SHOES/ACCESSORIES

Woven totes can so go wrong, so wrong. You might buy one from a store you love, a label you love – and you think you love your purchase. And for the price you paid – you know you’d better love it. (Yes, I stand in a store and mentally calculate how much I love things, and what I’m willing to not spend on that week, or month, to procure the current can’t-live-without-it and don’t-even-wanna-try-to item.) The problem is, a woven tote can look cheap once you pile your essentials into it and hit the street, beach, or runway.

It’s not your fault, you don’t have bad taste (you have good taste!) – but when buying a tote bag with the woven effect you have to do your research. Since I want you to be able to watch old episodes of Project Runway that you have on your TiVo, I’ll tell you my research. (It’s totally scientific cause I wore a white lab coat and Chanel glasses while I did it.)

Don’t let a store trick you with words like ‘it has such nice hardware, and lining…’ – yawn. Since when am I going to let strangers peek inside my tote bag to see the lining? While I appreciate the small details that up the quality of any product, the foundation is what matters.

The J-Crew Provence Large Straw Tote Bag ($78.00) is something that looks beautiful from the first glance. That’s what I want. What I don’t want is something with a fancy label that looks like something Farmer Joe is going to take to haul tomatoes down the road.

Almost deceptively subtle, the Juicy Couture Straw Fashion Tote Bag from bloomingdales ($250.00) lends the Uptown girl some Southern charm. You’ll be eating some cornbread in no time – low carb, of course.

You need to be careful with the MICHAEL Michael Kors Santorini Shopper tote bag from Macy’s ($278.00). The picture I’m showing you is one of three options. I believe there is only one option that you should buy: Vanilla. The Antique Gold tote bag looks like something a guy with really bad taste would buy and give you cause he thinks it looks expensive. But the color of the leather trim and the straw clash, and it looks just plain – yuck.

You might think you’d be safe with the Luggage option, which is a brown. Think again. It looks like something you’d buy at Target. And I’ve got no qualms with that store, but if you’re going to spend some real money what you buy shouldn’t look like it was $19.99.

Head over to Nordstrom for the Rafé New York ‘Similan – Camilla Medium’ Tote Bag ($395.00). This is what women over 40 want. It looks sharp and stylish, but has the ‘it’s summer and I might have a bikini stashed in here’ feel to it. This is high on my list of current favorite fashion tote bags. And let’s just say that the list rivals the list of celebrities who should have looked in the mirror before they went out on the red carpet.

Whether you head on over to Macy’s or bloomingdale’s I hope you get one of this season’s woven fashion tote bags.

Now those are some New York Bargains!

Jessica Rae

Most of us probably rolled our eyes when week after week Rami (of Project Runway fame) showed judges Grecian inspired dresses. But with the surge of Grecian inspired gladiator sandals, it seems Rami was on to something because this spring, you can’t go anywhere without seeing a girl in gladiator -inspired footwear.

I know when I think of gladiator-inspired, I think neutral colors, leather, and a bit chunky. Well this gorgeous sandal by Mia is a sophisticatred take on the idea. Soft satin and jewel tones, it’s beautiful. And what makes it even more beautiful? The fact that it’s only $49 from Macy’s.

For a decidedly more conventional approach to the gladiator style, there is this great Sam Edelman flat sandal. For $85, this sandal comes in black, orange, or white; all of which are great colors for the summer. Each color has a python print to give the shoe a ltitle tecture which makes me fall a little but more in love with the shoe.

Happy Shopping!

Living in New York City, I dutily stalked Fashion Week last month. I’m not cool enough yet to warrant an invite into the tents but I am cool enough to spot celebrities doing their best to keep up with current trends and one thing I noticed was lots of bright colors. As someone who knows just how depressing winter can get, bright colors are exciting and a great way to lift your spirits. It’s hard to stay down when you’re staring at bright oranges and purples.

If you’re not ready to take the plunge like Victoria Beckham and wear a bright orange dress in the middle of February, there are some really cute accessories that make every outfit pop.

Buying a bright bag is a great way to get ready for the spring. Jessica Simpson’s Zanzibar bag comes in yellow and turqouise and is only $68. But if you’re looking at the color of the bag and thinking that you’re just not ready for that kind of commitment, there are some other really great alternatives. Like this Cynthia Rowley patent leather belt. It comes in electric blue and pink. The price is between $42 and $46, depending on which color you get.

Happy Shopping!

One trend that seems to be sticking around for the next season is the high waisted pants. As someone who didn’t believe that the trend would last a month, let alone multiple seasons I’ve only recently invested in a pair. So now that I’ve made the investment in high-waisted wide legged pants, I’ve got myself another problem. How to wear them. While you could go for a cute flat, I think this is the time to break out those killer heels, possibly even platform heels that you’ve been dying to show off.

There’s your basic black pump. You can never go wrong shopping at Nordstrom’s and this shoe is a case in point of that. There’s always something to be found there. Jessica Simpson’s “Brenda” pump is only $74.95, and I can say from experience that her shoes are surprisingly comfortable and a great buy for the price.

Another trend that I thought would die a slow and painful death (though I’m glad it didn’t) is the mens-inspired wear trend. This time it’s extending itself to shoes and look how pretty they are! From BCBGirls, the “Tosca” Oxford shoe comes in brown and black, though I love the brown a little more. It’s a bit on the pricier end of things, checking out at $109.95 but it’s so pretty that it’s a great reward for a hard week’s work. Or if you’re like some of us, a hard week’s studying for midterms.

Color blocking is also something that’s big this year and I think it’s a great opportunity to make an outfit pop or tie a bunch of really great colors in a really simple way. This Steve Madden shoe comes in three different sets of colors. The purple/pink, the shades of black and gray, and shades of brown. For $89.95, this is a great shoe that can transition you into spring and probably even summer if you pick up the pink and purple.

Happy Shopping!

Bre