Hot for Fall: The Handheld Bag

on July 21, 2011 at 1:00 PM

Neiman Marcus I don't know about you, but as a shopper, I don't tend to pay much attention to the trendy bag of the moment -- at least until I'm dressing for an important event and have NO IDEA OF WHAT TO CARRY.

Never fear, girls. As your trusty style blogger, I'm here to help!

Neiman Marcus is chock-full of trends for fall right now -- and part of its Trend Report is THE bag of choice for fashionistas this upcoming season:

The handheld bag.

It's not the best news for moms (we sort of need our hands free to catch puke and put Band-Aids on boo boos), but I have to admit, I love the look. And most handheld bags also come with shoulder straps, which is helpful.

Want to see a few you can afford? Read on!

When looking for a handheld bag, look for structured bags in traditional colors, sort of like the bag you'd expect Betty Draper to be carrying.

This Buckle Down Satchel (Need Supply Company, $36.99) is a perfect example ... and a perfect price, too!

ASOS I'm a big fan of this Mock Ostrich Bag (ASOS, $56.89), which looks totally luxe and also comes in black.

Macy's Red is going to be HUGE this fall, and this Big Buddha Bag (Macy's, $90) is a cute way to incorporate the look.

Another hot color is orange -- if you've got the money to spend, I like this Kate Spade Billie Satchel (Nordstrom, $248.90 on sale), which also comes in black. It used to be $375, so this is a nice price!

ASOS Finally, I love the look of this ALDO 'Lady Bag' (ASOS, $68.96).

I tend to save all my bags, because they seem to rotate in and out of fashion pretty quickly -- so fortunately, I have a few handheld bags already at my disposal.

What about you? Will you rock this look this fall?

Images (top to bottom): Neiman Marcus, Need Supply, ASOS, Macy's, Nordstrom, ASOS

Filed Under: accessories, bags, fall/winter 2011

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Comments (7)

hoticedcoffee

on Jul 21, 2011 at 1:52 PM

The one in the Neiman's ad makes me hot & bothered. Do we know who makes it?

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AngieDawn28

on Jul 21, 2011 at 2:01 PM

Cute bags...I don't think I'll carry one though because I like to be able to put my bag on my shoulder...it's easier when toting around a 2 year old.

Nonmember comment from trouble1365

on Jul 21, 2011 at 3:55 PM

The bag from the ad is the Valentino Rockstud Dome Bag, and hey...it's only $2,575! hahahaha.....

Nonmember comment from getreal

on Jul 21, 2011 at 5:24 PM

The only one who would carry a handbag in the family is my 13 month old. She doesn't go anywhere without her purses or bags! It's funny to watch her drag her bags and get her shoes just to go to the bathroom. The diaper bag is my usual bag these days. I'm drooling over the one in neiman marcus ad though. Sigh.

on Jul 21, 2011 at 5:49 PM

Well. That's a little more splurge-y than I was hoping!

glam.fairy

on Jul 21, 2011 at 8:27 PM

I happen to have one that I got a few months ago. I'm in love with it and the dark color is perfect for fall.

Facebook comment from Katherine Sanderson Gray

on Jul 22, 2011 at 10:59 AM

Gah. The ALDO bag is out of stock. I was totally going to buy it.

I have a few handheld bags from a few years ago, but they're definitely spring colors.

You noted that handhelds aren't always the best for moms. I'd love it if you did a roundup of hobo bags. My $10-on-clearance vinyl bag (bought to withstand SXSWi) isn't going to make it much longer, but I love its utility.