Links Housekeeping

Fashion Binge: I was drawn in by the review of Fall bags, but I was hooked when I read about Shopgirl and ran right out and got a copy of the movie which I have since fallen in love with and watched four times in one weekend and just finished the book. Sigh.
What are your favorite bag/fashion blogs? Bonus points for NYC-area blogs. Leave a note in the comments.

Beantown Fashion: Even though I left Boston for the brighter lights of NYC, I still like to stay updated on what is going on in my former home. This including reading Boston.com to stay updated on the news (Go Deval!) and Beantown Fashion to stay updated on what fashionable Bostonians are wearing

Fashion is Spinach: It is not an exaggeration when I say that I love everything about this blog. Ms. Spinach has a knack for finding the cute/beautiful/unique needle in the haystack of junk on the internet. Here are some wonderful examples: beautiful photos of a San Francisco apartment, Old navy long hoodies that I am now obsessed with and spent a good two hours on the phone the other day calling every Old Navy in the NYC area until I found one in New Jersey that would ship me the brown version in a size small, antique keys for necklaces–cool!, and elbow length mittens.

I’ve done some updating to my links page by removing some old sites and putting up my new favorites.

Here are some great new bag/fashion blogs that have caught my attention recently:

A New Small Bag I Need

Banana Re has a nice plaid/suede bag that is worth an in person look. But besides that I am out of ideas.

Let me know if you have a great suggestion for the perfect small bag for me.

The leader of the pack so far is the Natural hobo from the Gap. Looks good and small, but full o pockets and with a nice contrast lining. I haven’t been able to see this bag in person yet because it hasn’t shown up at any NYC Gaps yet, and the Gap customer service is not help at all. (If you see this bag at a NYC-area Gap let me know: thebagblog at gmail.com!)

So while I am still hanging tough with my big commuting bag I am in desperate need for a replacement for my small “running errands” bag. I’ve had this Old Navy Braided-Cinch purse in khaki green for almost two years now and it has served me well. The perfect size to throw in my cell, wallet, camera and keys it was just the right weight to carry when running to the grocery store or going for a walk in the park. But recently it had gotten pretty tired looking and the braided handle is starting to look a little worn. So I’m shopping for a new small bag, something in a lightweight fabric with a lightweight price

Michael Kors Studded Shopper MICHAEL

So I’ll be keeping an eye out for this bag in the coming weeks.

While standing in the check out line at the Anthropologie at Rockefeller Center today I noticed a woman carrying a leather studded Michael Kors bag similar to the one of the left but in a taller square shape. Her bag was beautifully worn in and the perfect size for a little after work shopping. Plus I’m a sucker for anything with studs.

Girl tote Sweater

More from Anthropologie:
**Although its not shown on the web site I’ve seen the Wise Old Tote and the Big Love Tote on the Sale racks.
**Not bag related, I picked up the Spray Can Skirt recently which should keep me warm (and colorful) all winter long.

With winter on its way the Sweater Girl Tote by Rafe has caught my eyes a few times at Anthropologie. I like the tassels and the metal hardware against the contrast of the grey knit and black leather

Everywhere Marimekko

So imagine my surprise when flipping through the latest Anthropologie catalog I saw Marimekko bags, especially the Pictograph Tote with a black background and white horses. And there are even more bags at the Marimekko site. My favorites are Maple, and Opaali with blue dots.

Marimekko everywhere!

I grew up sleeping on a pair of vintage Marimekko sheets, which is a fact I could only recently appreciate. The sheets had giant flowers in shades of yellow and orange, similar to these but with more orange. So last year when I was shopping at Crate and Barrel for new sheets I instantly gravitated to the Merimekko Kukkula linens in taupe. Similar to my childhood sheets but in a more muted color/botanical print and easy to launder, I’ve become a huge fan of Marimekko.

Update The Bagblog more! 2007 Resolution

In the meantime enjoy this picture of the Chloe bags I spotted at the DSW in Union Square, 14th Street, NYC.

Lack of updates recently, I’ve been busy with work, hanging out in NYC, the holidays and I’m pretty happy with my current bag. But I’ve got some ideas, some plans for new bags I’d like to purchase in 2007 so updates should pick up soon.

