Style Cynics » Giuseppe Zanotti Handbags

Giuseppe Zanotti IB8046 Clutch

La Fashionista — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:25:40 +0000

I’m back! Did you miss me? Of course you did! You may not have noticed I was on vacation for an entire week, though, since I am awesome and I scheduled posts to publish while I was gone. I’m always thinking of you, ya know. It’s all about you! Ok, sometimes me, but mostly you! Not buying it? Fine. Then let’s just get back to fashion, shall we? Let’s see, where were we…ah yes! Weddings! June is closer than ever. Do you have all your accessories? You saw the wedding shoes and wedding handbags I featured, right? Ok, well, what about your bridesmaids? They need to look just as fabulous at your wedding. All right, let’s be honest. We want them to look a little less fabulous than the bride. That’s why most bridesmaid dresses are so hideous with poofy sleeves and bows that make their asses look bigger than J Lo’s. But it’s ok to make them wear that stuff because when it’s their turn, they’ll make you wear something even more hideous. It’s like a game. Who can outdo everyone else with the horrible bridesmaid dresses? This desire has led to the increased divorce rate in the United States because women need to get married more than once to level up in the game. True fact. Anyway, one thing your bridesmaids will need is a small handbag, like this Giuseppe Zanotti IB8046 Clutch, for example.

It starts with the essential wedding fabric—satin. The cool thing is, Zanotti adds a contemporary touch with black patent leather trim and accents. It snaps shut with a magnetic closure, also accented in patent. Inside, you’ll find a chain strap you can pull out to turn the clutch into a shoulder bag with an 8.5-inch drop. The interior is lined with logoed fabric, and offers a back wall zip pocket. It comes with a dust bag, too. I love it in this color, which Zanotti calls mauve but which really looks like purple, but it also comes in a gorgeous blue color he decided to call “oil.” Yeah, not a good move these days, Giuseppe. Have you seen the Gulf of Mexico lately? Let’s stay away from naming colors after environmental disasters, mkay? The Zanotti clutch is on sale. It usually goes for $695, but you can get it now for $382.25 at Endless.com.

Budget Saving Alternatives

Now let’s be honest. Are you really going to spend almost 400 bucks on handbags for your bridesmaids? Oh, wait a minute. They have to buy all their own stuff, don’t they?! Ok, that’s good news for you, if you’re the bride, but unless you want to be left with no girlfriends after the wedding, try not to require them to spend too much, huh? Besides, you want them to be available for wedding #2, right? What? Oh yeah, forever and ever, blah, blah, vows, undying love. Whatever. Here’s a tip—save your wedding dress. Not for sentimental reasons, but because you can just get it altered, change a few features here and there, and wear it again for your next wedding. Think how much money you’ll save! In the meantime, keep your bridesmaids’ budgets low, ok? Check out this La Regale 25089 Clutch. Just the lovely alphanumeric name is enough to intrigue me. Yeah, right. Seriously, once you see it, you can’t help but love it. Of course, it’s satin, with satin lining and an interior slip pocket. The pleating on the outside is pretty, and offers more visual interest than a smooth exterior would. The flap closure keeps secure the lip gloss and credit card for the cash bar if you were too cheap to have an open bar at your wedding. The best part? It comes in several beautiful colors, so you’re sure to find one that matches the color scheme you’ve chosen for your wedding and bridesmaids. I love this pastel yellow for a summer wedding, but the clutch is also available in coral, green, marine blue, champagne, and even black. Do try to steer clear of black at your wedding, though, huh? I recently heard of someone making their wedding colors black and gold. All I can think is that everyone in attendance must have looked like huge bumble bees buzzing around the cake. Not attractive. This La Regale clutch is just $45 at Endless.com.

La Regale offers a lot of affordable accessory options for your wedding. The La Regale 20303 Clutch is a bit more traditional with the delicate beading that adorns the satin exterior. The flap snaps closed, and inside you’ll find satin lining, and a hidden shoulder strap that gives the bag a 22-inch drop. There’s also a back wall slip pocket for small items. In addition to the beading, the exterior fabric is slightly ruched in such a way that it almost forms a diamond pattern. You could even use it as a bridal handbag since it’s available in white as well as this pink. It also comes in black and champagne. Get it for just $24 at Endless.com.

