It may be cold now, but it is never too early to start preparing for the next season in fashion. The early Spring/Summer 2012 fashion shows have returned mixed views on where next year will take us in terms of clothes, but there have been a few underlying trends identified that will likely drive sales of handbags and purses. With pastel colors slated to make a return to prominence when the warmer weather arrives, several leaders of the fashion pack have already started to release bag models featuring the matte tones that are disappearing off shelves in a hurry.

As always, the Max Mara design team has come up with a winner and their Bobbio Croc Print Leather Bag is one of the early hot products for the season. The light green bag is made from leather and features a crocodile texture print to enhance the style. A further complement is the gold colored metal zip which provides a soft contrast with the green of the bag and shoulder strap. The slightly oversized dimensions of the bag, with a width of 8.5 inches, match the styles that have been released by other designers. In short, this bag hits every high note of the expected spring trends, with the right color, style, and size.

Another trend for handbags that seems to be coming out of the fashion shows is a penchant for knitted bags. Usually reserved for fall and winter collections, several designers debuted knitted styles for next spring, with one of the highlights being a darker cream colored option from Dolce & Gabbana. The intricate weave of the fabric and trademark latch are subtle and could fit well a knitted hat as a set of matching accessories. Other designers that are cashing in on the knitted materials are Proenza Schouler and Alberta Ferretti. While the knitted style may be popular next spring, the texture may not match the lighter materials used for clothes during this time. Therefore, this may be one trend a woman could choose to skip in putting together a more functional wardrobe.

Last, but certainly not least, large clutches are also slated to make a big splash this spring. Several designers have come up with their own version of the folder-type accessory, including Victoria Beckham and Marni, but the most exciting clutch handbag series is the line being produced by Donna Karan. Made from several different types of wood, the clutches are quite different from anything else currently on the market. Despite the wooden construction, the bags are very light and a woman will find that they are no heavier than bags made from leather or other materials. The classic design lines presented by the three models are quickly being lauded by fans and this is one bag that experts are predicting will be seen on the street in droves.

Although handbags are usually one area where designers normally agree on trends, next year seems to be an exception to the rule. Many different styles were featured at the Spring/Summer 2012 shows and it will be interesting to see which ones translate from critical acclaim to street popularity.

Contributor: Dailymakeover.com – Find expert beauty advice and tips, as well the latest celebrity hairstyle and fashion trends. Cutting edge virtual makeover tool let’s you try on 1000′s of looks, from hairstyles to cosmetics and accessories. A must-stop website for any fashion and beauty enthusiast!

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Are you ready for Jason Wu For Target? It hits the stores today! It might be crazy!

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Guest Post: Look Slim with Layers, Prints and Fashion Accessories

If the diet isn’t going to plan or there isn’t enough time to reach your ideal weight before the big event don’t give up just yet. Carry on the good work but turn to plan B for some instant tricks to flatter your shape. Here’s five fab tips on how to shrink yourself slim with busy prints, big handbags, bold jewelry and nifty footwear.

Grab a Supersize Handbag

Ditch the dainty clutch bag and go for an oversized handbag and still stay the centre of attention. Nothing says more about your style personality than a luxe handbag. Think Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy for 1950’s fashion inspiration and monster size handbags. Princess Grace of Monaco made famous the big bag look when she was seen carrying a  large tote to conceal her pregnancy. The Hermes Kelly Handbag was named after her and still has the longest waiting list in the world!

The luxury looking tote is still as popular today as back then and guaranteed to make you the envy of them all. Investing in a classic accessory will appeal to chic and stylish women who know how to tap into their inner style guru. Clever positioning of a super size bag can camouflage any trouble spots making you feel more confident with your appearance. However, holding a small purse-like bag will have the reverse effect.

Lay on the Layers

Accentuate your assets with softly draped layers, loose fitting kimonos, jersey cardigans and sheer over blouses. Slim your body and wear layers over a pair of slinky tailored trousers for a smoother silhouette. Wearing layers doesn’t mean adding bulk, work the latest sheer trend for some slim busting styles. For special occasions and daytime events like weddings try an elegant waterfall jacket over a bias cut dress or floaty skirt.

