Modern Trends of Handbags

By: Janet R

ItalysOutlet.com: Collection of Modern & Terndy Handbags - eFashionHouse.com

Sometimes, we feel that we know just enough about a certain topic that is not as useful as latest information that is evolving everyday. Let us know how we could fill in some of the gaps with the new facts or information by asking some experts who have suggestions about the modern trends of handbags. It will be great if such latest information will be learned before you are in the thick of things.

As your knowledge about handbags trends seem continues to update each day, you will start to realize that handbag trends are becoming more fit into the overall scheme of things. Knowing they too can relate to the rest of the world, which is important as well.

Many people would really keep an eye on modern trends of handbags, especially those who love to collect handbags, as well as those who always get excited when there are new trends that has emerged.

However, there are others who are not interested with the latest trends of handbags because they really think that there is not trend that could fit to everyone's need. But in reality, it is all up to you on how to choose a handbag that suit you own taste.

In the past few years, handbag designers believe that it will be more convenient if you will have a smaller handbag. This is quite true, though, for most women in past have only few belongings to contain inside their purses, and they seem not bothered about the size of the accessory. Convenient was their major priority, so the smaller their handbag the better. But nowadays, that trend seems not to work anymore. Women today are becoming more busy and have more belongings to carry so they obviously need bigger handbag. You can see a lot of women today carrying a tote bag for totes are quite big and can contain numerous stuff. Tote bags are not only in style because of the way they look, but also because they are very practical where you can fit a large amount of stuff in one bag.

The color trend of handbags are also evolving. We used to have dark toned color of purses such as black and brown before. These two were practically the only colors deemed suitable for handbags. Modern trend of handbag color has evolved when more women are getting lucrative for new shiny colors to show off their taste and lifestyle to others. In fact, there are new trend of colors for leather handbags were launched to the market. Even though colored leather purses remain very expensive that many could not afford, but savvy consumers still look for other type of material other than leather, which is a lot cheaper. However, traditional leather colors like black and brown look still classic and very much acceptable.

Lastly, another modern trend today include customized handbags. Customization able you to put your own personal touch. You can find customized handbags which you can have your name or initial embroidered on them. Also, you can get a personalized evening bag to carry during more formal events. Other customized options include customized diaper bags, sports bags and even travel accessories and luggage.

Source Taken:goarticles.com

Forget Diamonds, Handbags are a Girl's Best Friend

By: Emily Cheetham

DesignersLA.com: Choose Handbags from wide Range - eFashionHouse.com

The value of your handbag, as every self-respecting girl knows, is more than just monetary. They hold our lives within their buttery soft, leathery confines. They're our trusted companions and by no means least, style statements; the little bit of magic that transforms an outfit from ok to wayhey! And, let's face it, since we've all got 'stuff' to transport; beauty potions, organizer gizmo's and baby wipes we couldn't live without, we deserve to do it in style.

Fashion waits for no woman and collections for spring/summer 2009 are already tottering along catwalks in London, Paris and New York. But with credit crunching the way it is, diamonds are off of most people's shopping lists. In 2009, we can look to the not-so-humble handbag to bring us a refreshing burst of glamour that will keep us looking (and feeling) like we're living the life, even if we're not. With a price tag to suit.

Cheet's 'Monroe' collection epitomizes heyday glamour and opulence. Each bag is named after film characters played by inimitable style icon, Marilyn; a woman who's appeal continues unabated nearly 50 years after her mysterious death. Cheet's up and coming designer, Emily Cheetham, wanted to pay homage to a star who remains a source of constant enchantment to her and thousands of others.

Lift your spirits with some Hollywood magic With Monroe's hold on the collective imagination as strong as ever, the style she came to represent is the perfect antidote to the doom and gloom of the financial markets if ever there was one. Hell, even during her well documented bleak periods, she was always glowing, immaculately turned out and cheerful. We could all do with a bit of that spirit right now.

Winner of the London Fashion Forum's accessories designer of the year award in 2006, Emily chose a season of discreet luxury to remember a woman who favoured understatement and embodied femininity. Handbags, totes and clutches in supple leathers and a sophisticated palette, all finished with the distinctive details with which Cheet has become associated. Versatile yet distinctive, 2009 blends modern metropolitan living and casual, timeless pieces, with worldwide and lasting appeal.