Giuseppe Zanotti EB0020 Convertible Clutch

La Fashionista — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:11:54 +0000

Just like any everyday outfit, a bridal ensemble needs several elements to be complete. There’s the dress, obviously. Then the wedding shoes. It should be kept understated and not too flashy, but you need to wear some sort of jewelry other than your engagement ring. And finally, a handbag. Now, it’s not like you’re going to need to reach into your bag to pull out your cell phone to take a call while you’re walking down the aisle. At least, you shouldn’t be doing that. I would hope you’d at least have your phone on vibrate during the ceremony. You can put your phone on vibrate during the honeymoon for a little fun, too. Heh. But seriously, you won’t be carrying a handbag down the aisle with you, but you’ll need one for the reception. You’ll want to freshen up your makeup a little between the ceremony and the party, especially if you got emotional and forgot to wear waterproof mascara. It’s a good idea to carry a lip gloss or lip balm, too, for all the kissing, talking, drinking, and eating you’ll be doing. But you don’t want to carry a huge, bulky shoulder bag that obscures the dress you spend a month’s salary on. A clutch is the way to go, and this Giuseppe Zanotti EB0020 Convertible Clutch is an excellent choice.

There are a couple of reasons why I like this one. First, it’s sleek and compact. Its simple design means it will go with just about any wedding dress, regardless of the style. And it’s leather, which is a lot easier to keep clean than satin. And because it’s leather, it’s a little more contemporary looking. Those satin, embroidered, flowery clutches are pretty and feminine, but sometimes they can be a bit much, especially if your dress has a lot of embellishments. The more stuff there is decorating your dress, the simpler your accessories should be, and vice versa. It’s all about balance. Also, because it’s leather and simple in design, you could conceivably use it after the wedding, which would be kind of difficult to do with those flouncy, frilly bags. This clutch is convertible because it comes with a detachable strap. I recommend leaving it off, though. It’s hideous. The strap is lined on both sides, from end to end with rhinestones. If you’re getting married in Vegas, go ahead and attach it. Otherwise, leave the strap in the included dust bag. The clutch is lined inside, and has a magnetic closure, which doesn’t mar the pristine exterior. This Zanotti clutch is $695 at Endless.com.

Budget Saving Alternatives

When it comes to planning your wedding, unless your parents are rich, or you’ve recently won the lottery, you may need to find ways to save money. There are some things you don’t want to compromise on, like the dress, of course. And trust me, don’t skimp on the food. You want people to be talking about your wedding for years to come, but not because they’re complaining about the horrible, cheap food you served. People do not let stuff like that go. So spend money where you need to, and save in other areas, like your accessories. Check out this Touch Ups Carson clutch. It’s white satin, but it also has a simple enough design that it could be used as a regular clutch after the wedding. I’d say it’d be more of an evening bag, though, because of the rhinestone-embellished ornament on the front. It also has a detachable, pretty chain shoulder strap that gives it a 20-inch drop. The interior is lined in black, with a small mirror and back wall slip pocket. It’s just the right size to hold your wedding reception essentials. If you decide to forgo white for your wedding, the Carson also comes in black satin, and gold synthetic leather. It’s on sale, too. It’s usually $59, but it’s now just $53.10 at Zappos.com.

Jessica McClintock has been designing formalwear for decades. Chances are, your prom dress was a McClintock because not only does the company produce many pretty designs, they’re always very affordable, just like this Jessica McClintock East/West Satin Clutch. The exterior is all satin, with slight pleating for texture and visual interest. It comes with a dainty, detachable chain strap, which gives it a 10.5-inch shoulder drop. The interior is lined with satiny fabric, and it closes with a silver tone clasp. The defining detail, though, is the frame which is adorned with tiny chain mail panels, and squared, multifaceted, clear crystals. It may be the most affordable thing you buy for your wedding at just $50 from Endless.com.

Giuseppe Zanotti E2IB8085 Shoulder Bag

La Fashionista — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:49:54 +0000