Delicate fabrics, chiffon and lightweight georgette are perfect for a summer wardrobe. Discover how to streamline your figure for the best look on the beach. A demi sheer sarong over a flower print swimsuit is a chic way to cover up and will get you from poolside to bar in true style.

Divert the Eye with Punchy Prints

Dress yourself slim in eye-catching prints, look leggy in the latest maxis or flash your booty in rainbow brights. A touch of style wizardry works wonders for a womanly shape. Curves in all the right places, long and lean looks plus a flattering derriere is yours with the right outfit for your shape. A medley of floral delights, graphic and paisley prints is a sure way to divert the eye and brighten your look.

Black has always been known for its slimming qualities but head to toe in black is not for everyone. Instead opt for a mix of prints and black, wearing the darker shade at your heaviest part. Focus on your best bits and use catwalk trends of dazzling prints and vibrant pops of colour to your advantage.

Walk Tall in Strappy Shoes

Create the perfect long legged look and trim down in a pair of strappy high heels. If you struggle in heels keep your balance in the latest wedge shoes or platforms to give you extra height without the wobble. It’s not always heel height that makes you appear thinner, the shape of the heel and straps have a lot to say too.  Different features work in various ways which can accentuate a trim ankle or lengthen the leg.

A low fronted shoe and T-bar elongates the leg and shows off a slender ankle whereas ankle straps do no favours for a thicker ankle. The ankle strap cuts off the leg and draws the eye to the least flattering part of the leg. Whereas sling-backs with a narrow heel as high as your comfort level will go, is a winning style that works well for most people.

Make Accessories Work for You

In addition to shoes and bags other key items can be used to trim your appearance and balance your proportions. Accessories are a great way to update a look and can be used to introduce colour and shape to your wardrobe. Belts, scarves, hats and jewelry all have their part to play in the slimming game.

Belts worn cleverly can help add shape where needed and also balance the upper and lower body’s appearance. Wide statement belts can be worn low to give the illusion of a longer body and petite frames can use the same trick but with narrower belts. Wear large earrings to draw the eye to your face and long layered chains and necklaces to give the body a leaner line alternatively try a long scarf tied loosely around the neck to make your body appear taller.

Remember, no matter how long it takes to lose those pounds you can still look great by dressing yourself slim with clever use of fashion and accessories.

Sally Cooke writes for Mother of the Bride Outfits and has a keen interest in ladies fashion and helping ladies choose what to wear to a wedding or other special occasion event.

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I have written before about a different purse organizer insert, but now I have found one that I like even better.  The Iswas handbag organizer comes in multiple colors and has nice variety of pockets for organizing your stuff. In fact, it is so cute, that it could act as a stand alone organizer purse if you wanted it to. I like the neat outside pockets an the fact that it has an attractive contrasting liner.

Iswas is a Korean company, and the handbag organizer can be purchased at YesStyle.com, which in one of my favorite shopping sources for Japanese and Korean items. The site sells fashion, shoes, bags, cosmetics, jewelry and more. Shipping to the US or other countries is fast and easy for them, and they often offer free shipping once you meet a certain spending threshold.  If you want to find unique Asian items, YesStyle is a great place to look!

Here is another views of the Iswas purse organizer. As you can see, it fits nicely in the average sized handbag, but is big enough to carry a good number of items. Of the various handbag inserts around, I do think this is the best organizer.

Shop for Iswas Purse Organizer

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How long does it take to change socks. A few seconds? What about your handbag? For me, that requires some sorting and cleaning and moving of various objects. If I’m in a hurry, and want to use a different bag, it can be annoying. The Mytagalongs Purse Organizer changes that.

Available in several sizes, the Mytagalongs Purse Organizer allows you to keep all of your items in a single bag that you can then just lift out and place in another.

I seriously love mine (I have a small sized one). The nylon bag is attractive, sturdy, and contains multiple pockets, including a zipper pocket. The top also pulls shut with a drawstring to keep itemsfrom falling out of the main compartment. Anyone who often changes purses needs one of these!

Yay! Now changing bags is as quick as changing socks!

Disclosure: This review is based on a product given to me by a representative of the company. For more, please see the disclosure page.

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Baghaus is a company that focuses on affordable, quality handbags. The bags are based on the latest trends and used decent materials, but costs are kept in the affordable range. They can be a good option if you are looking for a purse that looks more expensive than it is and that will hold up. Often ranging from $50-$100, the handbags are not absolute cheapies, but are much less than many comparable handbags in terms of quality and materials used.