"Creating textural interest was my focus" says Emily. "The beauty lies in offsetting simple shapes with intricate details and supple, luxurious 'naked' goat and calf leather. And the muted palette of mushroom, graffiti, putty and iris works perfectly with the woven jute fabric in glitzy silver and gold."

Spring/Summer 2009 collection highlights include Sugar Frame (inspired by Sugar Kane in 'Some Like It Hot') is a neat, frame bag with stunning piped and plaited fitting on the front flap which is available in graffiti, cement, iris, and mushroom. The Nell Shoulder/clutch (inspired by Nell Forbes in 'Don't Bother to Knock') echoes the style of the Sugar bag. Its removable strap transforms it into a long or short versatile shoulder bag; available in graffiti, cement, iris, mushroom. Finally, the Rose Slouchy Bag (inspired by Rose Loomis in 'Niagra') is a wonderfully soft leather slouchy flap bag with plaited leather details and macramé handles, in graffiti, cement, iris or mushroom.

Discover your softer side The best part is that even when you're feeling the pinch you can treat yourself to a spot of Cheet luxury. So, if you want my advice, and you might not, ditch the diamonds and look forward to getting to know your softer side again. Tactile and built for life, there's a 'Monroe' for us all. Experience an enduring love affair between woman and bag that makes us feel great, look stunning and transport life's essentials; phone numbers, tissues and make-up, and, if only for a while, forget those dreary crunch-time blues.

Source Taken: goarticles.com

Designer Wholesale Handbags and Savings for Your Designer Clothing Store

By: Avi Solutions

About.com: eFashionmHouse.com Top Chanel Online Retalier

Wholesale handbags are a necessary addition to any designer clothing store. Wholesale handbags with designer names and trendy new designs for online clothing stores can be bought from wholesale distributors for savvy savings and pretty profits.

Wholesale distributors of designer handbags offer manufacturer's products to retail outlets at a substantially discounted price. Manufacturers are interested in manufacturing; their bottom line is primarily based on production. Although some manufacturers offer wholesale prices for designer wholesale handbags, most require a substantial minimum. Wholesale distributors of designer handbags are concerned with distributing the designer wholesale products, and are more adept and financially motivated to cater to the retail owner of an online designer clothing store.

There are an increasing amount of wholesale distributors that don't require a minimum when online store owners wish to purchase designer handbags for their store. As online sales have increased, so has the increase in wholesale distribution companies catering to the online store owner by carrying a "no minimum" policy and offering dropshipping services. Many of these wholesale distribution companies that specialize in clothing or clothing accessories offer a wide range of designer products - with well-known names such as the wholesale handbag industry's Embassy and Maxam brand names.

Designer handbags and sales from mass marketed handbags have been experiencing a steady upstream of sales due to America's increasing competition with European designer handbags. Coach handbags, perhaps the world's most recognizable name in designer handbags, typically accounts for 20% - 25% of global handbag sales. In 2003 their sales were $926 million, and by 2008 they hit the one billion dollars in a single fiscal year. Although not everyone can compete with Coach handbags, when you buy wholesale handbags from an array of designer influences such as Embassy and Maxam, you are reaching the 75% of handbag sales that don't buy a Coach handbag - which is around $6 billion dollars worth of handbags. By maximizing your inventory product line with name brand designer products and high quality wholesale handbags, your online designer clothing store can realize some pretty profits from designer handbag aficionados from around the world.

Wholesale distributors offer designer handbags that are significantly lower than retail price, and only slightly higher than the manufacturer's price. Wholesale distributors of wholesale handbags are able to offer such low prices because they buy in bulk. These handbag distributors count on a dedicated relationship with a long-term customer to fill their profit margin - and they succeed in doing this by helping the retail online store owner customer make a profit from their product line.

A successful relationship between wholesale distributors and online retail store owners develops when the wholesale distributors provide accurate and timely inventory and pricing changes, and the wholesale distributors' dropshipping services are timely and efficient. The online retail store owner should continuously seek updated inventory and pricing changes while the wholesale distributor's products are listed on the online retailer's sales pages.

Wholesale handbags with designer names from a wholesale distributor that provides a retailer with timely access to inventory data will ensure smooth sales and satisfied customers to a well-run online clothing store. The clientele that purchases designer handbags are savvy customers. They know what they want, and they expect you to deliver it on time. Finding wholesale distributors that carry wholesale handbags of designer quality that delivers on time and is reliable with their stated inventory will help you satisfy these savvy customers. Savings on wholesale handbags from wholesale distributors while you build your profitable return customer base will keep your customers happy with their designer products, and will keep you happy with the pretty profits.

