile bag you will find pairs well with almost any outfit, for almost any occasion. This is a key factor for an investment bag; can we say, lower cost per use? Yes please!

Since I have been so happy with my medium J.W. Anderson Pierce bag in Tangerine, I am starting to think I need to add the small version to my handbag wardrobe. I am eyeing the cobalt blue bag, which is to-die-for! I am also eyeing this version in white.

You can find J.W. Anderson’s Pierce bag online here, here, and here. More versions of the Pierce bag by JW Anderson below in the shopping widget. I hope you love the J.W. Anderson Pierce bag as much as I do!

J.W. Anderson Pierce bag size small:

J.W. Anderson Pierce bag size medium:

J.W. Anderson Pierce bag size large:

Best fall handbags under $1000 and under $500

 in Handbags / Shopping  tagged coach / fall 2016 / kate spade / rebecca minkoff / satchels / shoulder bags / tory burch / totes by

fall-handbags-under-1000

From top left: tan satchel (under $150) / leopard print shoulder bag (under $200) / bag strap (HUGE trend under $100) / navy suede tassel shoulder bag (under $500) / black box bag (hot emerging designer under $500) / classic navy bucket bag (under $500 and IT bag) / burgundy bucket bag (premier designer-great deal!) (under $600) / black embellished shoulder bag (hot fall trend under $600)

The fall season is upon us, and so are the hottest handbag trends from the runways to the street! For fall 2016, we are looking at embellished bags, saddle bags, bucket bags, boxy camera bags or train cases, and vintage appeal. Many of these trends can raise the price of a handbag; especially the embellished bag trend! It is hard to spend over $1000 on a handbag; especially when it might have a shelf life. So I scoured the web for the hottest, most fashionable, IT bags of the season-all under $1000 with some under $500 or under $200! Love that!

To sweeten the deal, many of these hot handbags are under $500, or under $200, or even under $150! How fab is that!?

When shopping for a fall handbag under $1000, there are a few things to keep in mind this season in order to ensure the handbag you purchase is 100% on trend. Look for one of more of these trends in a handbag when you shop this fall season: 1970s vintage inspiration, embellishments, thick shoulder straps, suede, saddle bag silhouettes, single top handle satchels or lady bags, and also dark colors such as black, grey, hunter green, burgundy, burnt orange, mustard, and shades of brown. Classic autumn is in!

If you are wondering about size this season when looking for the best of the fall handbags under $1000, don’t worry about it! Any size goes. Fall 2016 is all about totes, roomy hobos, any size of shoulder bag, any size single top handle satchel, and any size clutch. You cannot go wrong! If you plan to buy a basic color such as black in the hopes that the bag carries you through 2017, then stay away from mini bags. Spring 2017 will be moving away from mini bags.

Another hot trend for the fall 2016 season in handbags is the personalized strap. You can find funky, fun straps for under $1000 in the shopping widget below which easily attach to any one of your satchels at home. It is an inexpensive way to update you current handbag wardrobe without buying a new bag. I bought this one for fall. So excited to use it on my black satchel, which you can see in action here.

There are also several IT bags which are hot on the street this fall, and under $1000! You can find Mansur Gavriel’s iconic bucket bag in stock online here, and this hot boxy bag from an emerging designer online here. I really want to get my hands on the small version in black. Isn’t it cute!

So many fall handbags are under $1000 this season, and so many of them happen to be from hot, established and iconic designers, as well as emerging designers to watch. This is a great season for handbag shopping! Love that!

What is your favorite handbag style this fall 2016 season? Are you more of a shoulder bag girl? Or do you prefer the structure of a single top handle satchel? Perhaps you are feeling boho and gravitate towards fringe or tassels? Or perhaps you love chic and interesting designs such as embellished bags? I have found myself leaning towards saddle bags, buckets bags, and single top handle satchels. List your favorites in the comment section below!

Happy shopping, and stay fabulous 😉

Designer fall handbags under $1000

Designer fall handbags under $500

Designer fall handbags under $200

Statement making handbag straps under $150