Kimberlees' Pick of the Week: Just Throw it In The Bag!

Just throw it in the bag!

When I was about five years old, I remember one of my first annual school supply shopping trips for the start of my 1^st grade school year.  The absolute most important thing on my little mind? Which backpack I would choose.  Crayons, scissors, glue sticks?  Yeah yeah Mom, just throw them in the bag.  Let me just stand here and stare at this wall of glorious backpacks in various shapes and sizes with sparkly embellishments and shiny zippers carefully and strategically placed to make each one appear just a little more fantastic than the last.  That year, after an hour and a half decision making process, I went home with a backpack in the shape of a panda bear complete with google eyes, a shiny plastic nose and a felt tongue.  I loved that backpack into shreds of thread and a broken zipper.  Some things in life never change.

As I am enthusiastically combing through fall’s lineup of handbags coming to surface, I am feeling like a five year old again ogling a wall of shiny backpacks.  So many sizes, shapes, colors and embellishments I start to contemplate taking out a second mortgage on the house so that I can have every one of them.

Must…(pant pant)…be buried…(pant pant)...next to Rachel Zoe in a mountain of handbags! 

(Photo: Harper’s Bazaar, Rachel Roy’s “I Die” Photo Shoot)

Ok, reality check.  Clearly, owning every one of these fabulous “everything holders” is not an option.  Instead, I’ve decided that I’m limiting myself to the best three bags for me.  One neutral-ish color from the black family, one neutral-ish color from the brown family, and one that is dripping with rich anti-neutral color from the deep sultry hues that are bursting on the scene with the new season.

Selecting the perfect bag requires the right combination of style, color, design, and detail.  The most important element, is always going to be design.  What size and shape is the most conducive for your lifestyle and the way you USE your bag day to day?  I myself, am the mother of a teenager and a 3 year old.  I use my bag for EVERYTHING.  Paperwork, Ipods, toy  tractors, you name it it’s in there.  My mantra has become “just throw it in the bag” and thankfully due to wise selection, it all seems to fit.  Right after design (large, with a shoulder strap), I head for color, then style, then detail. 

Large bag with a shoulder strap, in a neutral-ish tone from the black family, really liking the hobo style, and a sprinkle of on-trend detail please and thank you!

Ask, and you shall receive.  My first bag for the coming fall season, is a Melie Bianco hobo bag in Pewter, with multiple zippers and fringy tassles.  While fringe has been commonly used as a finishing detail over the years, this fall you will see fringed bags hitting the runways with full force.  The size is large enough to comfortably fit my kiss lock wallet, planner, makeup bag, cell phone, keys, 2 cans of diet coke, sunglasses, and still have room for whatever oddities find their way to being thrown in the bag.  Because this bag seems to be sheer perfection on my must have list, it will likely be my every day go-to choice.  Love it!

I found my bag at a fabulous little boutique by the name of Luxe Boutique; one of Jacyn's favorite in L.A..  Fabulous service, great selection, love this shop!  Because quantities can be limited with a boutique, you can also find this bag direct from Melie Bianco 

But wait, the fun doesn’t stop there!  Being the multi-tasker that I am, during my shopping escapade for bag number 1, I managed to discover bag number two as well.  Another Melie Bianco find, the convertible clutch design has been talked about endlessly by designers and stylists everywhere and now, it has found its way into my arms.  The convertible clutch can be used as a tall bag with detachable shoulder strap, or folded down and kiss locked for a clean and sleek slightly oversized clutch.  How clever!  Loving this idea, I absolutely had to check it out when I saw an amazing punch of teal in the Melie Bianco Teal Convertible Clutch.  Goldtone hardware, and an eyecatching design that I adore about MB’s line.  Sensational for every purpose from a night out to a day of shopping.  Perfect size options, amazing color, a definite must buy!

I also found this fabulous little bag at Luxe Boutique.  Because quantities can be limited with a boutique, you can also find a similar bag direct from Melie Bianco.

***Please note, as of this morning both bags above are sold out with Luxe Boutique; however, she has the bronze version of the convertible clutch in stock. You can find the hobo bag on Melie Bianco's website.