Tusk

The nice people at Tusk sent me news of this yummy deal:

There are a couple of versions of clutches on sale, including the lovely red one above (which comes in other colors) and this sweet ombré number:

There's also a metallic pebbled leather version -- my favorite is a beautiful rose gold.

Tusk is one of my favorite leather companies. They make beautiful things in classic shapes for pretty reasonable prices, with excellent craftsmanship and detail. The clutches above have a (be still my heart) retractable wrist strap tucked inside -- it slides into its own little pocket when you're not using it.

One of my favorite handbags of all time is a Tusk.

I've had this bag for a while now and carried it a LOT and it still looks wonderful. I also have a little slim gold card case that I adore -- it's the perfect size for my license, a credit card, and some cash, and looks great pulled out of an evening bag.

A good go-to clutch should be in every woman's wardrobe. They make a day outfit a little more special and are a must for evening.Click on any of the photos above to go to the Tusk website and buy yourself a little early Valentine's Day treat, or "accidentally" send a link to the person who's in charge of that sort of thing for you. The folks at Tusk at really nice and their CS is excellent.





Photos: Tusk.com, Style Spy

Shopportunity -- December 29

Quick! Through today if you enter the code WOW at checkout at Piperlime, you get an extra 20% off all sale handbags.

Style Spy Closet Purge, Part Deux: Back to the 'Bay

I've just listed another group of items on eBay. They include this gorgeous Kay Unger dress,



this beautiful red leather Monsac handbag,



and this fabulous herringbone jacket.

(Click photos for links.)

Check out all my listings, and help a gal empty out her closet, wouldja?

Bags and Baggage

This is my Longchamp Le Pliage bag:


It's a fantastic fold-uppable travel bag made of very sturdy nylon with beautiful leather trim. I've known of the existence of these things for years, but when I went to Paris for the first time I realized they are nearly ubiquitous -- it seemed like every Parisian woman I saw was carrying one. After I bought one, I realized why: they're brilliant. This thing is like the clown car of bags: you cannot believe how much stuff you can get into it. It's genius. It instantly became my carry-on bag for air travel: you can fit all your traveling needs: potions & lotions (in less-than-one-ounce containers, sealed in a ziplock!), your makeup, antihistamines or nausea medicine to knock you out so that you sleep through most of the flight, your iPod, a couple of energy bars & pieces of fruit to offset the nearly-toxic qualities of typical airline food, a neck pillow, a cardigan, some books & (fashion) magazines, a bottle of water (bought AFTER you clear security, thanks very much), and a partridge in a pear tree. It was also great for wandering around Paris itself, happily swallowing the odd perfume purchase and Eiffel Tower-shaped trinket, plus a palmier from Ladurée to take back to the hotel for a late-night nibble. It folds up nice & neat:


and manages to be chic and functional all at once. How many items in the world can you say that about? My red one is the "Sac Large," which measures about 19" x 12", and I have the long handle drop. You can order them online from Longchamp, but even more exciting, you can customize them -- choose the colors of nylon, the hardware, and even have your initials embossed in the leather. Of course, I'm dying for a customized one now...

They sell them at a few different places here in the states, including Nordstrom & Saks. (What I really suggest, though, is going to Paris and buying one there. I've never felt so chic and in-the-know in my entire life as when I strolled down the rue Saint-Honoré with my Longchamp shopping bag in my hand. I stopped and had a glass of wine at a café in the Palais Royal gardens, with my bag cuddled up next to my feet, just to extend the moment. Oooooooh, November can't get here soon enough...)

They have a few on sale on the website right now, in seasonal colors. I can't recommend these strongly enough -- with summer here, everyone needs a good, sturdy, non-Disney-character-embossed totebag for beaches & picnics & vacations, and what with the dollar slowly making its way into the Inner Circles of Economic Hell, they aren't going to get any cheaper any time soon.

Longchamp makes absolutely stunning leather goods. (Check out their website here, although be warned about the slightly annoying music that accompanies.) Their bags are not cheap, but they're not overly trendy, either. They make the sort of beautiful, classic bag you can carry for years and years, not worrying about if it's "last season."