Ashbury four-pocket hobo from Banana Republic The Hunt Pt 1

Yesterday while shopping in Herald Square at 34th Street I stopped by the local Banana Republic to check out the bag in person and I was surprised to see that it actually seems larger in person then on the site. Also on the site the bag looks like it is the shape of a rectangle, but in person it was more of a triangle which I didn’t really like since it looked more slouchy then professional.

The first potential bag that caught my eye is the Ashbury four-pocket hobo from Banana Republic. Of course the four front pockets were a big draw since I like to be able to easily find all my crap. And it looks like a well constructed bag that would last forever and would only look better with use.

New year, new bag: I am once again on the hunt for a new everyday bag. I’m looking for pretty much the same thing I always look for: a city commuting bag that is easy to carry and can hold everything. And I mean everything, such as my lunch, my 5 lip balms, my 3 forms of SPF and my Netflixes that I meant to mail but got stuck at the bottom of my bag. Bonus points for pockets that keep me organized. I need easy access to my Metrocard, building pass, and cell phone. I need a good place to keep my keys so they don’t get lost and a pocket to tuck away my digital camera. In short, it is a tall order, I am very picky and there are few bags out there that are designed with this much thought.

Target For Rafe

The Brown Hobo with white trim is also pretty good looking.

Although I can’t really tell from the Target Web site, it looks like a well organized bag with a floral print that would stand out in my sea of black and would be a great way to look forward to spring. I wish I could see all the different views and angles like at Zappos. I’m thinking of ordering it just to check it out in person.

In My Bag today points us to the Rafe for Target Floral Canvas Handheld Duffle. I missed the boat when the Rafe for All first showed up at Target and even though Beantown Fashion nabbed a great find, all I would see in person would be the bottom of the barrel. But this floral bag deserves a second look.

Around the web Seen

DIY: Chanel Black satin nail polish. I’m really liking the idea of black nail polish for the winter. I think I might be requesting Licorice next time I get my nails done instead of my usual Lady Godiva.

Lotta Jansdotter bags seen via Closet Therapy
What is the Flawless Face?
People can’t stop talking about the Proenza Schouler collection at Target. I’m afraid I’ll miss out on this since its hard to get to a Target in NYC, but online the collection looks like the best GO collection yet. Of course the problem is that this stuff always looks great online, but not in person so we’ll see. I like the Wild Dove Clutch, Wild Dove Blazer, Palm Print Sweater and the Faded Rose Top.

Part I Sample sale

All in all this is a great bag, and I am so happy we will be together for years to come. Plus, it makes it even better that I got it at a huge discount and discovered the wonder of sample sales. My only critique about the bag is that it is pretty heavy, and once it is loaded up with all my crap I do end up with a sore shoulder when I am walking around a lot. I love how it looks tough on the outside with black leather and rivets all over it, but the insides is a beautiful pink/mauve ultra suede. It is a great contrast, and I like having a bag that I can tell some thought went into the details.

I was amazed when I ran back to where the Kooba bags were to not only see the beautiful Ada in black but for LESS then what I had decided my deal breaker price was. I was temporarily distracted by the Ginger bag in a beautiful chocolate brown, but eventually I decided my heart was with Ada.

So the first day the sale opened I ran down during lunch. It was a bit of an odd experience since I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had to go up to the second floor on some creeky stairs in a building with no name on the front and walk on to this very industrial floor. I thought I had taken a wrong turn or the email was a scam. Then I turned a corner…and saw racks of clothes (and Kooba bags!) and about a hundred women in a flurry of shopping! Everyone was gravitating towards the Kooba bags, or was on their cell phone telling their friends to hurry down.

Sometimes you luck out shopping, sometimes you don’t. Here’s how I lucked out at a recent sample sale.

If you’ve been reading this blog you know how much I love the Ada bag by Kooba. I would visit it at fancy department stores and be sad that I could never afford such beauty.

I had gotten a number of emails from Clothing Line sample sales since moving to NYC, but had not been able to attend any. But when I saw the name KOOBA pop up in my inbox last month I knew I had to check it out.