Cool Bags for Summer

Okay, enough obsessing over bags beyond my reach. Today I want to write about bags that are actually within my budget. I went to Banana Republic recently and was blown away by the style and quality of their handbag collection. The bags are made of Italian leather and have all the style details of high end designer bags without the sticker shock. Plus, I couldn't confirm this but I must mention it, the saleswoman at Banana Republic said that all their bags are made by Coach. So when you buy a Banana Republic bag, you are actually buying a Coach bag. Considering how much Coach is charging for bags these days (I read they jacked up their prices by $200-300 per bag so as not to look like a bargain compared to Louis Vuitton), Banana Republic bags are a real catch.

Just to give you an idea of how close Banana Republic is in style and detail to high-priced Italian bags, compare Banana Republic's Tangiers Tote ($198) to Tod's D-Bag ($1,200).




The Banana Republic bag has the same style and shape as Tod's for almost a tenth of the cost. That's a great deal in my book.

The bag I really liked at Banana republic for myself was the Tangiers Large Hobo ($178). If you can't tell already, I'm really into leather bags, especially hobo bags. Good leather bags last longer and age really well, plus they can put up with the abuse I give my bags by stuffing them beyond capacity and flinging them into the car.

If I'm going to go for a canvas bag this summer, it's definitely going to be this one by Hayden-Harnett.

This is The "Montauk" Large Hobo ($138). That might seem like alot for canvas, but these bags are built to last. I like how it has pockets on the outside, these would be perfect to hold sippy cups if I'm going on an outing that doesn't require a packed with everything diaper bag. Sometimes all I need to take for the kids are an extra pull-up/diaper, wipes, and a sippy cup, especially as they are getting older. The Montauk comes in blue, white, and yellow, but I personally like the yellow the best. If you're interested in buying a Hayden-Harnett bag, I found a coupon code on The Purse Blog for 15% off. Just enter (BPT2532) during checkout and you're set.