Cheap designer handbags

This may be a first (so many posts I can’t remember) as I’m featuring a makeup bag for the first time here. It’s by a new site/designer called breadcrumb and it’s probably the cheapest thing I’ve ever had here at £15. It’s always nice to feature something in the true budget category as I know that even though a designer bag from chloe at £500 may be cheap comparatively it’s still a lot of money to be spending on any type of fashion accessory.

The best thing about this make-up purse is that every one is actually unique from a design point of view as the layout on the bead zip is different for each. The main print which is a Love letter on 100% cotton canvas looks really cool and definitely has an art deco or event vintage look about it.

It’s a pity it’s not close to Christmas as this is one of those perfect gift ideas, it’s cheap and unique but seems so personal at the same time. I must remember to feature more small “nik naks” like this in the future as they are the ideal impulse purchase (compared to a £1000 handbag anyway).

Nancy Gonzalez is a designer that is certainly starting to attract a lot of attention both here in the UK and across the pond. It’s always great to see new designers really strike out on their own instead of being just another Prada or Gucci copycat and as you can see from the Python handbag above by her  it’s definitely unique.

It’s worth saying that Python is still a relatively unique material in the fashion world as so many designers just don’t seem to know what to do with it. It almost seems the case will all eccentric skins these days as they sometimes seem to want to hide what it really is. As you can see from the picture this Python bag screams at you what it is from the very first glance as the skin pattern is about as bold as it gets. I also really love the colour gradient that’s going on too. For some reason purple and white reminds me of Miami Vice and 80s in general, it’s not necessarily a bad thing though as we all know the 80s are coming back in a big way.

£1800 is quite reasonable for a Python bag in my opinion as it’s a style and material becoming more popular by the day. One reason for the low price I’m told is that Nancy Gonzalez actually has her own snake farms to acquire her own skins and thus keep the price down (I wonder if she goes in to catch them too?). I know I have featured many exotic skin handbags here but I have a feeling this one is going to remain a firm favourite for some time to come. One problem I do foresee is the old availability problem as over 3 of the big handbag online shops (you know who they are) already seem to be out of stock either due to the low production runs or just plain demand from lovers of great handbags

So time for another post here and time for a vintage bag this time which as you can tell is quite rare here. It’s not that I’m against vintage designer handbags in principle but because I’ve always been a fan of originality the new and the weird side of the bag world has always interested me the most. Still I thought I would post about this new (can you call a vintage handbag new?) Valentino Jolie Framed Patent Bag which has just come out.

It does look rather like a briefcase which I’m not sure is a good thing as it neither has the function or form of one. Still the bright tan leather does look incredibly sleek in a very 30s way and seems to be shiny from every angle. The main downside is it just doesn’t look that practical or even comfortable as it has just a single strap handle at the top, still if you’re a slave to all things vintage then this isn’t going to matter much to you.

I’m not too sure to be honest of pricing in the vintage sector and whether £1200 is a lot for a bag of this style so I’ll let you decide for yourself.

So been a while since I’ve had some quality Miu Miu here on designerbags as I just haven’t seen anything to get me interested but I did spot this new tote in chocolate Suede which is looking very equestrian in its style. I suppose the first thing that comes to mind is this is a tote with winter in mind. It’s true that the colour is an autumn regular and this will probably put people in the height of (supposed) summer in doubt.

I do have to mention that Suede is definitely not for everyone as its nowhere near as durable as leather, somehow spills and especially water just seem to seep into it from every angle, and don’t even get me started on food stains. However if you are going to go for a Suede bag then I’d say dark brown would be the way to go as its going to hide those accidents much better than any colour I can’t think of. By the way has anyone ever tried some of the specialist cleaners for Suede as I have heard some good things but I’m always weary about using a 3^rd party product on my handbag.

As you can see from the picture the leather handles and buckles fit really well with the overall theme even the gold shoulder strap that I definitely wasn’t sure about from the start grows on you after a while (it is detachable). It’s cheap for a Miu Miu at around £1000 in most places but for a bag that’s really only for one season this could be too expensive for some.