The ideas for some of the bags come from designer trends, but they are not copies. Below are the current top sellers at Baghaus. So if you are looking for the best affordable handbags, here is one place to look. I really like the Ruby Barcelona and Imoshion Carina. I’m also a sucker for Hello Kitty and Baghaus has a full line of Hello Kitty bags!

Urban Expressions Silves Tote	Big Buddha Mia Bag	Melie Bianco Ramona Hobo
Big Buddha Gloria Bag	Ruby Barcelona Bag	Big Buddha Rose Tote
Urban Expressions Quilted Megan Bag	Prime Fashionista Tote	Urban Expressions Zeppelin Studded Clutch
Big Buddha Hibiscus Tote	Emma Estela Bag with Silver Hardware	Hello Kitty Quilted Face Bag in White
Imoshion Carina Bag	Big Buddha Sadie Bag	Melie Bianco Deborah Bag
Beautiful Floral Bag	BCBGeneration Juliet Large Drawstring Bag	Vieta Rouge Leather Wallet

Note: This post contains affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page.

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A L.A.M.B. Handbag is high on my want list and has been for some time.  The L.A.M.B. Handbags are always unique and interesting, and I am a sucker for bags that are not your standard everyday black or brown leather. Plus, I love Gwen Stefani. For whatever reason, however, I haven’t gotten one yet. I came close a few times, but usually something (like my husband reminding me of that pesky budget) stopped me. I think that will change quite soon though, as I really am finding it hard to resist the L.A.M.B. Ultraviolet handbags.

The Ultravioltet bags have signature stitching so that the L.A.M.B logo is subtly stitched into the leather of the bag. The material is available on a number of bag styles, and each type is available in a number of colors: Argon (a pretty blue), Absinthe (yellowish chartreuse), Christalline (a soft gray), Carbon (black with green detail), Nero (black with white detail), Fuchsia (bright pink), and Nude (soft pink).  I have a photo of each color choice included below and am giving affiliate links over to Zappos since they have these on sale and also have free shipping.

My personal favorite is the L.A.M.B. – Ultraviolet Rhodes in Christalline and Nude. I could use a new gray purse. Hmmmm……

Also interesting is the L.A.M.B. – Ultraviolet Arcot, a mini messenger type bag with an adjustable cross body strap. Pictured are the colors Argon and Absinthe

Then, for a mix between the two, take a look at the L.A.M.B. – Ultraviolet Etoile, which is part satchel, yet part messenger bag because of its cross body strap. Pictured are the shades Fuchsia and Carbon.

Also available are the Nikola , Wristlets, and Various Wallets, Clutches, and Leather Sleeves

At the time of this writing  a few of these bags were also on sale at Nordstrom . Or, you can comparison shop through Bizrate with the link below.

Comparison Shop for L.A.M.B. Ultraviolet Bags

Disclosure: This article uses affiliate links. For more please see the disclosure page.

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Miche Handbags (link is to previous review) are unique purses with removable shells. That allows you to interchange them for new looks. To see the full collection, visit the Miche Bag website.

In my previous review, I looked at the standard Miche handbag. Now, they have released additional styles, including a larger bag with its own interchangeable shells.

Miche has also introduced a custom bag feature where you can upload photos and add text to create your own custom handbag shell.

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I love the color turquoise and am getting excited to see it all over the place at New York Fashion Week for spring 2010! I want this bag, seen at Davidelfin!

I love this little dress from Cynthia Steffe.

There is obviously many more colors meshing with the turquoise in this BCBG dress, making for a lovely mix of color. this is probably my favorite dress seen so far.

From the Teen Vogue Fashion’s Night Out Show.

The celebrities are wearing it too. Here is signer Amerie at the BCBG show.

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Gwen Stephani arrived for her L.A.M.B. show at Milk Studios carrying this lovely blue bag. It is suddenly my biggest want of the moment:

I am also rather fond of this look form Elie Tahari.  I love orange and saw it used in several day one shows.

I also like this one from Elie Tahari. I like the light weight capris seen at the Tahari show:

And just to show what a sucker I am for both gray tones and just about anything L.A.M.B.:

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