Style Fix

The Purse Store, which actually sells designer handbags, shoes, belts, denim, and more, is closing its virtual doors for good. To thank their customers, and liquidate their remaining stock, all of the goods are 50 to 70 percent off. Plus, by entering code “thanks” you can save an additional 20 percent on shoes, belts, and denim.

Check it out!

I’ve always said that when I have the money to spend on designer goods, my first purchase will be a Kate Spade purse (in addition to some Stella McCartney clothes, of course).

If only I had done my taxes on time, I’d be indulging in the For Your Eyes Only online Kate Spade sale right now. But, alas, I have not yet received my governmental mad money and must continue to wait.

Check out the For Your Eyes Only sale where you can find purses, diaper bags, shoes, wallets, and even a few notebooks by summery designer Kate Spade. It’s a quick sale - lasting from today, June 17, through Friday, June 20 only. But with prices up to 60 percent below retail, it’s worth a expedient look.

I’m so very confused. I usually detest Balenciaga’s creations, but I usually love art-inspired prints and florals. So what, pray tell, do I think of this Balenciaga floral clutch?

Okay. I love your Feed Bags, Lauren Bush, but don’t you think that there is a time and a place for self-promotion, even if it is for a good cause?

I’m just not sure that 1. the bag goes with red carpet wear, or 2. a pink, Swarovski-studded carpet for a movie premiere (Sex and the City) is the perfect location for bringing up the topic of starving children.

I’ve never watched a single episode of MTV’s The Hills, and only one of its predecessor Laguna Beach. I do see the occasional scene on E!’s The Soup with Joel McHale, but that’s the extent of my viewing.

Maybe my lack of knowledge of the show’s going-ons is the reason I am so perplexed over its popularity. Do people really believe that it is real? Is it really interesting? And why, oh why do Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt (who doesn’t even have his own Wikipedia entry) continue to create such fake, posed photos?

Here, Heidi (donning an Hermes Kelly bag) and butt-buddy Spencer greet Mrs. Montag (toting Louis Vuitton) on Mother’s Day.

You cannot honestly tell me that this was not staged. I can hear it now …

“Now, everyone cheat out toward the camera just a bit more. Heidi can you switch your bag to the left arm so that I can see what label you are carrying? … and Spencer, we need you to hold this giant card - cheated toward the camera - so that it looks like you belong in this picture. Okay, say ‘cheese’!”

I know what you want. You want a custom designed Hermes Kelly bag for free, don’t you? I know I sure do: I know that I come nowhere close to having the funds to buy one. And I also know how you can get it.

On the Hermes Web site, you can choose from seven different designs or plain white to decorate yourself (or use as a sewing pattern!), click to open it as a PDF, print, and follow folding directions to create the end result shown here.

Okay, so it’s not you above-average Hermes Kelly, but it’s free! Plus, the designs are awesome: a pencil drawing of trees, a photograph of jelly candy sharks, and my fave - the Hermes sketched man (who appears all over the Web site) carrying five, red, smiley face balloons.

Try printing your favorite, and adding laminating paper to your folding process to make a waterproof version that would be perfect to take to the beach! You could also trace it onto fabric and sew it up along the seams. All is fair game, as long as you don’t try to sell anything you make from the pattern. Then you’d be in hot, illegal water.

P.S. Click here to head to Hermes site, then click on the picture of a white Kelly bag that says “I want it. I’ll have it!” (shown here) to be directed to the patterns.

P.P.S. Counterfeit Chic’s post “Bringing Home the Birkin” was where I first heard about this.

I just discovered a super cool discount shopping site. Endless.com brings you handbags and shoes for less than retail prices, plus they offer free overnight shipping.

Check it out! You can get a new pair of Kenneth Cole pumps, some Jessica Simpson boots, a Badgley Mischka clutch knocked down over $100 in cost, Reebok sneakers, stylish reusable shopping bags from Baggu, vegan sandals, work-requird safety shoes for him, and some Keds for the kids … all in one place!

PLUS (if all this isn’t enough), save $20 when you spend $100 on items deemed “eco-friendly.

Yowzers! This site is BETA now, but won’t be for long. Get to it; get shopping!

Bonus points to Endless for having a “report typos” section!

Color blocks are one of the few ’80s fashion trends that I am okay with having a resurgence. Here, we have - (in alphabetical order by company name, because “no particular order” seemed to particular) - a former “it” bag that cost (it’s no longer available) $1,300; a knock-off verging on copying for $56; and a $26 one that is more “inspired by” than copied.

Can you tell which bag is which?

Here are some tips of things to look at (as well as you can over the Internet):

* Quality and design of clasps, seams, zippers, metal pieces, handles, material, and color.

* Logo - is on everything, including the findings? Is it perfect in color, design, placement, etc.?

* Is it floppy or stiff? Designer bags have nice form and structure to them unless “floppy” is part of the design concept.

* Are the colors evenly saturated and nicely matched or striated, blotchy, and slightly off?