So while handbags are never explicitly sold as a female only product we all know that they are. However the lines do definitely get blurred now and again as to what is a handbag and what isn’t, this has inevitably given rise to the ubiquitous “man bag” that we hear so much about but rarely see. Can you remember ever seeing a guy with a bonafide “man bag”?

The thing is quite a few of the items on this blog could be used by men, especially the laptop bags and briefcases (as recently just featured). So as I was snooping around on the Bottega Veneta website for the last post I came across the men’s section and found a handbag department.

I couldn’t actually find the handbag in the picture above as I think it’s from their current collection launch and not available to buy. However I did spot this lovely Bitter Polonaise Messenger Bag in the “man bag” section which somehow looks amazing but understated at the same time (quite a feat). So weather you call this a “man bag” or not I don’t know as it is essentially a laptop bag which many men are more than happy to “wear” day in day out.

I have to admit £1400 is a lot pay for something to carry your computer around in, actually it will probably cost more than the laptop its carrying in most occasions. Still this is genuine calf leather which I don’t think I’ve seen before in a messenger bag. The colour just looks fantastic and leaves me wondering why we don’t see this shade more often in the fashion world (may be too understated for some).

So the big question still remains “is this a man bag”. Well no from the point of view that it’s a laptop bag that most men have already but yes from the view of it costing £1400 and being made of the finest cured calf leather!

Sometimes I just can’t help myself and completely forget the name of this blog to tell you about a bag that costs more than and your average Audi J. Still it’s always nice to look and that’s something you would be doing quite a bit if you were ever lucky enough to own this Bottega Veneta briefcase in tan crocodile leather. First thing I have to get out of the way is the price which is the nice round figure of £16,700, hopefully you were sitting down when I said that.

Leaving aside the issue of price for the moment I think this is the first briefcase I’ve ever reviewed here a cheaphandbags so it’s nice to have a first. The thing is though I’ve never really seen the appeal of a designer briefcase unless you’re using it to carry a laptop/notebook around. Also the shape is always constrained to that same rectangle out of necessity to fit standard documents (boring stuff) inside. Whereas if you take your standard handbag there’s literally no end to the possibilities and designers can (and do) go a bit crazy.

I think the problem as you can tell is I’m just not sold on the briefcase idea in general and especially such an expensive one like this. There’s no doubt that the material used in this Bottega is incredible as you can’t take your eyes off it. However at the same time I’m thinking wouldn’t this been even better as a tote or even a slouch bag where the material can move with you instead of just being a big box? Ok so calling this bag a big box may be a little cruel but I think this fabulous crocodile leather could find a much better home somewhere else.

So as you know I don’t usually like to go too long without featuring a Marc Jacobs bag (usually under a month J)  so thought I would review a bag that did achieve somewhat iconic status in the fashion world. This purple heart purse named the “Love clutch” was incredibly striking when it was launched over a year ago. Now you may be thinking this is a little too much attention for a purse over a year old but i just noticed that it’s been discounted by over 40% at the outnet (http://www.theoutnet.com/product/86466#) in the last few days. The thing is £351 for a genuine Marc Jacobs really is a steal and if you are going to go with a real brand designer then you might as well pick one of their most famous items like the “Love clutch”.

I suppose this does bring me on to a very important point. Just how much money can you save by waiting a season (or even two) for that bag that you simply had to have when it came out? Well it does seem to depend on the designer as realistically speaking a Jimmy Choo at £1000 isn’t going to be much cheaper a few months after launch. Indeed some bags even become collector’s items and increase in price believe it or not. What I’m really talking about is a bag that is mass produced (most marc Jacobs bags) so after a season retailers get scared of getting stuck with the stock and try to offload at a huge discount. The thing is these kind of “iconic” bags never go out of fashion (mostly) so it’s one of the most sensible purchases you can make (if you can wait that is).

So time for another bag review here at cheapdesignerhandbags even though i know a lot of you really loved the last post here on how to find genuine handbags on ebay (which i hope to do more of). This time I want to review a Christian Louboutin bag who is of course no stranger to this blog and i suppose you could say i am a fan. There are of course those of you who think he should stick to making shoes but do think he has something really different to offer, especially when you look at many of today’s bags which are just a sea of leather.

