Handbagista

Beach tote bags are a must for your vacation to the ocean.

First, they are a hallowed tradition of all beach goers, with roots back in the days when men and women wore full-bodied bathing suits made out of wool.

Second, beach tote bags are so darn practical that you can’t have nearly the best time on the beach without one.

Finally, they can be cool looking, too, if you buy an uber designed model like the Dakine beach pack. With a Dakine beach pack on your back, and your day’s supply of suntan lotion, snacks, and towels, you’ll storm the beach in style.

When planning your beach vacation, it’s a must to consider how you’ll carry all of your stuff to the sand. Sure, you could use your standard backpack or plan to buy a cheapie bag at the destination. With the former option, though, you’re looking at getting sand all over your backpack, which you can expect to pick out for the next six months. With the latter, the cheapie bag that you’ll buy at the resort town, you can expect to get low quality for a high price.

Consider also the Landsend bag, made the way all beach totes should be. As well as being large enough to fit in 6 - yes 6! - large rolled towels the beach tote is also sealed, made of sandproof polyester, ensuring no grains of sand worm their way into the inside.

Inside the beach tote bag there is a large, zippered and waterproof pocket for you to store wet bathers in without ruining every thing else in the tote as well! Practical and useable - just how all beach tote bags should be!

Whichever brand or label beach tote you end up buying, make sure they have the following at least:-
 * Lots of storage space
 * Waterproof lining
 * Sealed material to stop sand getting in
 * A seperate area for storing wet suits and towels until you can take them out
 * Zippered closure
 * Strong AND comfy handles - you may carry it a long way before finding the perfect spot!

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written by Ruth

Leather Laptop Bags, as with anything leather speaks, wonders about their owners’ taste and sophistication.

And don’t be fooled into thinking that they have to all look the same, like an overstuffed Messenger bag!

There’s just something about the smell, feel and rich rich color of leather that leaves a lasting impression upon all those who view it. Even better yet, leather laptop bags are incredibly effective at what they’re meant to do: provide a safe and comfortable way to carry around your laptop.

You invested so much in the gigabytes and megahertz in your notebook computer that you might as well invest to keep it protected. That carrying case provided by the computer’s manufacturer probably won’t do anything for you.

Typically, they’re made as cheaply as possible out of shoddy materials, poorly made in some developing world’s sweat shop, and basically made to last a couple months.

Can you imagine the look on your face if your laptop happened to fall out of the bottom of one of these bags? Ouch!!

With leather laptop bags, that’s something you won’t have to worry about. These typically have a heavy consistency and possess the durability of real leather.

Remember, this is the same material that can withstand thousands of baseballs flying at a hundred miles per hour. It’s the same material recommended for motorcycle riders so their bodies are protected if they fall.

If you’re still not convinced, just look for leather laptop bags that feature added padding or even a protective strip on their bottom, which will absorb the shock every time you put the bag down.

And look for thicker bags with multiple inner pockets, which can provide even more shock protection as well as extra storage space for those little bits and bobs that always get added into your collection over time.

Your leather laptop bag should also fit your laptop. Don’t laugh. Laptops come in many shapes, sizes, and thickness, and so do laptop cases. So a mismatch can happen more often than you think, and that doesn’t bode well if you want the maximum protection for your computer.

So remember to measure your laptop screen across its diagonal axis, as well as its thickness when closed, and be sure to bring these measurements with you when you shop for your bag!

Also, be sure to take care of leather laptop bags, to ensure that they have long and effective lifetimes. This includes not only cleaning the leather every so often, but conditioning it and protecting it as well.

Cleaning can help preserve the leather’s luster and rich color by maintaining the leather’s natural lubricants. Conditioners can help replenish these oils, while water resistant sprays and rubs can protect your bag from the elements.

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written by Karen

Designer Messenger Bags are derived from Messenger bags, naturally, which are a style that came out of the blue for many people.

They seemed to be a fashion phenomenon overnight. One day you woke up and everybody at your work was carrying one.

Now, though, they are entrenched in popular culture, making the rounds on every teen television show and cop drama and sprouting under every Christmas tree during the last holiday season.

Even the biggest boys of fashion have gotten involved.

Designer messenger bags have arrived, carrying this type of shoulder bag to another level. Here’s a look at some designer messenger bags, specifically from one of the hottest brands ‘Down Under’.

Perhaps the whole allure of messenger bags began because they are neither here nor there.

They are a rebellious statement because these bags don’t really fit into the whole handbag lexicon. So it makes sense that people who really didn’t fit into the whole typical social lexicon began carrying them. These are the urban hipsters, the bike messenger folks, the art students and teachers, and anyone else who dared to look different and slick.

Now, however, plain old messenger bags and designer messenger bags are an industry unto themselves. They’ve made it big time as a cross between a satchel, a laptop bag, and a briefcase. Designers such as Reaction from Kenneth Cole and others have leaped into the market to create their own take on this fashion must have.

One such designer is UGG Australia. This designer landed on the American and international fashion front when Hollywood starlets and other celebrity icons began wearing UGG furry boots. Since then, UGG has taken high-end department stores and malls, as well as the closets of every hip girl and woman, by storm.

Their line-up of UGG designer messenger bags is fast becoming a check on the must have list. One such model is decked out in soft, smooth suede, with added texture thanks to micro pile trim. Add a deep brown leather trim and the other little touches, like a ringed adjustable shoulder strap and leather closing ties, and you have a messenger bag worthy of Rodeo Drive or the campus quad.