Source Taken: goarticles.com

Handbag Makes for Unique and Practical Gifts

By: Roberto Bell

Valuebags from Efashionhouse, designer handbags at affordable prices

If you are wondering where to find a birthday gift for your dear friend or your mom, then ordering a designer replica handbag online will be a chic option. These handbags are made to reflect the craftsmanship and artistic design of the authentic models and will surely be appreciated by your family and friends. Gifting yourself with one of these handbags will also be a great way for you to build up your handbag collection. The best thing however is that you do not have to spend all your monthly or even quarterly earnings on a single handbag with a designer label.

A designer replica handbag looks and feels much like the original that your colleagues will certainly have a difficult time ascertaining whether your bag is an original or a replica. Unless they are top designers themselves your friends will definitely marvel at your newest accessory find, and swear that your handbag is actually from an authentic collection. This is because a replica handbag is typically crafted in the same meticulous manner as the original and utilizes top rate materials like leather and suede, brass and metal among others.

Therefore it should not be construed that replicas are cheap reproductions and are therefore of poor quality. A designer replica handbag is not the same as the mass-manufactured products that are priced way below what is reasonable. A good replica must have an outstanding design pattern that will mimic how the original actually looks like, as well as exceptional quality and durability from eventual wear and tear.

This is why a replica handbag makes excellent gifts. Your budget won't have to be stretched to indefinable limits because the prices are within any ordinary working woman's budget. Moreover, you won't have to face any embarrassment with giving substandard gifts to your friends and family members. The quality is excellent and if you won't tell them the handbag is a mere replica, there would be no way for them to know the truth! Most women would normally appreciate receiving handbags as gifts, because it finishes off the look of any outfit. Moreover a handbag is an important everyday accessory both for style and utility.

If you want a unique and practical gift that is sure to be cherished, then a handbag is definitely the ultimate gift for most women. With a designer replica handbag you will surely find the cost-friendly present that you are looking for.

Juicy Couture Handbags: Swiftly Risen In Popularity

By Sheila Nelson

The Juicy Couture Collection in new trendy colors

At the forefront of fashion trends and innovation, Juicy Couture handbags are sleek, modern, and flirty. With a wide range of styles to appeal to any trendy shopper, Juicy handbags have gained equal adoration as with other signature handbags. Juicy Couture handbags have swiftly risen in popularity since they were introduced in 2004.

Juicy Couture handbags are high-quality accessories, and different bags offer consumers a range of features. You’ll find Juicy Couture handbags in sherbet-flavored colors such as green, rosy pink, light blue, mint, flamingo, and frosted pink. Juicy design their handbags with pockets for your cell phone, keys, wallet, and makeup, and they also include a heart shaped mirror for you to touch up yourself lipstick whenever you need to. Though each design is unique, Juicy Couture handbags are always adorned with a heart-shaped leather tag bearing an embossed ‘J’ that dangles along the lush skin.

In addition to elaborate features that make each bag distinctive, Juicy Couture handbags are also known for their high-quality materials and bold fabrics. Juicy handbags are usually finished in materials like their signature terry cloth, leather, and canvas. Other features of Juicy handbags include big bold buckles, and gold, brass, or silver hardware and it doesn’t stop there; they also bear metal studs with various bold statement engravings. Boldness is everything to Juicy Couture.

Juicy Couture's achievement in the fashion industry has been partly due to their relationship with the Hollywood sect. Juicy made a wise move when they invited top celebrities such as Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, and Madonna to shop for free Juicy Couture designs. It also helps that Juicy Couture was recently named the 8th most influential design house in the world by The Face magazine.

Juicy Couture reflects a modern attitude and style, and somehow evokes a playful freedom with its bold decor and cladding. Juicy handbags simply unleashed a silent exuberance that is in all of us. Juicy makes handbags that women who are 30 something and older can get away with because they are so versatile. No matter what your handbag needs, Juicy Couture has a style to not only serve practical functions but one that will add flair to your fashion as well.

Juicy Couture handbags can be found at most department stores in USA such as Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom’s, and Bergdorf Goodman. Juicy handbags can also be found in stores in Asia, Canada, and Europe. The majority of Juicy purses and handbags cost range is between $200-500.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com

Excess baggage

Chloe Handbags up to 50% off retail.

