The DIY aesthetic is clearly running rampant at Burberry. This Burberry PVC Diamond Cut Drawstring Tote has kooky cutouts that are more reminiscent of craft hour than couture.
But maybe it could work for a South Beach grandmother looking to cultivate a more friendly aesthetic without actually having to pick up a crochet hook.
In The Cult of The Amateur Andrew Keen makes a few low blows about the ability of the average consumer to understand his consumption choices as a buttress to his central thesis that blogging is quite reprehensible. Apparently the fact that all of us are constantly blogging with very little discrimination makes the addled consumer even more confused about what is and is not worthwhile in life. The trouble phenomenon of extended adolescence aside, we aren't much for a didactic press. 
Perhaps it makes it harder for some consumers to have a multitude of voices vouching for their fashion preferences. But our mothers always told us you can't always believe what you read. And seeing is not always believing. And even at a low resolution we are pretty sure you can still tell which bag is a Balenciaga Matelasse and what is a random quilted bag from Forever 21. And if you can't, or won't, be bothered to do a little due diligence on your shopping then you don't have much right to complain. Caveat Emptor now more than ever!
Aesop's Fables cautioned "beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow." We can't help but feel that Yves Saint Laurent's accessories are beginning to lose the substance of their style as they grasp at the dark shadow of "it bag" success. Charging thousands of dollars for flannel bags like this Yves Saint Laurent Grey Flannel Downtown Tote is a way to turn a tidy profit but the danger of losing the substance that gives you cachet is an ever present danger as markets tire of bag saturation. A cautionary tale indeed.
Hannah Arendt famously used the phrase "the banality of evil" in her description of Nazi genocide in World War Two. Most of us have come to associate this phrase with platitudes like "at least the fascists made the trains run on time." However, "banal" was not meant to position these actions as workaday.
Rather it is meant to contest the prevalent depictions of the Nazi's inexplicable atrocities as having emanated from a malevolent will to do evil, a delight in murder. As far as Arendt could discern, Eichmann came to his willing involvement with the program of genocide through a failure or absence of the faculties of sound thinking and judgment.
We feel like this distinction may be critical to understanding the sheer banality of this Ugg Shearling Backpack available at Victoria's Secret. It isn't evil or even a terrible idea. It simply came about through a lack of sound thinking. And the fact that it continues to be purchased compounds that lack of judgment.
We have our perfect pastoral romance fantasy outfit with a white sheer Clu bubble dress and Floral Prada Garden Slide Pumps so we thought we would go all the way with our Greek countryside fantasy and find a bag for toting our goat cheese and wine skins. We think this Lambertson Truex Bradley Canvas Tote is just right.
Having Comcast OnDemand has proven dangerous for us. This weekend we holed up watching the entire Robocop series with our boyfriend. Combine that with having Starship's "We Built This City on Rock and Roll" on replay on iTunes and we have 80s faux anti-commercialism, silly glam rock and corporate angst on our brain. And Murphy's silver plated body and rock and roll really combine with this Arden B Metallic Plated Clutch.
Cat lady has become a cultural stereotype but dogs, a woman's best friend, is still socially acceptable. And apparently you can even nurture that love by feeding your bag addiction.
This Fred Flare Doggie Coin Purse is the sort of stocking stuffer you can put in your pooches' stocking (don't tell us he doesn't have one) and then cunningly repurpose later for your own uses.
Don't worry! They will love you no matter what.
For whatever reason we feel the urge to be alliterative. We think this may come from sheer laziness or perhaps a perceived need for content but the idea of consonance is so appealing. As we learned today the relative formal accessibility of alliteration makes it one of the most commonly used literally tools in English, tracing its origins back to Old English and other Germanic languages.
Alliterative verse in which the poetry relies heavily on consonance and assonance rather than rhyme was used most notably in the epic Beowolf. And while we rather disliked the new animated 3D version with Angelina Jolie as Grendel's mother we still like the alliterative poetry of these particularly purple purses They really POP from the page as you might say. 
Clockwise from Left: Boy Renwick Purple Bag, Purple Quilted Balenciaga Bag, B Romanek Caimon "Rock Star" Clutch, Foley and Corinna The Little Clutch, Linea Pelle Angie Bag
Pierre Bourdieu developed theories of social stratification
based on aesthetic taste in his work Distinction. Bourdieu claims that
how one chooses to present one’s
aesthetic dispositions, depicts one’s status and distances oneself from
lower groups. The classic example of this tendency in fashion is our obsession with carrying status bags. But in a world of multifaceted concerns standing out can be more about subtle cues. Quietly carrying an environmentally friendly and Vegan Stella McCartney Sage Patent Saddle Bag is a signifier for a whole different kind of social AND socially concerned woman.
Christmas is coming and we are getting fat! Please put a penny in an old woman's clutch! The holiday season is upon us and the money is being spent and furiously and generally not on ourselves. And yet somehow we are still expected to look respectable at any number of parties. Thus we have decided a list of Under $50 Holiday Party Bags is in order. You may break your back this season but you shouldn't break the bank right?
Beginning at top left and spiraling in clockwise: La Regale Gold Beaded Satin Frame Clutch $32, Cold Water Creek Black Moc Croc Embossed Clutch $37, Savanna Crinkled Satin Red Frame Clutch $32, Asos Jessica Simpson Black Hard Case Glitter Clutch, $36,Paul's Boutique Copper Bow Clutch, $44,Nine West Black Satin Bow Clutch, $39, Nine West Pink Satin Girl Clutch, $49,Asos Mischa Barton Mini Gem Detail Box Clutch in Black, $24
When traveling it is easy to focus on others. Aliena nobis, nostra plus aliis placent or Other people's things are more pleasing to us, and ours to other people is never more true than when on a trip. Waiting to pick up bags is an exercise in jealousy at times. But it is possible to avoid that grass is always green mentality. Who wouldn't be completely satisfied with this Rebecca Minkoff Dream Bag? It is a tidy little duffle style shoulder bag that just screams stylish travel!
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