I re-fell in love with the floral S/S 2008 BBag and now I am captivated by the Balenciaga Animal Print First.

I have learned my lesson. I have to see a Balenciaga bag in person before I make another purchase. I hope this bag is not exclusive to online shopping, because Vlad and I will be in NYC this weekend and I would love to check this bag out in person. It has a chance to be amazing and a chance to be a mess. I want it to be amazing. I want to buy it and wear it with jeans, heels, and a simple top. I want people to look at it and wonder when exactly Balenciaga made this bag and why. Because let’s face it, this is not a safe choice.

The trim is calfskin which is offset by hair pony skin with the animal print. I am always iffy about this type of finish, but at the same time it can add the perfect amount of dimension and texture to the bag itself. So dear animal print Balenciaga bag, please be in NYC and please be kind of amazing for me. Price is $1,595 via Balenciaga.

Balenciaga showcases animal print for their 10th Anniversary is a post from: Cheap Online Shopping

The only problem is that now I have to decide if I want to buy the tote (and it’s matching wallet). When you zoom in really close on the brand’s website, it’s clear that the jacquered fabric is gorgeous – detailed, textured, full of color. I wear a lot of black and grey, so this might be the perfect thing to compliment my wardrobe. Plus, for a brand that normally charges quite a bit for their bags, this one is downright affordable.

Other considerations aside, the vibrancy of the print is really what’s making me pay attention in this case. The blues, yellows and oranges pop wonderfully and make the fabric look truly rich, something that’s usually lacking in even the nicest of non-leather designer bags. I’ll admit that I’ve gone a bit fangirl on Proenza Schouler recently, but its their willingness to make all of their products, not just their most expensive ones, beautiful, detailed and special that makes me love them so much. Buy through Proenza Schouler for $325. If you’d rather have the wallet, it’s $125.

My new affordable obsession: The Proenza Schouler Shopping Tote is a post from: Cheap Online Shopping

When you’re a fan of designer handbags, it’s best to come up with some personal price boundaries to avoid getting carried away. It’s easy to become desensitized when the most highly sought-after bag in the world costs in the high four figures, but not every bag is worth what the manufacturer might want us to pay. The Yves Saint Laurent Large Shopping Tote has positioned itself in an interesting spot, however – the price just might be low enough to pique my interest for such an attractive bag, even though it’s not made entirely of leather.

This bag has three very strong things running in its favor: first, it’s generously sized. I don’t know anyone that would need a larger bag for work (although I’m sure that are people that would), and this could also easily hold a laptop and books for a super-fashionable college student. Second, that color. It’s wonderful. Amazing. Beautiful. Unique. I love it. It’s probably better suited for fall than summer, but it’s never too early to start getting your wardrobe together for next season, now is it?

What perhaps helps this bag the most, however, is the fact that, even at $700, the bag is a relative steal for a brand like Yves Saint Laurent. When you view this bag, with its very functional size and shape and beautiful color, within the brand’s normal pricing scheme, paying that much for a non-leather bag seems to bea little more reasonable. Remember how I said that you shouldn’t get sucked in by price desensitization? Well, yeah, I just talked myself right out of that whole theory. This bag is totally great. Buy through Saks for $695.

Yves Saint Laurent Large Shopping Tote is a post from: Cheap Online Shopping