BY PRATIBHA UMASHANKAR
khaleejtimes.com


Why do women carry such huge handbags while men get away with wallets? Do women need all that they carry in their bags? And what do they carry? Is the bag a survival kit for all eventualities? Is being prepared for all eventualities a sign of insecurity? Weekend emptied out a few bags to spill the beans. A BAG is a woman’s lifeline. It’s a survival kit. Mine can see me through a couple of days on a deserted island. I seem to be surgically attached to my bag. We are inseparable like conjoined twins. Since it is such a butt of ridicule, I decided to do a bit of soul-searching — rather, bag-searching.

Like the proverbial Pandora’s box, things spilled out when I tipped its contents. A whole lot of papers which had passed their sell-by-date, bills, receipts, stubs of raffle tickets from shopping malls I’ve never won, a twisted sticking plaster that would cause major infection if used on a bruise, outdated strips of Panadol, mouth freshener, writing pad, an assortment of pens and pencils, post-it notes, a half-solved, crumpled crossword puzzle, not one, but two cell phones — for a just-in-case situation — a powdery packet of biscuits, again for a just-in-case situation, a bottle of water, the make-up pouch with light and dark shades of lipstick, a roll-on perfume, nail cutter, hairbrush, hairclips, rubber bands, facewash, a napkin, a bunch of tissues, wet wipes turned dry, a caked and unused powder compact, a congealed bottle of eyeliner (God did I need all this?!), a book — the one I was reading at the moment, an Mp3, a tape recorder, wallet, sunglasses, a diary, a clip-on light that can be fixed to a book so I can read in the dark that doubles up as flashlight, a whistle…. No kidding!

So what do other women carry in their bags? We decided to find out. We chose women from different walks of life. The common denominator was the huge handbag. We set out with a working hypothesis — women feel uncomfortable unless they have absolutely everything with them when they step out of the house. Here is the result of our “findings”. “That’s what’s in,” informs Miriam Westerberg, pointing to her elegant, but over-sized handbag. She should know. She is a model. Home to her is Stockholm and she has been in Dubai for just three months. Her profession keeps her on her toes, literally. When she’s not swooshing off from one photo shoot to another, she’s doing the rounds for casting for future assignments.

Her bag, understandably, is a cornucopia of veritable delights. She has bags within bags — four of them to be precise. “One for my passport and other important stuff,” she smiles. And then she empties out yet another bag — the mini make-up kit. Out come lipstick, sunscreen cream, lip gloss, roll-on perfume, a powder compact, nail polish, nail clippers and even a small bottle of shampoo. And then there’s a largish wallet with credit cards, cash and the like. The fourth satchel snugly fits a pair of stilettos. “Just in case I get a call for a casting appointment,” she informs. Otherwise she goes around in a pair of flat, sensible shoes. At an imposing 5 feet 11 inches, she doesn’t really need high heels.

Ah yes, there is swimwear and a beach towel. “I relax on the beach between assignments if I have time to kill,” she explains. But her glowing, naturally tanned complexion, thanks to her being half Swedish and half Nigerian, doesn’t need a boost either. The big bag itself has tiny compartments to fit her cell phone, an MP3, and of course, the ubiquitous chewing gum. Despite the amount of things her bag houses, it’s neat. She hates clutter. Everything is compartmentalised. No obsolete bills or stubs of lipstick. She just dips into her big bag and picks up the small bag she wants —for a quick freshening up. “Personally I’d prefer a smaller bag,” she confesses. “I carry this huge one because of my heavy portfolio.”

The portfolio, which is every model’s bread and butter, weighs a couple of kilos. “It’s not good for my shoulder,” says Miriam. But I prefer everything to go into one bag. I have this habit of leaving behind one of them if I carry two things. I have lost a lot of bags — in cabs and at counters — with my passport and credit cards. It’s such a bother when that happens in a foreign country. So I stick to my huge bag. But the danger is, if I lose this one, I lose it all!” Miriam often thinks of pruning her bag — paring it down to the bare minimum. “Maybe I carry stuff like shampoo and nail polish that I have never used when on the move. I carry them just in case….”

It’s just the just-in-case stuff that bulges a woman’s bag. Miriam tends to be faithful to one bag. “I buy a good bag that goes with most of my outfits and tend to wear it out. But even a good bag can be used only for a season or two. And then the trend changes.” But why do women carry such big bags and stuff them with things? “You know, I think women are vain,” she says, without the slightest hint of vanity. “We like to look nice and well groomed all the time. So we carry a whole lot of things that we might need.” What about men? Aren’t they vain? “Mmm … they are. Male models are. And they groom themselves too. But guess they leave their stuff in the car,” says Miriam.