As you can tell from the picture this Rider Fur Tote is quite a statement as there isn’t a shiny surface in sight! If you’re wondering what the fur is then fear not as it’s not endangered (I know you care lol) as its coyote. Only thing I knew about coyote up to now is its some big scary dog you get in the US, however we all now know that it looks great too. The weird thing is that I’ve very rarely been a fan of any type of grey but this really does seem to work on a lot of levels (any type of dark jean will look amazing with this). I admit though that fur for obvious reasons isn’t so popular in summer so this probably more suitable for a few months down the line.

The biggest problem I have found with Christian Louboutin is his bags can be so hard to find, in fact tracking them down offline is usually more trouble than it’s worth. Speciality sites like neimanmarcus are probably the way to go where you can get it for around the £2000 mark (turns out coyotes are expensive). In fact it is quite a good question, is anyone shopping for handbags on the high-street anymore? I know boutique shops are great for that must have bag of the season from DKNY but if you want something specific from a small designer like Christian Louboutin or Miu Miu is it worth the effort hitting up smaller shops only to be disappointed? Till next time…

So this is a change for this blog as I attempt to offer some useful advice instead of my usual handbag review. The subject is one that I’m sure most of you will be familiar with and that is how to you buy a genuine designer handbag on ebay or similar auction site? It’s not an easy question to answer as often even the experts can be duped into buying counterfeit goods so what chance to us normal shoppers have? It is understandable why so many people are flocking to the auction site when it comes to designer items like handbags and perfume because of the huge price reduction. Indeed I’ve seen some of the deals myself which can be as much as 50% off the retail price you would pay in your local boutique store. Anyway with all this in mind decided to help I would list a few points to check off before you buy from an auction seller.

• Ask lots of questions. Even if the listing on ebay is quite detailed ask some questions directly to the seller about specifics of the item. Genuine sellers will always be happy to answer questions about anything they are selling however rouge traders may not.
• Check their feedback. Ebay has quite a good feedback system where you can view previous buyer’s comments about what this person is selling. It’s very important to note the seller’s history and not just the overall number of good comments. Ie if they have all their positive feedback from selling music equipment and now they are suddenly selling designer handbags then you need to question why this is. Genuine sellers of designer and haute coture items will have a supply history with this product/market area.
• Always pay by paypal. There is good reason for this payment system as it is actually owned by ebay so when you pay using it the whole transaction will be recorded and you can prove that you have sent the seller the money and also get the money back (circumstances providing) if the sale goes sour. Never send cash and i don’t recommend cheques either as it’s very hard to track.

Ok so as you can see I haven’t covered everything you are going to need to look for in order to buy that must have bag of the season on ebay. However I do hope it provides you with quick things to look/check for when you are thinking about buying. The best advice i can give is probably something you have heard before “if it’s too good to be true, then it probably is”.

So it’s been a while since my last post but sometimes a just can’t find anything truly worth writing about and it’s at these times that laziness truly takes over. Still in the spirit of providing exciting updates on cheap designer handbags that you can buy today I decided to post about this new Bottega Veneta crocodile hobo bag that has just hit the shops. It’s not the first crocodile bag I’ve ever reviewed as I did go through quite a phase a few months ago with more than a couple of reviews. I suppose my main fascination with the material comes from looking for a change as quite often it’s just leather all the time in the handbag world.

The blue of this bag as you can see from the picture is really quite striking even though it is dark it still stands out across a room. Other main point i have to make is just how soft the material is and as you know I’m a real sucker for any bag that is comfortable, especially if it’s a big handbag like this which is designed to carry a lot. If this does sound like the bag for you then you might want to check out bottegaveneta.com for release dates and boutiques where you can buy. One point i have to make that many people may not be aware of is that many of the top designers to not allow their handbags to be sold online such as Chanel. Now this doesn’t mean you can’t find them if you look hard enough but beware as most will be fakes. Indeed any retailer selling un-authorised bags online can usually expect a lawyers letter very soon as all the top designers control the brand very tightly. It’s always best to buy with someone established as you probably already know!