Strangest purse of the week: The Canvas Utility Bag from Thinkgeek.com

At Kari Bagshaw's blog, we sure do love bags with plenty of purse-sonality. This messenger bag adorned with yellow caution tape is only for the most daring utilitarian fashionista. I love that the bag is unisex and I love that it's camo green. It costs $49.99 at Thinkgeek.com. Proceed with caution on the crime scene tape trend.

-Joanie Cox

Yes we can!

 Who wouldn't enjoy these kitschy, cool can-shaped purses selling for $45 each on Patriciafield.com? It's edgy, it's refreshing and it's definitely a classic way to show your love for soda and style.

-Joanie Cox

Urban Outfitters is having a sale...and it's all in the bag!

Urban Outfitters has some super cute handbags for summer that are so affordable, you will have money left over to put in the bag! Here are my top 7 summer bag picks from Urban Outfitters stores and Urbanoutfitters.com.

 

1. Ecote Tapestry Backpack; $39.99 (was $69.00). Available at Urbanoutfitters.com.

This bag would be perfect for a trip to Baja with Dylan McKay. I love the '90s undertones of this cute summer accessory that should immediately be stuffed with a blank journal to fill with details of a juicy summer romance and an R.E.M. CD.

2. Deena & Ozzy Confetti Studded Bucket Bag; $44.99 (was $59). Available at Urbanoutfitters.com. This sleek studded bag is perfect for a concert or trip to the mall so you can be handsfree to hug, high-five and fist bump.

 

3. Pour La Victoire Double Zip Leather Satchel; 

$269.99 (was $395). 

Available at Urbanoutfitters.com. This taupe leather handbag conveniently has a longer strap so it can convert to a messenger bag at a moment's notice. I love the subtle luxury of this bag and that it reflects the biggest trend of fall--earthtone accessories. 

4. Deux Lux Studded Satchel; 

$39.99 (was $69). 

Available at Urbanoutters.com. This bag also comes in black but the green-hued style is the must buy. It adds flair and texture to any outfit whether you're going to the offi

 ce or hitting happy hour with your crew. 

5. Ecote Sidewinder Bucket Bag; $29.99 (was $59). Available at Urbanoutfitters.com. There's something very Jim Morrison meets Juliet Lewis about this fringy, Native American-inspired bag. I love the faux suede.

6. Cooperative Double Zip Structured Satchel; 

$39.99 (was $59). Available at Urbanoutfitters.com. This purse captures the color-blocking craze of last season in a ladylike way. I love the structure of this bag and the unexpected pop of blue color. It reminds me of summer days spend eating vanilla ice cream cones and blue raspberry PopRocks.

7. Cooperative Kitschy Kisslock Coin Purse; 

$9.99 (was $16). Available at Urbanoutfitters.com. This strawberry coin purse is a sweet, summery treat to carry you through lazy days and even bring a cheerful vibe to a work week craze. 

-Joanie Cox 

When it comes to bag trends this fall, it's a jungle out there ladies!

While it's all so completely and utterly out of my budget these days, I still like to take a glimpse at the pre-fall handbag line up at Neimanmarcus.com. Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo are all showing leopard bags for the fall season. Gucci, Fendi and Chloe are showing python and taupe and earth tones appear to be the big hues of the season. If blowing $1750-$4500 on  a bag seems like a big financial nut to crack, check out these leopard and python-inspired styles that will take less of a bite out of your wallet. 
This Michael Kors Handbag, Newman Large Shoulder Tote costs $448 at Macys.com and packs a powerful fall fashion statement that won't kill your credit card statement. 





The BSweet  satchel costs $198 at Stevemadden.com and this sexy bag was given roarrrrring reviews in Glamour magazine in the article 43 Things Glamour Editors Love!





-Joanie Cox

The Sharif don't like it, but we do!

No one does whimsey better than Kate Spade. Following in the foot steps of her "Play Hooky" and "Eat Cake For Breakfast" bags and accessories, Spade gets groovier this summer with her "Rock The Casbah" collection. I love it. I want it. I have to have it. It costs $58-$248 at Katespade.com.
-Joanie Cox

Love it, but I don't have the guts to carry it: Karlya Printed Carry-All Tote by Tory Burch

Have you ever fallen in love with a bag but didn't have the guts to buy it because you think you couldn't pull it off? This is how I feel about Tory Burch's Karlya Printed Carry-All Tote. At $395, it's a financial commitment I can't make at this moment, especially since I think I would buy it, get it home and realize I have nothing that matches it. I keep hoping I'll see a woman wearing this at a farmer's market in Delray Beach or strolling along Lincoln Road in Miami Beach but I haven't seen anyone wearing it yet. But please send me a pic if you do!

-Joanie Cox

Extra! Extra! This Kate Spade bag keeps the classified section classy

Since I've worked at a newspaper for over a decade, getting this Kate Spade Newsprint Bon Shopper at the Kate Spade Outlet in Sawgrass Mills was a no brainer. My aunt Maryann was kind enough to treat me to the tote and the matching wallet! Yes, I'm obsessed with Kate Spade and newspapers. So...it had to be mine. Oh, yes...it had to be mine.


And then this led me to HAVE to get the matching iPhone and iPad cases!



-Joanie Cox

Wanted: The Givenchy Nightingale Zanzi bag

Every once in a while a bag comes along that changes your life. Like all great loves of our lives, obtaining this object beyond our wildest desires requires a little wooing. I am currently stalking the Givenchy Nightingale Zanzi bag. I'm not sure if it's the smooth lambskin that has me going mad or maybe it's the shoulder strap combined with the top handles. Perhaps I'm just in love with the hardware. But at $2,020, this bag will unfortunately have to remain in my dreams...at least for now.

-Joanie Cox

In a tizzy for Tod's

Tod's used to be one of those brands you never saw in a secondhand store. The brand has its own room at Saks Fifth Avenue, for cryin' out loud. But I guess in a down economy even the rich want to make a few bucks off their beautiful bags, and this pumpkin-colored delight showed up at one of the consignment shops on Palm Beach. It was in the glass case...you know, the one that usually means don't even think about asking the price because it's locked up and you can't afford it. But I could see the tag reflected in the mirrored back of the case and my excellent skills in reading numbers upside down deciphered that they were asking $280 for it. Really? First reaction: It's gotta be fake. But from many past experiences I know they don't mess with anything that's not authentic there. So the wonderful saleswoman pulled it out of the case and let me caress it. It was so well crafted that it had to be real. The brand markings and lining was exactly as it should be. And she was willing bring the price down even further. I wondered how she knew I was a bag-obsessed journalist on a budget. She knocked another $70 off the price and I happily handed her my debit card. Forget Worth Avenue, this is smart shopping at its best on the island. 

-Kari Barnett