“You know, you can rent designer bags. You see, celebrities cannot be seen with the same bag twice. And designer bags cost a fortune. And how many bags can you buy? So they rent a bag. It could come for as low as $100.” With that Miriam picks up her all-purpose bag and strides out. As she leaves, she says, “I must really think of carrying a smaller bag.” If Miriam is a professional model, on the other end of the spectrum we Dr Nishi Singh-Shrivastav, Medical Microbiologist-Virologist and Infection Control Specialist. Currently she is now on the faculty of Sharjah Higher Colleges of Technology. “My bag is not among the largest in the market. It’s a good medium-sized specimen. Does size really matter?” asks Dr Nishi.

“I’ve had problems with cervical spondylosis so I was advised by my orthopedic colleagues and physios to not carry heavy loads. Sigh! If only that was possible…. Not conducive to keeping my “swan neck” healthy! But my bag is large enough to carry my all that I need around with me. Dr Nishi’s bag has two small pouches and one zipped one on the outside. “I seek comfort in knowing my bag (the contents too) inside out. So frequent changes are definitely out, unlike Dubai’s fashionistas,” says Dr Nishi. “I guess am too lazy to be bothered.” The Doc then goes on to take an exhaustive inventory of her bag. Except the proverbial magician’s rabbit, it holds a whole lot of things.

Exhaustive list of contents:

Main compartment:

Mobile phone, home keys, car keys, sunglasses, packet of facial tissues passport photocopy, post-it notes, chapstick, lip gloss, lipstick, small perfume, hair comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, kohl stick, box of mints, throat lozenge, silver box in a velvet cover with fennel seeds, supari and cardamom, chewing gum, mint slips, dental floss and stick, a sachet of Earl grey scented tea and two Kashmiri kahwa teabags, cinnamon sticks, two pens, two sharpened pencils, miniature copies of an extract of the Ramayana, Hanuman Chalisa, a pair of Sri Krishna padukas (silver enameled slippers of deity, magnifying lens with in-built light (do you guys know about this contraption? Very useful for 40+ brethren — or “sistern” — with failing eyesight in dimly-lit romantic eateries), silver business card holder in a velvet sleeve, cloth napkin, hand lotion tube and a copy of the SSY pamphlet (Siddhi Samadhi Yoga).

Wallet (with seven pockets)

Currency notes, coins, sacred red thread, and picture of my favourite deity, more sacred thread, six free AA cards (how does one know when the car is going to break down, so expert assistance at hand), staff ID card, driving license, E-gate card, medical license, health card, air miles card, frequent flyer card, five credit cards, two ATM cards, Medical Association card, two Medical insurance cards (younger daughters' and mine), another license (Hmm!) five copies of my photos of husband and two daughters.

Outside pocket:

Sewing kit with two additional safety pins, after mints sachet, six Band Aids, seven spirit swabs, antacid, Buscopan, Brufen, Panadol, antihistamine and Ranitidine tablets, three Ural and hand sanitiser sachets, dental floss and toothpick, nail emery board. The doctor adds in a parenthetical clause, “One of the allowed luxuries after I left the main hospital/clinical practice and chose academics is long nails. But they have an annoying habit of chipping in working hands. Wish I could be a lady of leisure and flaunt long, sexy, red painted claws….” And then she looks at the contents of her bag and exclaims, “Oh, my God! Do I really carry all this stuff with me all the time? I seem to be prepared for any eventuality! A sobering thought.” Now how does one begin to analyse this assortment of paraphernalia? “Let's begin with the professional stuff,” she says, bracing herself. “I certainly do not carry so many medicines around for my needs (in decent health for my age!) They are in case I am asked to help out at the college campus.

The spiritual stuff is to tide me over the stress of day-to-day living and the waiting/travel time, when I’m stuck in those interminable traffic jams. “Not much make-up stuff. Loathe to be too made-up, but definitely fussy about personal grooming and hygiene, hence the toothbrush-toothpaste, hand sanitiser, tissues, napkin etc. The supari holder is a cherished gift from a favourite aunt of my husband's, who passed away a few years ago. “Cards! The sheer number of plastic I lug around — 24 in all. The professional stuff apart, if I combine the credit limit of all the plastic, the banks have generously offered, I can live in great style. But does one really wish to live on borrowed feathers, so to say. So even though I lug them around, I’m one of the cash-only types. They do come in handy when travelling abroad. Recently we splurged to our hearts' content (female bonding exercise) when visiting my elder daughter at her Med school in the UK and my poor husband got a frantic phone call from the bank reporting frenzied transactions on the cards!

