Ada Kooba

This bag would also make a good commuting bag thanks to it large size and depth. The two side pockets would hold your Metro cards and some lip gloss. Could this be the perfect bag? Quite possible!

The key to this bag really is in the studs. I think without them the bag still would be very nice, but would be a bit boring and unpredictable. But once the studs are on, this bag stands out in a crowd.

The latest is the lovely Ada which won me over with its simple design and studded ornaments. This bag could be worn to dress up some jeans or with a more formal pant suit to make the outfit more slouchy and casual.

I might as well just take out a giant loan and buy one of each bag at Kooba so I can stop obsessing.

Totes LapSack

My only concern is that whenever I carry my laptop I need a shoulder bag since it is so heavy. But maybe those of you with lighter laptops can get away with the shorter straps. And lets face it the shorter straps look much nicer

Speaking of perfect the LapSack tote bills itself as “the perfect tote.” I’ll let you decide if this is true or not, but there are some things in their favor. I like the “Africa” tote the best because of the cool zebra print with wine leather trim. The laptop compartment is padded and there are other pockets for your phone, PDA, etc.

Richards bag Denise

Am I right about the Coach bag? The design looks very Coach-ey but I don’t remember a bag trimmed with rabbit (?) fur. Coach or no, I assume she is shopping in LA and this is a recent picture, so the whole fur thing seems a little out of season. But I like the bag anyway, since it is a beautiful shade of blue leather and has great front pockets.

Here’s a shot of Denise Richards out shopping with what looks like an older Coach bag and some True Religion jeans.

I have an idea in my head that I’d like to write more about celebrity bags since they really do set the trends for these rest of us, whether we like it or not. Plus I just find celebrity bags really interesting. (I’d really like to know what they carry IN their bags, but I’d probably get arrested if I tried to find out.)

Large drawstring Cole Haan

I like the nifty little details like the studded hardware, square rivets and steel blue lining. My second favorite color is the terracotta, but the white really stands out.

I still can’t get white bags off my mind especially now that the weather is heating up. This large drawstring bag from Cole Haan is beautiful to look at.

New bag my

So overall although there are a few design flaws I enjoy carrying this bag with me everyday. I’ve only seen one other person on the street besides me carry this bag so it is nice to be unique.

What could be improved: The lining of the bag. Its a dull off white with the Francesco Biasia logo. A bag with this rich brown color is screaming for an equally rich contrasting lining. I have no idea why they went with something so boring. Also, I love the braided handles but they tend to pinch my shoulders if they twist up at all.

First off the good stuff. The bag does fit my tupperware container of lunch that I carry with me everyday. I’m going to look into some taller, skinner tupperware for a better fit but overall I can bring my lunch to work without having to cram it in. The two main pockets are useful to keep stuff separate but everything is still roomy. It has the standard zip pocket and cell pockets as well as two flap pockets on each side. I also like the silver clip in the front that holds the main flap and the pull tie. I addition, I started using this bag when we were having major daily down pours in Boston and the leather withstood the rain and dried out just fine.

So far after using the bag for a couple weeks I am glad I made this purchase. The bag isn’t perfect but its a great everyday commuting bag that’s cool to look at and stands out in the sea of average bags.

At long last I finally purchased my new bag and 30th birthday present to myself. After much searching I decided to go with the Secret Love large tote in mahogany from Francesco Biasia.

So quiet so why

Back to unpacking…

So while I’m unpacking and looking for a full time job I need a little help from you. Where are the best places to shop for bags in the NYC area? Who are the best new up and coming local bag designers? I’m especially interested in anything off the beaten path or local to Queens since I must support my new borough. Or Brooklyn since I hear there are many cool boutiques. What are some good NYC-based fashion/shopping blogs? Keep the suggestions coming!

Things around here at TBB have been a little quiet recently. Why? Because TBB World Headquarters have relocated to New York City! That’s right. I waved good bye to Boston last week, packed up all my precious bags into a Budget truck and drove over the Triborough Bridge into Queens.

Blend Mustang Clutch Gap Silk

Yay for Ebay! Has Ebay helped you find an out of season/hard to find bag?

So of course I wanted my own clutch, but I had missed my chance when the bag was in season. I remember seeing them in the store, but at the time all they had left was a teal blue color not the navy blue. So last week I did a search on Ebay and there it was, the exact clutch I had been hoping to find. A few days later it was in my hand and ready to take a spin the next time I go out.

Ever since I moved in with my new roommate Jaime I’ve been eyeing her navy blue Gap clutch from a few years ago. As clutches go it is pretty basic, but the key is the the print of multi colored mustang horses frolicking across the bag. Its the perfect sized cluth to grab before running out the door on the way to a local bar.

Leafy Rootote Green

And I noticed when I got home that the style of the leafy print on the canvas tote almost matches my sheets. Now that’s coordination.

The bag is called a Rootote by Super Planning Co because of a small zip up side pocket where I keep my four different kinds of lip balm. The three pockets inside are perfect for my wallet, phone and nano. I do wish their was a fifth pocket for my camera, but I guess I can always sew in another pocket if I really need it.

Although I tend to tire easily of totes (not enough pockets, everything falls to the bottom) this bag charmed me with the natural color and leaf prints. As a bonus, when I got home I noticed a sentence in French across the top: Le Bonheur est a ceux qui savent rire. Thanks to the magic of Babelfish I learned this means something close to: Happiness stays with those who laugh.

Well even though I promised myself I wouldn’t buy another bag while I am semi-unemployed I couldn’t resist this bag that I stumbled across in Sweet Charity a store located in Park Slope, Brooklyn. While I was buying it the shopgirl told me it was the last one!

Cosmetic Bags Gap Canvas

Now all the Gap needs to do to get back in my good graces is hire SJP back for all ads and give me this leather jacket for free and all will be forgiven!

The other night what first caught my eye was the Contrast trim canvas satchel. On closer inspection I’m not crazy about the yellow/tan color though I do like the brown leather trim. Then I happened upon these lovely cosmetic bags in all sort of shapes, sizes and colors. I plan to pick up a couple of these small bags, not for cosmetics, but to keep everything organized in my larger commuting bag.

I stopped by the Gap on my way home the other night and was happily surprised to see some good stuff in the women’s dept. I am a Gap obsessive, but for the past 4 or so seasons I’ve been quite disappointed. As far as I’m concerned the Gap started to loose me when they booted the beautiful SJP for some random 19 year old. Around the same time I started my heavy shopping at Old Navy which still to this day never disappoints. For a while I was convinced all the good designers had gone from the Gap to Old Navy but I have no proof of this.

Kirsten Oh

But it is now 2006 and Kirsten must today have a WAY larger bank account then I did back then. And while I will admit to still having a soft spot for the Vera’s (my weekend bag is a Miller in Java Blue) this is really unacceptable for someone rich and famous. Kirsten needs to get herself into Louis Vuitton or Prada store ASAP!

Why on earth would Kirsten Dunst be carrying around almost the exact same Vera Bradley bag (or worse, a Vera knock off) that I myself had circa 2000? Now at the time I was pleased as punch with my little cotton bag. It cost me a bundle of my recent college grad salary, had fantastic pockets, and at the time it was the height of Boston preppy fashion.

Most of the online chatter about these pictures have been about how silly she looks flipping off the photographers or about Spiderman reshoots, but I am more concerned about the bag she is carrying.