Stylish with Substance

Gucci has (I hope just some of) their Fall 2009 handbags out on their online shop. By far the best is the Horsebit Jockey Bag (pictured). With its gunmetal leather that looks soft, I'd say it's one of their top styles overall.

With June just arriving, and Summer not here yet, we can enjoy the best of both worlds with the beach weather and still the onset of new fashion!

So who else has new Fall items?!

With probable fears of crime and hanging on to our dear valuables looming more than ever, combined with who-knows-what untold other little micro-now ways of life, cross body bags have become more appealing than ever.  In a budget-minded style with a twist, I recommend buying only one of this rare and unique style, in a possible statement bag or at least one to last lots of  "every-days"......partially because the new trends follow the new way of life, pairing down. Given that, here are some in "every" pricerange following the *built to last--while budgeting* rule...

Statement Holding ($$$)

Gucci - $1,395

Flaunt your Love ($$)

Kooba - $485

Practical-ly Making $

Fossil - $148

This bag is all silver and gold, and perfect for the holidays. That's gold metallic leather (very structured) with silver hardware. This "Crystal" clutch by Gucci would be a great gift for your girlfriend if you're still stuck on what to get - as good as jewelry! Hey, it's much better than some afterthought "present" - natch. All you need to do is take a trip to your nearest *nice* mall and go in to Neiman Marcus, look for the Gucci section or room (it's really nice in that store fellas, can you handle it?) and of course fork over the $495 dollars. Trust me, that's a pretty good price!

Single ladies, or less fortunate coupled gals who won't get such a nice treat, you might want to use your card money and invest in this fabu clutch as your New Year's party evening bag. This on your arm is better* than a man tying you down anyway!

*Apologies to the fabulously in love, it all depends!

Gucci art, is this bag, this "Indy" bag with ethnically-flared floral embroidery on white canvas. It's a hobo shape with a single, rigid hand strap (plus detachable shoulder strap) sized quite large indeed, at 19" l x 13" h.

Also adorned in large leather tassels and trimmed in a gorgeous burgundy, this amazing bag costs $3,695. Pre-orders are being taken now for shipment by April 15th.

Even though this is a brand I often find overpriced for its quality and usually find over-rated, I bow down to this beautiful piece. Their Spring collection is striking and different. I just want more!

When I posted about a similar Gucci Scarf "Positano" Tote, I was told by a commenter that another was much more expensive. The first was straw, the second---crocodile. The price of the crocodile tote? $19,800.

Nearly $20,000! Actually it's nearly $21,000 with tax!!!

Oiiiiiiiiiiiii.

It's lovely, but I don't need it. I do, however, need a new car. A nice hybrid would be an option with that amount of money. Oi.

Going, going, gone. The 85th year of Gucci is now passed, along with their collection. So back into Pursed Lips' archives for this small 85th Gucci Hobo to present our number 3 bag (actually; collection) of 2006.

With an intricate pattern and modern details, 8th Gucci seems to be all about the future. Why not? Gucci is a huge fashion house, and they're pinned to remain that way. They're the bag house for the modern, hip and young (but not so young as to not afford it). So Gucci, 85 never looked so good!

Ahhh resort, they call it a vacation line, but I call it gearing up for Spring. Resort collections are for early Spring buyers or those excited by "lighter" designs, anxious to go on to the next round of bag buying and of course, those making wish lists. Resort collection time is also the time to plan what to buy oneself after we once again have self-spending-money come January. I'm getting a Paddington and sometime later definitely a Marc Jacobs.

But anyway, what excites me in resort is the scarf tote, done best by Gucci. This season the company offers many bags in the general style, so be sure to check them all out, but perhaps most notable is the "Positano" medium tote.

Actually far from medium, it's 15.6"L x 5.1"W x 12.2"H! With a high-quality straw body and a gold chain link printed silk scarf woven through slots at the tote's top. Add in platinum-colored metallic leather trim and as always, Gucci's light gold hardware.

This ray of sunshine (in a winter so unseasonably not lacking of the sun) runs down at $1,350.

Shop Gucci Resort.

I went to my first-visited antique mall (my friend has a booth there) on my vacation to Florida.

And I saw a vintage Gucci bag!

It wasn't my perfect dream and it was more expensive than I'd want to pay for it. But I continued to look.

I bought this vintage navy monogram Gucci doctor satchel with a red stripe!

I couldn't post about it until (well, first I had to photograph) I was struck with just the right name.

Well, I came to "G. Love." (Yes, my bag has got sauce.)

I am passionately in love with this bag. This bag is my lover in an affair.

(I am in a polygamous relationship with Coach [and we are about to have a baby], the other bags are just my friends.)

What can I say, I'm a bag girl and I love the Gucci!

It's IT Bag Monday!

Big and beautiful is the limited edition anniversary "85th" Gucci hobo bag in the new issue of Allure Magazine. The photo takes up one whole page and looks gorgeous zoomed that large (eShops take note, it sells!). The details inspire awe like Gucci.com can't. I'd recommend seeing this for yourself.

As nice, expensive, very IT, and probably destined for higher popularity the large hobo is, I prefer the cuter, medium-sized 85th hobo (pictured). Its proportions and shape are more suited to me, but the size is hardly small at 15" wide, which brings the larger and taller bag to 17" wide, and the price---hardly lower, too.

They're both made of a luxe-fabric signature with patchwork---almost plaid---strips of velvet on the sides, trimmed with ostrich skin and subtle Gucci horse-bit hardware.

All that detail, girth, Gucci name and IT factor bring these two huge hobos up to around/over $4.5 thousand!

I oohed, ahhed and swooned over this bag. Boy, I love Gucci. I'm so ready for a season of Gucci IT!

We all want some designer for Christmas, but families may not want to dish out the dough for a whole handbag. So I'm going to scour the Internet for deals--and maybe not so-much deals--on little designer stocking stuffers. Go ahead, add them to your list!

First up had to be Gucci, in favor of their partnering with Unicef (to benefit children affected by HIV/AIDS) and creating a handbag... tree... ornament! Divine! They even have other ornaments, like this Bear embossed with the GG pattern (both $115).

I can't believe how much they have! Let's just list, due to the over of whelms!

1. iPod and iPod mini cases! (from $195) -- iPod Shuffle Cases ($145)


2. Cell phone case! ($275)


3. Blackberry Case ($140)


4. Horsebit Valet Key Ring ($120) (look familiar?)


5. Small Pink Signature Leather Agenda ($340)

Gucci even has something to put these items in, a Signature Web Stocking ($230)! Couldn't you fall over?!
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Next on the list, Best Stocking Stuffers (and winter gifts!) at COACH.