As for the teabags, cinnamon sticks etc, like to carry my own healthier brews. Am I beginning to sound like a fussy old lady? Now for the just-in-case items: The SSY pamphlet. The guru was over to the university to speak to the students and introduce the young Emarati medical lab students to a holistic view of health and wellbeing. Still in situ, just in case someone needs help outside of the strictly narrow medical therapy. “An old M&S IOU of a princely sum of Dh15 have been I’ve been lugging for ages hoping I’ll have it adjusted next time I shop there. Hasn’t happened in years. They’re not going to like that! Does the Doc believe things in the bag expand/increase in proportion to the bag? Is it a case of bigger-the-bag-more-junk-you-carry?

“I resent referring to my precious stuff as “junk” snorts Dr Nishi. I’m fairly meticulous about turning my bag upside down periodically to get rid of the dirt. Neurotic infection control “bugs lady” that I am!” Now for the tough one. We ask her to compare her bag with her husband’s wallet.

The contents of her husband’s wallet:

Notes, two business cards, the lawyer’s business card(!) Indian Consul General’s business card, Health Administrator's card. E-gate card, four credit cards, labour card, ATM card, frequent flyer card, driving license, health insurance card, favourite deity's picture, three silver coins, Salik ID card, AA card and contraption to magnify with light. “I’m amazed at how few things he carries!” says Dr Nishi. It’s indeed a revelation for her. “Not even the same number of plastic!” she exclaims. “I think it’s a futile exercise to go into any “comparative double blind placebo control” studies with the things I lug around.” Dr Nishi admits that her family does get amused by her obsessive carrying some of the stuff the world over that also includes bags of chili peppers-Tabasco while travelling.

“But most of the times they are quite grateful when I produce the required items in times of need,” she says and adds as an aside: “I must say I have a very appreciative brood and spouse, who actually would like me to carry my bag around more often. But I baulk at carrying it to society dos….

“And to be honest, I do carry just the wallet sometimes, especially when grocery shopping. But I find myself juggling the phone, sun shades, keys, cell phone and wish I had brought my hold-all along.” So, a small, dainty bag is a no-no for the Doc. But all we can say is, “Bravo!” for her magical bag. Stefanie Branke, a Senior Account Manager at a PR company describes her bag with four compartments as “Biiiig!” She is physically and emotionally attached to her bag. “Since I got my favourite big bag for Christmas, I’m using it almost every day during the week, as everything I “need” fits easily inside. It’s definitely the biggest bag I have,” she says. When we ask her to empty its contents, down to the last pin and the forgotten receipt, list and analyse them, she gets a bit defensive.

“Oh, I just cleaned out my bag this morning,” she says. “But here you go. Two pens, one invitation card to an event some time ago, a laundry receipt, business card holder with business cards, sunglasses, normal glasses, one agenda — private, one more agenda for meetings, purse, mobile phone, car key, a cosmetic bag containing lip gloss, lip balm, hand lotion, hairpins, and nail polish.” When it comes to bags, according to Stefanie, men are from Mars and women are from Venus. “I don't see how you can even compare the two! They are two completely different worlds,” she says.

Point taken.

Strangely, her big bag was a gift from her boyfriend. Even more strangely, he makes fun of her “a bit” about it, “Although the condition for getting my bag for Christmas from him was that I have to carry his belongings in it as well, when we go out together. When I ask him to get something out of my bag, though, he usually gives up pretty quickly!” Stefanie admits she has tried to carry a smaller bag, but felt distinctly uncomfortable. “It’s much more difficult to fit everything into a small bag.You spend too much time arranging the contents so it fits and have to pack and unpack at least 100 times!” she says. So, men, now you know the reason why women carry a holdall. Stefanie says she doesn’t really have any 'just-in-case' items. “If I notice any in my bag, I usually remove them very quickly,” she says. But admits that things in the bag increase in proportion to the size of the bag.

“Definitely, although I still feel that I REALLY NEED everything that's in there!” She follows a simple thumb rule to know she’s carrying way too much: “You can measure the increase in the content of your bag by the increase in back/shoulder pain that results from carrying around all those kilos!”

