We all know that I’m not exactly the kind of girl who’s happy with a closet full of black, tan and chocolate brown bags. I need variety! I need color! I need chartreuse and coral, if possible! Not to mention that a classic shape with a crazy color is just about the freshest thing going in handbags right now. It’s wearable, it’s modern, it’s bold – what’s not to like?

 I love these colors, but I ordered the Field Bag when the Classics were reissued for NAP and immediately returned it. I was beyond disappointed with the leather quality. It was thin, and the construction felt cheap. It is unfortunate, because I was so excited for the reissue. I guess I will have to hunt for some vintage Coach!
  Great looking collection (although the previous comment about quality is a little worrying). That lime green is fabulous and surprisingly versatile, at least for summer!

Obviously Coach knows this stuff, so the Coach Classics Collection that everyone was excited about last month has gotten its second wind, this time with fun new colors like lime green, watermelon pink and ivory. (I don’t have a cute fruit description for ivory, so just go with it.) I’m going to continue to wait for the small crossbody to come in colors that aren’t already represented in my bag wardrobe, and if you’d like to find out if you’ll be doing the same, check out the new options after the jump. You can pick up these bags via Coach.com.

   The picture on NAP makes it look like a shoulder bag, not a cross-body. I like the look and totally agree about the color – much better in a bright.My enthusiasm for the Marc Jacobs The Ace Messenger Bag comes from one thing and one thing alone: My ability to imagine it in other colors. Not that there’s anything wrong with greige, per se, but I prefer the statement-making ability of a good bright bag, particularly when it offsets the tendency for a crossbody to hide within an outfit because of its usual place on the back of a woman’s hip. Because Jacobs almost always makes his leather bags in multiple colors, I trust that a bright version is forthcoming. And if it isn’t, it should be.

Marc-Jacobs-The-Ace-Messenger

   What Jacobs was able to capture in this bag is the luxurious simplicity that has made the line an accessories success in the past. The Jacobs signatures are there, like the gold lock hardware, but mostly the lines of the bag speak for themselves with relatively little unnecessary adornment. Based on the Net-a-Porter modeling shots and photos of the opening of the bag, it looks like it’s a very useful size without being too big, and I could see myself using it in a lot of situations. So it’s your move on the brighter color options, Mr. Jacobs. Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1150.

 This one doesn’t take much explanation: We love the Proenza Schouler PS1 and always have, and the excitement is palpable around here when new PS1s surface. We’ve been thinking for a while that the bag could use a few new shades, and it looks as though the Proenza team was right there with us. Now in tangerine, viola, raspberry suede and teal, you have four more ways to enjoy the It Bag that just won’t quit. All can be had for $1595 via ProenzaSchouler.com.

With the exception of the viola, which I find a tad too bright, I love them all!! I’m even surprised that I liked the tangerine one.

  I’ve never been one for charms, metal or otherwise, and I missed out on the coonskin cap craze of the 50′s. I think the fox charm would get in the way. For the price it sells for, I’d rather get an Hermes scarf and tie it around a bag, though I’ve not done that either. Before I’d pop $590 on one small fox piece, I’d spring for more and just get a whole coat or stole. I love fur.

   I remember a couple of seasons ago when Louis Vuitton debuted detachable fox tails on the Spring 2010 runway and everyone threw a fit over how silly and tacky and unreasonable they were. Well, it’s a year and a half later and now it looks like Vuitton and Marc Jacobs were, once again, more than a full calendar year ahead of the curve. It’s gotten to the point that I don’t doubt the brand’s vision anymore; if Vuitton produces a bag I don’t like, I just assume that I’m not yet advanced enough to understand its brilliance.

  And that may have been the case, if the industry’s sudden embrace of  fox tail accouterments is any indication. Both Gucci and Henry Beguelin have produced bags adorned with tails (or tail-like furballs) for Fall 2011, and Gucci will sell you a loose tail charm to add to any bag in your collection as well. Suddenly Louis Vuitton seems like it was on to something. Would you wear this trend? What if the “fox tail” were faux? Mostly, I’m jealous that Megs picked up one of the hot pink Vuitton charms a few seasons back and I didn’t. Also, if any of you guys see a faux option out there, let us know.

   Chloe goes the predictable route, but this time, to great effect,It’s gorgeous! I love the color! And it’s definitely a bag that you’ll carry for years, if the lambskin holds up.
    I’ve written before about Chloe’s tendency to stripmine every halfway successful accessory the brand has ever had into oblivion. “Oh, what’s this? We’ve made a satchel that people sort of like? Redesign it into a tote, a shoulder bag, a clutch and three different types of hobos immediately. And make it into a second satchel, just for good measure.” Those tactics are used to a certain extent by most designers, but Chloe’s insistence on beating a good design into the ground is almost singular in its ferocity.

   Every now and then, though, the practice works out, as with the Chloe Madeleine Lambskin Tote, based on last season’s beautiful minimalist runway satchel. What can I say? Even a stopped clock is right twice per day. This handbag is one of those times for Chloe.
  Perhaps obviously, it’s the leather and color combination that really make the bag in this case. And when minimalism is the order of the day, smart choices in material are so important, because it’s one of the only distinguishing characteristics that the bag has. Chloe did well to pick a supple material in an on-trend shade, and this is the sort of bag that could be carried for years to come. If only Chloe made more of these types of accessories. Buy through Luisa Via Roma for $2681.