See? That is a bag you could carry absolutely forever. So fab. That being said, here's the little beauty that inspired me to talk about Longchamp in the first place:


This is called the Legende and it was supposedly inspired/co-designed by Kate Moss. Much as I don't usually trust the design instincts of cokeheads, I really, really love this bag. It's a beaut, and evidently it has a bright red lining. (Ms. Moss' contribution. Much easier to find things, like your stash, when the lining of your bag is a bright color.) It's supposed to be available in July, and it looks like it's going to be going for around a cool $1400, so I don't suppose I'll be picking one up, but it did make me go "ooh." For now I'll have to make do with my Pliage (which means "fold" en francais, by the way) and dreams of Paris. They've gotten me this far...

Photos: Style Spy, bagshop.com, Longchamp.com

Jealousy and Other Handbag Emotions

Sound the trumpets! I declare my first experiment in handbag dyeing a success! Huzzah!! My much-loved black Tusk handbag has been beautifully renewed, thanks to supplies and suggestions from the kind folks at The Shoe Shine Kit. She really looks gorgeous.

First of all, I gave her a going-over with Lexol-PH cleaner, because handbags don't actually get to bathe all that often. Then, with some trepidation, I busted out the Tarrago Leather Dye I'd ordered. I was very nervous about the dyeing. For one thing, I anticipated it being messy. I envisioned my office floor awash in a sea of permanent black gunk, much like my kitchen was when I created a Jolly Roger cake for a friend's pirate-themed birthday party a few years ago. (Hey, it was her birthday! I had to go along with her!)

There was a LOT of black food coloring in that icing -- I looked like a goth Betty Crocker when it was all over. What's more, the cake itself was a red velvet cake -- I used about three quarts of red food coloring in it and my kitchen looked like the damn shower scene from Pyscho. What the hell is it with food coloring -- that stuff is indestructible. And man, you should have seen our tongues after we ate it. Not exactly elegant, but Gene Simmons would probably have loved it.

At any rate, the leather dye was actually much easier to handle than the black food coloring (which gives one a newfound respect for pastry chefs, doesn't it?). You only need a very tiny amount, which helps. As a bonus, the Tarrago Dye, which is made by a Spanish company, is accompanied by a booklet of instructions in several different languages, including French, Greek, some Scandinavian thing with way too many extra vowels, and an English translation that is charmingly just left of center. (If you ever need to know how to say "Apply one or two brushstrokes of dye" in Dutch, I'm your gal.) I put the dye on the scuffed places and let it dry for a couple of days (They suggest five hours. I am nothing if not thorough.) and then went over the whole thing with some Lexol Conditioner. And she looks bee-yoo-tee-full.

In the interest of full disclosure I must add that I have not yet dyed the straps. I'm going to wear the bag once or twice to make sure the color doesn't rub off on my clothes before I go through with that. But I am hopeful.

So my beauty is looking loverly once again. It was very satisfying, and I'm sure she feels very proud of her spiffy state. But. All is not entirely well in the handbag cupboard.

(The handbag cupboard, although most of the handbags are cropped out of this photo. I also keep scarves in this side of what is actually a big, beautiful antique wardrobe, but the furry whiskered object is strictly a visitor. Much as I would like it, she will not tolerate being worn as a stole.)

Because while Miss Tusk is happy that she is renewed and refreshed, she is also jealous. I'm cheating on her with another black handbag.

Donald J. Pliner quilted black patent leather. Oh, the love...

Like most things of this sort, I really wasn't looking for it to happen. But I was in the store and I saw him peeping out at me from a low shelf where he was the only one left and it was love at first sight.

I'm leaving for New York in less than a week (No, I haven't done my practice pack yet, and there is creeping anxiety about that.) and he is sooooo coming with me. This bag is perfect for traveling -- big enough to take on a plane with a bunch of stuff including my paperback copy of "Bleak House," (I'm on a Dickens kick these days) and also big enough to carry into the city for the whole day. When I go to New York I stay with my best friend Kelly & her family at their place in Westchester. It's only a 20-minute train ride into Grand Central, but it does mean that once I go into the city, I stay in -- I don't go running back & forth, and therefore I need a day's worth of stuff with me. So I need a bag that can hold a fair amount of goodies -- any makeup I might need to reapply by the end of the day, a book to read on the train, etcetera, and there's plenty of room in this darling with the delightful bonus being that the thing is light as a feather. The straps are nice & wide so that they'll be comfortable to carry for hours, and while it's big, it's not cavernous and opens wide enough so that I can see pretty much the whole bag at a glance. No purse spelunking!! Hooray!!!! (I loathe and detest having to rummage around in a bag to find my wallet or cell phone or whatever. Not elegant.)