We rest our case.

Merla Bungcasan, who works for a telecommunication company says her bag is “bigger than the typical shoulder bag”. Unlike Stefanie, she changes her bag every two weeks or so. She too carries bags within bags. “I’m so used to having so many things in my bag I feel I need them and feel comfortable carrying them along, than not having them in case of necessity….” There you go. Fits our working hypothesis! The 'just-in-case' items are safety pins, charger and USB and memory card. Smart girl! And men, wipe that collective smirk off your faces. The woman of today needs both a safety pin and a memory card!

For Merla, her bag is like a security blanket. “Its a good and comfy feeling when you can carry everything,” she says. She admits that family and friends have dipped into her bag for things they urgently need. “They have said it’s a magic box.”

So there!

The queen of Croc: Designer builds empire on exotic handbags

Nancy Gonzalez Tote bag

BY KATHRYN WEXLER

There is a universe in a single scale of a crocodile, if it's one of Nancy Gonzalez's. It ripples and glistens, melting into tiny slivers of gold, silver, salmon or scarlet. The Colombian designer can work wonders with a reptile. It's not for nothing that they call her the Queen of Croc. ''Croc became my signature,'' she said slowly, at Neiman Marcus in Bal Harbour, her gaze faraway, almost as though this were just occurring to her now, nine years after she launched her high-end handbags, which have become wardrobe fixtures among the moneyed.

DONNA E. NATALE PLANAS / MIAMI HERALD STAFF
Handbag designer Nancy Gonzalez autographs one of her bags at the Neiman Marcus store in Bal Harbour. The Colombian designer was in town to show her latest collection.

Gonzalez was sitting at a table by her handbag display, greeting customers and gingerly signing the suede interiors of their newly purchased bags in an uneven cursive with a black Bic pen. She'd brought along a pink satchel of her own label. ''It's a very old one,'' she said, ``and I love it.'' Marjorie Kovens, visiting from Baltimore, was standing within earshot and clutching a big orange Gonzalez shoulder bag she'd just bought. ``And I love the red ones of yours. I've got a lot of bags.'' Gonzalez smiled. ''I love to have collectors,'' she said.

In the overstocked handbag business, seasonal trends and It Bags still rule. But Gonzalez has earned a solid following by hewing closely to her winning formula: high-quality bags at moderately high prices that take their direction from small advances in processing skins, rather than from fads. Her pieces speak to a woman who wants a vibrant accessory, one noted for its mild exoticism more than its logo. At Bergdorf Goodman, her white croc clutch costs $820 and her large red tote is priced at $4,400. But when Bottega Veneta is offering a dainty patent crocodile envelope bag for $5,900, Gonzalez's creations seem like a bargain.

The designer has carved her niche mainly from the hides of crocodiles, but she also works with mink, sable, chinchilla and astrakhan (a breed of lamb from Russia). What she doesn't use is leather, on which so many designers in the industry rely. ''My challenge is how to offer something different,'' said Gonzalez, 54, wearing a black suit by Comme des Garc¸ons, Bulgari watch and a clunky antique ring from India. ``I really think luxury is having something different.''

From her croc farm in Colombia, Gonzalez is able to produce 32,000 bags a year for customers across the world. Her line offers as many as 150 styles per season in a range of colors and finishes. Gonzalez begins working on a collection 18 months before production. Skins are tanned in France, Italy or Singapore. ''The details are so difficult,'' she said, adding that new styles ``have to be in development for a very long time.'' Raised in Cali, Gonzalez was one of five children. She married at 17, went to college and quickly had two children of her own. She joined the family insurance business at first. It didn't fulfill her.

''I was looking for something that came from inside me, and I found it,'' she said. 'I started [designing] belts, and my friends asked, `What about handbags?' '' Gonzalez is hands-on with the business. She studies all facets of production and ferrets out new methods worldwide for treating hides. Her son, Santiago Barberi Gonzalez, is president of her company and lives in New York City. But Gonzalez pegs her success to more than hard work. ''Do you know what The Secret is?'' she said. ``The attraction law: You attract what you feel.'' She educates her employees on her philosophy. ``I do lectures on The Secret [in my factory]. I'm totally convinced that we need to transmit energy through the product, and people who make bags need to feel the same way.''

There is one aspect of fashioning a handbag, however, that Gonzalez can't stomach: the crocs themselves. ''I don't like to see them alive,'' she said. ``It makes me very sad.''