UPDATE: Answers are here! Click “more” below to find out if you knew your designer from your teenie bopper store brand.

(more…)

For $2,680 and $1,680, respectively, these two Fendi designs would have earned a failing grade in elementary art. I love peacock patterns more the next person, and yet neither or these bags can spark the slightest interest in me. There are just too, too many stuffs on them!

From vintage Bill Blass, to Godzilla tee shirts; Every imaginable tote design, to intricately cut metal jewelry - Mod Cloth has it! Find an outfit that no one else will be wearing; shop for fun, funky, unique, and one-of-a-kind clothes, apartment needs, and accessories in reasonable prices. But if you see something you want, move fast! Things fly quickly through the indie shop that is ***MOD CLOTH***

Here are some current up-for-grabs faves of mine.

The Purse Page has a knack for spotting what designer bags celebrities are toting in “seen around town” snapshots.

But when I saw the photos that were posted today of Reese Witherspoon with Jake Gyllenhaal and a $1,500 Bottega Veneta bag it was neither Reese nor her basic-looking bag that I was looking at.

Fact: I am in love with Jake Gyllenhaal and can actually see him from my desk (or at least his likeness on the cover of a magazine).

Myth: Guys look good in sweatpants.

Jake, my love, sweatpants? We can see too, too much when men decide to go the flimsy, soft, cotton route in public. True, I don’t think anyone past college age should wear these out of the house, but especially not men.

Liberated, jumping man bits are not the same as freely bouncing woman parts. No matter how sexy and talented you are, I do not want to see your Wang Chung tonight. End of story.

I happen to love my birthday more than any other day throughout the calendar year. Even as a child I looked forward more to my birthday than Christmas or Flag Day. I signed up for every free birthday club I came across.

But as adults, we don’t get free happy meals, ice cream sundaes, and such on our celebratory day.

Until now.

Piperlime, the Gap Inc. Web site that sells kick-butt shoes and handbags, will send you a little special something on your big day. All you have to do is tell them when it is, and which - if any - of their promotional e-mails you would like to receive. Plus, if you have a Gap, Old Navy, or Banana Republic card you can receive 500 points for signing up!

The birthday surprise is yet a secret to me, but since my birthday is coming up in one month and ten days …

Yummy! Look at all the pretty new colors that eLuxury and Louis Vuitton sent me …

Mmm… I just love deep, vibrant colors!

The newest Fendi bag creation - one which everyone should know about, but very few should actually buy - is available for pre-sale order.

The Fendi Artist Baguette, available in select stores and online through the likes of Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, is the first (expensive) designer take on the DIY trend of taking Sharpie permanent markers to a blank canvas tote bag.

For $1,300, you can have your own, personalized, Fendi clutch complete with interlocking “F” magnetic closure. The kit, shown here, comes with a plain white, leather (boo!) clutch and a set of Pantone markers.

Internet-wide, the buzz is that Fendi has gone of their rocker, but bear with me as I tell you why this might succeed.

1. It’s a gimmick, and gimmicks work. Go ahead, Google “Fendi Artist Baguette;” you’ll see hundreds of articles about it already.

2. It has great celebrity-sponsored, charity-benefit auction potential. Pay $1,300 to botch my own design? No way! Bid $2,000 on a Fendi purse that Hayden Panettiere decorated and signed? Heck yea!

3. Anything is better than their ’80s-ish orangy-pink Rainbow Degrede Hobo!

4. Artists can really rock it! Check out the LATimes’ display of what a handful of talented people did with kit.

Sitting on the bus ride home yesterday evening - amongst a particularly loud and obnoxious group of city folk - I couldn’t help but notice the number of large, screamingly fake bags surrounding me.

With hope, these gum-snapping, females knew that their totes were obvious rip-offs and did not pay more than a few dollars for them. However, it did get me thinking about designer fakes in general, and more specifically: would I be able to spot the difference between genuine goods and noteworthy knock-offs (if said knock-offs were better that the fakes that I see on the bus)?

Apparently the Bag Lady had a similar commute as I, because she stole my thunder this morning. She also helped me out, though. I was going create a game/quiz with a variety of pictures side-by-side of designer gear and their cheap look-a-likes.

Voila! Miss Bag lady, being the clever diva that she is, dug up the fancy “Spot the Knock-off Interactive Quiz” from Portfolio in July, 2007. Check it out here via The Bag Lady.

BONUS: Of the two photos on this page, one is a designer handbag costing $295; the other brags about being a good knock-off and is only $34. Click on each picture for the truth - the real one will lead to the designer’s home page; the fake will direct you to a blatant knock-off site.

My opinion, as brief as I can get it, on the whole subject of real vs. fake: If you want the designer look, pay the designer dollar. If you don’t want to spend several hundred for a purse, then buy something cute at a less expensive store. Buying fake goods is creative theft from the designer, can hurt our economy, and often supports criminals.