It zips up completely to make it nice & secure, but when I'm only doodling around Austin running errands, I can just tie those two leather thongs in the middle, which keeps it from gapping but still allows me full and quick access.

A word about access: a couple of years ago while I was working in a retail establishment here in Austin, I was chatting with a customer who was carrying a Chloe Paddington bag. Said customer was... well, she was ridiculous on several levels, not least because you could tell she was extremely proud of said Paddington, a handbag which has always left me completely cold. While we were talking, her cell phone began to ring from deep within the recesses of her bag. So, she tried to get at it to answer it. Problem was, she had actually locked the heavy brass padlock that is the gimmick on the Paddingtons (and adds to their already-substantial weight) and she couldn't get it open. I stood and watched this excruciating exercise in fashion enslavement as she fumbled with the key for so long that eventually the phone stopped ringing as her voice mail took over. Pitiful. I understand that we don't want folks able to reach in and grab our wallets & whatnot, but she was in a very small and UN-crowded Austin clothing store, for crying out loud, not toting a brick of hash through Turkish customs. (The dingdong lock is ornamental, sweetheart, and yes, I know it comes with a key, but exactly how secure do you think it's supposed to be when the key is hanging next to the lock?? On the other hand, she couldn't get into it and it was her bag, so I guess it's more effective than I would have thought.) The moral of this story is: a purse, when all is said and done, should be something that makes your life easier, not a test of your manual dexterity or hauling strength.

But back to my new love. In general, I'm a big fan of bags from Donald J. Pliner. They're beautifully-made Italian leather for the most part and while they're not cheap, they're not the kind of crazy-expensive that makes your husband want to divorce you or your financial advisor sit you down for a good talking-to. (Above-mentioned Paddington is going for about 1800 clams these days. That? Is insane.)

So. I'm taking the Pliner to New York with me. I feel a little bad about this. While I simply adore my new bag, I actually feel guilty about not taking Ms. Tusk when up until now she's had such a perfect travel record. I think I will feel wistful about her, tucked into her flannel dustbag in the handbag cupboard, while her rival Mr. Pliner & I are gliding through MOMA. I'm glad I did something nice for her like touching up her scuffs -- maybe it will soften the blow a bit. And I promise to take her out to a nice dinner just as soon as I get back.

Photos: Style Spy

Aging Gracefully

This is my favorite handbag:



It's by Tusk, and it's just about perfect. I've had it for a couple of years now. It's gone to London, Paris (three times!), Dallas -- pretty much anywhere I've gone, it has too. I love this bag because it's an east/west style (which means it's wider than it is deep, so things are easy to find), has a few (but not too many) interior pockets including one full-length one that is actually a whole removable zipper pocket that snaps in & out of the bag (great for traveling -- documents & extra money can just be taken out & tossed into hotel safe), has a heavy but light-colored fabric lining (again, things are easy to find -- I despise digging around in the depths of a pitch-black bag to find my sunglasses), has nice flat handles that don't roll off my shoulder (it drives me crazy when I have to constantly hoik up a shoulder strap) and a perfect drop length (10") so that it fits under my arm without being shoved into my armpit. The hardware is solid, the zippers still work, not a single stitch has come unstitched in two years. I'm partial to structured, polished leather bags that hold their shape when you stuff things into them (although I am not a bag-stuffer, just to be clear) and this one definitely fits the bill. I love this bag and I want to continue carrying it for a while.

But it's got a little wear, and it's bothering me. I don't want to be guilty of age-ism, even in my accessories, but my darling here is beginning to droop a tiny bit. These are all purely cosmetic issues, mind you. The construction on this bag is as sound as the day I got it -- which is a real testimonial to the quality of Tusk bags, because I have put this thing through the wringer. There is nary a stray thread or frayed seam to be found. But the color is wearing off the bottom corners and the straps. Now, if the leather in question were on a pair of shoes, I'd just polish it. But polishing the straps on a handbag seems like a recipe for disaster, unless I only carry it while I'm wearing a long-sleeved black sweater for the rest of my life. So I'm thinking of having it re-dyed. I don't know how well, however, something made of polished leather will take dye. I really don't relish the idea of a wide black swath smeared across my ribs the first time I carry it.

So I'm looking for advice here. Has anyone ever had a handbag re-dyed, and how were the results? Please let me know. It pains me to see my dear one not looking her best -- she deserves better.

