Stella McCartney shocked us all when she brought out a wooden-slatted, accordion shaped handbag a few seasons ago, but with seventies mania in full swing and a return to wood in the interior design world, a handful of designers have started to use it in their bag and accessory designs. We're seeing plenty of bangles and other jewellery pieces rendered in warm wood tones, often offset by shiny amber accents. This one is by Rocio, at Farfetch.
The look translates well into the hard box clutch silhouettes that have dominated evening bags for the past few years, but can it ever be glamorous enough to do these styles justice? What do you think?
Want to take part in more YAY OR NAYs? Check out today's poll at Catwalk Queen
I'm more of a full-fat coke kinda gal myself, but I still totally get the anti drugs message on this tote bag from the Sober is Sexy collection. If you've not spotted the bag already, it's being sold alongside slogan tees with such *ahem* sobering messages as 'Heroin killed the Radio Star', 'Don't Die' and 'Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll.
The bag is currently sold out everywhere and still only available to pre-order via US suppliers, but its huge popularity is great news for a good cause: 5% of each sale is donated to substance abuse charities.
The slogan was recently seen daubed all over American singer-songwriter and actress Demi Lovato, whose trip to rehab last year seems to have put her firmly on the road to recovery.
We'll let you know as soon as we see the tote on sale anywhere in the UK!
You know that Christmas is coming when items like this one start appearing in the shops! Almost a gift-wrapped present in itself, Ted Baker's newest clutch is a true bauble of a bag. Available in the bronze shown above or in a gunmetal grey with silver glitter, this is a bag that truly screams for attention.
This glittery statement is not one that everyone will want to make, but for those who love more than a bit of sparkle, I can't imagine a better evening accompaniment. This bag is strictly for use with plain garments only, and looks great held either against black or similar colours.
Need to protect your latest precious gadget? There are so many desirable laptop sleeves, bags and cases out there at the moment that it's possible to match your tech with your style however you choose to dress, and today we've picked out some pieces that would work well with an elegant, ladylike look.
Rebecca Minkoff's studded laptop case (top left) is a particular favourite of ourse, as it picks up the season's trend for fetish-lite and studs without straying too far from elegant work-wear style. It has a slim shoulder strap for added practicality, and echoes many other popular pieces from Minkoff's range. You can buy it for $195 (approx £124) at Rebecca Minkoff.
Knomo's quilted 'Avignon' brief in red (top right) gets a nearly-Royal seal of approval from Pippa Middleton, who has been seen carrying the bag on several occasions. Taking its inspiration from classic bags by Chanel, it's a timeless classic with a high-tech make-over. You can pick one up for £65 direct from Knomo
Stella McCartney's shiny gold eco-leather case (bottom right) is a fabulous luxe option for those who want to project serious style in and around the office. Based around the same design principles as the designer's Fallabella clutch, it has chain-edge detailing that adds a tough, practical edge as well as a style one. £235 at LuisaViaRoma
Guess's retro-croc business briefcase is a serious accessory that will transport you from bedroom to boardroom in utmost style. It contains a standard-sized laptop internal pocket with ample room for all your other work essentials. It has a monogrammed Guess heard logo at the front. £160 at Selfridges
X-Factor rejects 2 Shoes were all smiles as they left the studio for the last time on Sunday, clutching a pair of bubblegum pink bags from high street hit Paul's Boutique.The girls had filled their bags to the brim with clothes, and wore matching lipstick to complement their eye-popping accessories.
The bag carried by Lucy Texeira (left) was the same pink Maisie that we featured last week as part of our focus on pink accessories for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Have 2 Shoes been reading The Bag Lady, perhaps? The 'junior Birkin on steroids' is one of Paul's Boutique's best sellers at the moment, and is covered in the trinkets and charms that the brand is known for.
Fiorelli continue in their crusade towards more interesting bags with this fashionably fan-shaped evening clutch named the 'Twilight Fan clutch'. I can't help being a little amused at the double-entendre that this name presents: being a little bit dark and Gothic I can imagine it might appeal to certain Twilight fans...
But let's not allow that association to put us off this bag's entirely grown-up and sophisticated allure! Black studs are a bit of a house favourite here at The Bag Lady, being both subtle and glamorous at the same time, and we love the muted gunmetal silver hardware as well. The fan shape is a great silhouette to go for this season, and this is a lovely rendition.
Purple bags are big news at the moment, as we've seen with Mulberry's gorgeous Red Onion Bayswater series. Now Aspinal of London have got in on the action, with a beautiful new croc Hepburn bag in am eye-popping berry tone that really shows off the quality of the product.
The juicy bag is currently available to pre-order, and will appear on the site on the 14th November. The Hepburn is a truly classic shape, and we think this new colour does it a world of justice.
An ideal investment piece for those in the market for a ladylike, structured handbag.
Stella McCartney shocked us all when she brought out a wooden-slatted, accordion shaped handbag a few seasons ago, but with seventies mania in full swing and a return to wood in the interior design world, a handful of designers have started to use it in their bag and accessory designs. We're seeing plenty of bangles and other jewellery pieces rendered in warm wood tones, often offset by shiny amber accents. This one is by Rocio, at Farfetch.
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