A Tale of 5 Handbags

If you own or have ever owned a designer bag, you'll know that attachment you feel to a high-end purse. When you first get it, you'll usually handle it with a lot of care, to make sure it doesn't get dirty or lost. You might get a lot of compliments about it at first. As time goes on, and maybe you acquire more purses, you might forget about your first bag a little bit, but it'll never be totally neglected. I think a lot of females have this kind of experience with their first (or tenth!) designer bag.

I got my first designer purse on Christmas of 2008. My mom had gotten her first one a few months earlier and decided it was time that I could have my own. I had no idea that I was getting one, so I was really excited. It was a Coach hobo-style purse, with many different colorful Coach patterned patches.

The next Christmas, I got the Fossil Hathaway Glazed Tote in brown. Even though I love bright and patterned bags, neutrals are always a necessity and I love how simply stylish this tote is. It can hold a lot, too!

A few weeks later, my mom's friend bought a lot of clearanced designer bags from Dillard's and was going to give them to some of her friends. When I found out she had an orange one, I asked my mom to get it for me. I ended up getting the Gianni Bini orange leather hobo bag. The color is so fresh and works in all seasons, and I love the zipper detailing on the body of the purse and the handle.

For my 18th birthday last year, my sister gave me a pink Steve Madden bag. Pink is my absolute favorite color, and since I have so many pink things in my closet, it goes with a lot. It's also very huge (which I like) so I can fit school stuff in there. It worked perfectly on campus last year.

This year for my birthday, I really wanted a Coach backpack. I originally was drooling over the gold sequined one, but when I realized it was going for at least $400 on eBay (!) I decided to find a cheaper one. When I discovered the Coach Poppy Daisy Graffiti backpack, I instantly put it on my wishlist. It was even cuter than the sequined one. This was the only designer bag I got that I wasn't totally surprised by, because a week or so before my birthday, my dad asked me to pick out a specific one, since each backpack had a slightly different pattern. Even though it was a surprise, I still love it a lot.

Honestly, if I had to pick a favorite designer, I think I'd go with Coach. I love their signature hang tags and they have so many different bold designs that I fall in love with every season. But I love my other bags, too :)

What was the first designer bag you ever got? Favorite designer?

Sister Style: Summer Edition

My younger sister, Brooke, and I are both fashion-aholics. We love wearing cute clothes whenever possible (you'll never see us in t-shirts or sweats except for bed!) and going shopping at our favorite stores. However, we don't always share the exact same taste in styles. Here are our takes on 6 different summer styles!

BOLD BASIC



 What Brooke's Wearing: green silk daisy, purple plaid scarf (American Eagle), green V-neck tee (Gilly Hicks), woven brown leather belt (AE), denim cut-off shorts (AE), brown leather sandals (AE)

BRIGHT NAUTICAL

What I'm Wearing: silver bow headband, turquoise sunglasses (Target), Soft Drape Sunset T in neon lemon lime (AE), silver bangles (AE), silver hobo bag (Target), Meg cuffed denim shorts (Abercrombie Kids), silver ruffled wedges

BUSINESS CASUAL



Wearing: maroon glasses (mine), turquoise floral cardi (Hollister), royal blue babydoll tank (Abercrombie & Fitch), khaki pants (HCo.), mixed bangles, beaded necklace (AE)

CLASSIC TRIBAL

Wearing: brown/red/orange striped scarf (as a wrap; Charlotte Russe), dark brown lacy cami (Abercrombie Kids), brown woven bling bracelet (AE), brown woven leather belt (A&F), khaki twill shorts (HCo.), brown printed wedges

FUN FLORAL

Wearing: light blue floral dress (GH), mixed bangles (AE), hot pink Gianni Bini purse (Dillards), pink bow flip-flops (HCo.)

SWEET CHIC

Wearing: light yellow floral dress (A&F), Suede Ring T-Strap Sandal in pink (AE)



What styles are you wearing this summer?