Photo: Style Spy

The Real Thing

A friend/client is smitten with a particular Miu Miu bag that she can't find. She sent me a request to keep an eye peeled for it and a link to an eBay auction of one so I'd know what it looked like.

(It looks like this. Cute, huh?)

I did a little research and wound up talking to a lovely gal named Renée at the Miu Miu boutique in Soho. Since I didn't have the style number for the bag, she asked if I could forward the photos of the bag to her via e-mail. A little later (big points for Miu Miu customer service, by the way) she phoned me back to give me some details about the bag and another really interesting fact: Miu Miu never produced that particular bag in red. What that means is that the bag in the photo above is counterfeit.

So, yeah, the counterfeit thing. I think many of us know that a big percentage of what goes for genuine on eBay is counterfeit. And I guess a lot of folks don't care. Apparently enough people don't care that the counterfeit market is a huge and ever-growing one. I'm not going to spend a lot of time here lecturing you with all the specific reasons why counterfeiting is not a victimless crime. I'll leave the economic arguments to wiser and pointier heads than mine. Suffice to say that along with generally frowning on ripping off other people's ideas & intellectual property, I don't want to carry a bag that was made by a little Chinese girl whose legs had been broken so she couldn't escape from the factory. I don't know about you, but I don't think my karma is sturdy enough to withstand that sort of assault.

But people do buy these fakes, squillions of 'em, and some of the reason, I think, can be found in little bon-bons like this:

(Yves Saint Laurent -- the Muse.)

Oh, I love this thing. I cannot tell you why, there's just something about it that resonates with the harmonics of my aesthetic soul. (That's fancy talk for "Preeeeeeetty!!") I'm not the sort who often falls prey to the It Bag Syndrome. I think we've firmly established that I am an Olympic-level Shoe Ho, but handbags do not usually inspire this sort of palpitations in me. Of course, I like a good handbag. I am one of those folks who feels that the old saw about accessories being the place to put your money is true. But some of my very favorite bags are little vintage sweeties I've picked up for less than 20 bucks.

(Candy-apple red patent. Oh, the love...)

But that Muse bag... oh, that's a beauty. I've seen them in person. The same stroll through Neiman's that unleashed the Want Monster I talked about a while back also gave me a chance to introduce myself to this lovely. It is a beautifully-made bag, it hung perfectly from my shoulder, it was surprisingly light for its size. Very, very nice. I really love this bag, and if I had scads of spare cash I'd buy it in a minute. "Scads" is the operative word here, because this baby costs $1300.

Plus tax.

Ya know what? That is crazy. It is crazy that they are selling $1300 handbags and it is crazy that we are buying them and I'm just as crazy because the truth is I lust in my heart for that thing and I know that if I had $1300 just lying around (under the coffee table, maybe, or in the sock drawer), I'd buy it! So for all those people with Want Monsters more persistent than mine, who also don't have that kind of scratch to throw at what's basically the glorified descendant of the saddlebag, suddenly the $199 version available on the 'Bay might not look like such a bad idea. Hey, ya know -- it's leather, it's nice, it looks real... What the hell, right? There are even websites devoted to them where they make no bones about them being counterfeit -- only they call them "replicas" so it sounds nicer. (No, I'm not giving you any links to any of those sites! Little Chinese girls, remember?? Broken legs!!) So at the risk of playing Blame the Victim, I have to ask -- are the companies making the $1300 bags in some way contributing to their own problem? I'm well aware that there are some design labels whose financial foundations are built on their accessories lines, especially their bags, and so those companies are going to work those bags for all they are worth. But. Is it possible that if the real things were a little bit more accessible there might be less demand for the fakes? I dunno. Maybe.

Now, I am a big believer in "you get what you pay for." I do believe that there is a noticeable difference in quality between that Muse and the $30 vinyl number you can buy at the big box discount store, but I don't know if it's honestly $1270 worth of difference. And I'd like to think that even if I had the means I wouldn't fall prey to this sort of outlandish consumerism, but I don't know if that's true, either.

I'm the sort of person who's never going to be happy with the "replica" version of anything -- every time I looked at it I'd remember that it was a fake, and it would rob me of all my enjoyment -- and this means it's not really a decision I have to make. I'm never going to buy the counterfeit. But for those of you who might not feel that way, those of you perhaps perusing eBay stores that promise you genuine designer goods at a fraction of the price, I'm going to just say it one more time:

Little Chinese girls. Broken legs.