Winter’s in full swing, and it’s almost time to start breaking out the spring wardrobe! Well, ok, maybe not actually breaking it out, but we are going to start talking about it pretty soon. Retailers and designers are already getting ready for spring, and one sure way to tell that is by all the sales going on now. They’re getting rid of their fall and winter items to make room for all the new spring and summer stuff, and you know what that means? Now is the time to buy! See, some companies put their unsold stock on sale at deep discounts to get rid of it quickly so they can start focusing on the new things coming in. In other words, they’re smart. Unlike some clothing companies like, oh, I don’t know, H&M maybe, who, rather than having a great clearance sale, or donating leftover inventory to those who need it, instead cut up the clothing they have left before they stuff it into dumpsters so that anyone who happens to find it can’t possibly wear it. I know it’s a Swedish company, but in order to open stores in the United States, they had to understand how the tax system works, right? So they should know that if they donate those items, they get a tax deduction, thereby saving the company money. No, instead they trashed what they had left, so people who needed it couldn’t use it, the company couldn’t take a deduction on it, and those who shop there will make up the difference for their write-off in the form of higher prices. Nice going, H&M. Way to contribute to the economy. Oh, and let’s not forget the environment, because now as I write this, tons of ripped up clothing and shoes are being dumped into landfills. How long do you think it takes clothing to decompose? Sure, the natural fibers like cotton and silk might go quickly—if they weren’t stuffed into huge plastic garbage bags. So not only did they screw over a bunch of people, they’re messing up the environment. Thanks so much for coming over and opening stores here, H&M. You’ve contributed so much to our country, its people, and its environment. Yeah, Walmart did it too, but I kind of expect them to be trashy, no pun intended. I expected better from H&M. All I can say is, I’d better not find out IKEA is doing something like this because then I’ll REALLY be pissed. So since I support smart shopping, this is the handbag clearance edition of StyleCynics, and boy did I find some great deals. Not only are they money savers, they’re just gorgeous bags, starting with this Giuseppe Zanotti E2IB8085 Shoulder Bag.

I’m not even going to go into my disdain for the stupid alphnumeric name. One rant per blog post is enough, right? You already know I love his shoes. Zanotti doesn’t disappoint with his handbags, either. This one is made from gorgeous violet patent leather, and cinched toward the top with a belt adorned with simple, silvertone hardware. That’s not even the best part. Most handbags are lined with some sort of fabric, or even leather. This one is lined with faux fur in a brighter shade of violet. A little fringe of it lines the opening of the bag, giving a little pop of color. The bag has no closure, so you can see that little detail at all times. The bag also comes with a little detachable wristlet that’s perfect for a few makeup items for touch-ups on the go, and with a dust bag to keep it looking great once you put it away for the summer. And I know this may not seem like a bargain, but for a Zanotti, it really is. The bag is normally $1,835, but you can get it right now for $790 from Endless.com.

Budget Saving Alternatives

I might normally include a Cole Haan bag as the featured designer bag, but since we’re talking clearance items, it comes in lower than the Zanotti. Actually, it would anyway, but it’s a great deal, so it’s in! The Cole Haan Village Small Drawstring shoulder bag is a basic bag in a great color. In fact, this poppy colored bag could be used year round, if you pair it with the right clothes, so it’s a bargain all the way around. It’s made from handsome, pebbled leather so it has a bit of texture, and the drawstring is accented by a grommeted tassel. The interior is lined with geometrically patterned jacquard fabric, and features a back wall zip pocket as well as a couple of slip pockets which are perfect for your cell phone. There’s also an attached key fob so you’ll never lose your keys while using this bag. The top comes together with a magnetic closure to keep it all safe. The braided dual handles offer comfort and style, and are adorned with a logo tag that mimics the tassel. If the poppy doesn’t do it for you, it’s also available in black, whiskey, and lacquer red. The Village comes with a dust bag too. It usually goes for $350, but it’s only $192.63 now at Endless.com.

I really like all these bags, but I have to say this is my favorite. Not only because it’s the least expensive, but because it’s in my favorite color—pink! It’s been a while since I had anything pink on the blog, and I have a feeling you’re going to be seeing more of it very soon, especially since it seems magenta and orange is supposed to be THE color combo for 2010. I’m in heaven! Anyway, this Hobo International Gerty shoulder bag is just too pretty to ignore. The glossy leather almost makes it look pearlized, although it’s not. It’s the perfect shade of pink, too. Not too pastel, not too much like Pepto Bismol. The exterior boasts side slip pockets for quick access to the things you need most, while the interior is lined with a beautiful floral jacquard fabric. Also inside are a center zip divider, back wall zip pocket, and more slip pockets. This bag is not lacking in storage! The top closes with a magnetic closure, and dual shoulder straps give it an 11-inch drop. If you’re not as crazy about pink as I am, it also comes in orange, wine, and a color called mogano that’s sort of a purpley brown. And it’s a great deal. You’d usually pay $248, but it’s on sale for $178.56 at Zappos.com.