Or take the UGG designer messenger bags that have that rugged wild west feel with the twenty-first century funk trimming. These bags come with the sheepskin hide you’d expect from UGG, except it’s a raucous blue. The leather trim is still a sturdy chocolate brown and the hardware is silver. Put together, you have a mix of 1905 California with the 2005 OC.

Designer Polka dots Cross Body Satchel Shoulder Messenger Saddle Bag Green Base

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written by Ruth

The roots of canvas messenger bags are self-evident.

Canvas messenger bags — all messenger bags for that matter — were created as equals on the backs of bicycle messengers. These urban cowboys deliver business packages and posts in major metropolitan areas, through busy dangerous streets, rain, sleet, hail, or snow.

Some messenger bags keep this street toughness better than others. These others we’re talking about are leather messenger bags and hard-shelled plastic versions that are more inspired by urban chic than by the practicalities of zipping between parked cars with fifty pounds strapped to your back.

Still, you can’t put down these softer, newer versions too much. They are, at heart, still messenger bags, and they probably could handle the trials and tribulations of urban bicycle warfare. Their owners just choose to use them instead on safe college campus, subways, and office buildings.

Their manufacturers, for their part, also keep true to the messenger roots. You can’t blame them for wanting to meet the ever expanding demand for newer models and designs for messenger bags. Some companies even give their wannabe messengers the ability to custom design their bags.

That’s awesome power to pick colors, fabrics, pocket locations, and even zippers and closing mechanisms. For those of us who do still use our messenger bags on bikes, you can even request a racing stripe.

As for the former, the messenger bags that keep their street toughness, these are the canvas messenger bags.

A good and recommended example of a canvas messenger bag would have to be the Kangol Canvas messenger bag (pictured here). As well as being made of tough and durable black canvas, the insides are lined with leather for toughness and protection and the bottom is lined in rubber - offering your bits and pieces inside a gentler put down than most! Owners of this bag love it - rating it for it’s softness and durability. At only $54.95 it’s cheap too!

These bags have more the feel of an army-navy depot store, rather than the touch of Bloomingdale’s or Target. They stick as close to their roots as possible, when a bag’s contents stayed dry in a torrential downpour not because of water repellent materials, but because the biker rode fast enough to outrace the drops.

Whatever people’s reasons for buying messenger bags — and no matter if they’re real - deal canvas messenger bags or one of the newfangled varieties — at least know how to wear the thing on your back properly. Swing the cross strap across your back  until it’s secure. The cross strap’s female end should be hanging out at your sternum before you hook into the male end.

Once you get this down, you could even try to ride your bike with the bag on your back. Or if you’re a slow learner, try walking with it on your back first to get the hang of it.

VINTAGE BURBERRY BEIGE NOVA CHECK CANVAS MESSENGER SHOULDER BAG NEEDS STITCHING

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written by Karen

Say Tapestry Handbags and you’re either cringe or your eyes will glaze over.  Why?  Because tapestry can mean different things to different people:

Tapestry knitting bags.  Yep, you know what I’m talking about.  Usually with floral or geometric patterns but sometimes you’ll come across one with cute kitties or dogs on them.  Not a bad bag to own if you like needlework.  If you don’t do needlework, there are better uses of tapestry for you.

Tapestry vintage evening bags.  Think Germany, Switzerland, even Great Britain in the late 1800s or the early 1900s.  Tapestry in this case is talking about petit point (that’s fine needlework for those of you that don’t do it) that is just award winning beautiful.

Jacquard Signature handbags.  This is my favorite reason to be thankful for tapestry.  We owe our entire name dropping ability with the fabulous fashion houses and their signature prints due to tapestry!

Do you have a feeling for what I’m talking about now?  Basically tapestry refers to a thick woven cloth material that gets its name from old tapestry wall coverings.  A tapestry handbag probably won’t be out of actual tapestry material in that sense.  However, it is common to find either woven pictures or signature emblems on thick woven cotton (think canvas heft) on handbags today.

Some of my favorite tapestry bags today include:

Doony & Bourke.  You’ll have trouble picking just one handbag from their new Tapestry collection.  Their Tapestry bags include their name woven through in a wide selection of styles and an even wider array of colors.  A large bucket style costs $195 while a small soft satchel costs $165.

Louis Vuitton.  If you’re going to put money down for a tapestry bag, then you should go with the one that started it all (practically).  The only problem I see is that once you start buying LV, you’ll get seriously hooked on their stuff.  Expect to pay $610 to $910 for a Louis Vuitton handbag.

Brighton.  They offer their heart shaped signature jacquard in a number of different shapes.  Their zip top handbag is very popular right now.  It has two front pockets and an adjustable shoulder strap.  The leather is moc croc and the fabric is available in pink, lime, and orange ($125).  You can also pick this up in a backpack style bag as well.

Nine West Crown Jewels line.  Nine West offers a very chic line of jacquard prints in both fall and spring colors.  You can pick up a swagger satchel, demi hobo, regular satchel, front zip hobo a wristlet or a shopper tote in this wonderful finish at very (VERY) affordable prices (retail prices range from $32 to $62).

  Brighton Multi Color Tapestry & Leather Trim Handbag Purse

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written by Ruth