Heaven is a handbag

Helen Greenwood
The Sydney Morning Herald

A handbag has pushed me over the edge. It wasn't a Hermes Birkin or a Louis Vuitton Tribute or a Marc Jacobs Carolyn or any other arm candy with a flirty name and a price as high as the cost of an education.

It wasn't the year's ugliest designer bag, with belts and buckles, logos and patterns, purse pockets and fat straps, that was copied in countless ways and appeared on countless arms.

No, it was the young woman at the bus stop, with a large, rounded bag rendered faux secure by a dangling lock the size of my fist. As I gazed at her and her accoutrement, I realised she was carrying a stylised chastity belt. I got the giggles. Did she have any idea what message she was sending out?

Sigmund Freud is said to have pointed out that sometimes a handbag was the symbolic embodiment of a woman's vagina. Well, he would, wouldn't he?

He actually was referring to his patient, the now famous Dora, and alluded to her playing with her "reticule" as representative of masturbating. The young woman clutching her emblematic chastity belt and stuffing it with her most personal possessions seemed to take Freud's idea in a new direction.

A reticule first appeared in the 18th century as a fashion accessory and dates back to antiquity and the pouches used to carry tools or provisions. Since then, we've seen handbags that look like saddle bags, shopping bags and swaddling cloths. We've seen bumbags, underarm bags and backpacks. Bags have been bucket-shaped, flat, handleless and huge. They've been tiny, beaded, dangling with ornaments, origami-like and collapsible.

The worst were those uptight bread boxes with the too-short straps and the mezzaluna-shaped ones that were impossible to get into. They made women look like five-year-olds playing dress-ups.

The notion that a handbag is a toy, not just a receptacle, is the raison d'etre of fashion. Clothing designers have been flogging accessories as playthings for decades. First shoes, then perfume, sunglasses and, for the past five years, handbags have pushed the bottom line of the couture companies into the black.

According to Dana Thomas, author of Deluxe, while the luxury market grew by 1.2 per cent each year from 2001 to 2004, leather goods sales increased by 7.5 per cent each year.

Handbags have also been pushed onto women like junk food at children. No catwalk collection happens without handbags. Department stores put the bags on the ground floor, right next to those other money spinners: perfume and cosmetics. Paparazzi snap pictures of actrines toting handbags (do any of them pay retail for these?) that are breathlessly re-photographed by glossy magazines.

Women have responded because buying a handbag doesn't require undressing and seeing your body in the unflattering light of a changing-room mirror. No matter how big or small a woman's body is, a bag is one-size fits all.

Then there is the instant cachet. Unlike a jacket that has its label on the inside, modern branded handbags strut their labels on the outside. Women get on the ground floor of an aspirational skyscraper courtesy of a barely affordable handbag. This is the much discussed "entry level" to luxury.

American writer Daphne Merkin compares the obsession with handbags to the 17th-century mania for tulips in Holland. Just as the Dutch burgeoning burgher class displayed its wealth with an amoral lust for the rarest plants, women in wealthy societies have developed the It-Bag syndrome.

Also dubbed the Sienna Miller Syndrome, after the petite English actress and socialite who has become a style leader, it's an epidemic. The Guardian reported in August on a survey in a British shopping centre that revealed the average 30-year-old British woman owns 21 handbags at any given time, and buys a new one every three months - spending up to £380 ($860) a go.

Entrepreneurial websites like Bagborroworsteal.com have cashed in on women's desperation to sport the latest, renting them ultra-luxe bags so they can change their look more often.

According to Anna Johnson, in her introduction to Handbags: The Power Of The Purse, "a good bag becomes an intimate extension of the body". Let's ignore the red herring of why it has to be a "good" bag and note that Johnson's observation is less overtly sexual than Freud's, but no less psychological.

We carry bags to carry our secrets, the talismans with which we identify and which makes us feel we exist. We carry bags because we are urban Bedouins on the move from morning to night and living in fear of getting caught without the essentials, even though it's laughable to think anyone in an affluent society would.

We use bags in other ways, too. They prevent people from getting too close. They are a shield from the bumping on buses and the jostling on footpaths, and just try sidling up to someone who has a bag firmly tucked against their body.

I confess to having been seduced by many handbags. Recently a vintage-look, distressed leather number by an American brand took my fancy. It's soft and comforting and discreet. It could be sexually symbolic but sometimes a bag should be just a bag.

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