Balenciaga Arena Giant Envelope Clutch

I’ve written about many a clutch on this site. At barely 23, I find myself at a time in life when clutches are possibly the most important bags I have – they have to go with the largest variety of outfits and fit in to the largest variety of situations. Dive bars, bottle service at a club, dinner out at a variety of restaurants, shopping with friends the next day when I’m too lazy to switch back to a day bag – my clutches go everywhere. I have a million inexpensive ones, but if I could pick just a single glorious clutch to have, I’d give all my cheap ones in exchange for the Balenciaga Arena Giant Envelope Clutch. There are a few reasons why.

Balenciaga Crocodile Weekender bags

After bringing you stunning pictures of the Balenciaga Crocodile Work Bag, I had to find out more information about Balenciaga crocodile bags. It seems Balenciaga does dabble in the art of exotics every now and again, and when they do the skins are stunning and the colors pop. From the Fall 07 collection, the Balenciaga Crocodile Weekender in yellow was released and it is quite the show stopper. The weekender is just as large as its name suggests, and this yellow crocodile version will be sure to capture every eye on your weekend getaways. If you are in the market for a crocodile B-bag, you can speak to the boutique as they are all custom made. Balenciaga is known for their wide array of beautiful colors, so imagine picking another bright bold color and placing it on a crocodile bag. The price will surely capture your attention, at $22,500.

I called Balenciaga America Inc, and experienced amazing help from the people on the other end of the phone. A special thank you to Anette for going out of her way to find out more on this bag for me. If you are interested, call the Balenciaga NYC store, +1 212 206 0872, or inquire about other Balenciaga items from Balenciaga America Inc., +1 212 279 4440.

Balenciaga Giant City bags

They say when away the mice will play. That was quite true during my last trip; as I traveled around Spain, Vlad broke into my closet and attempted to photograph my entire bag collection. He got most pieces, but did not find them all . One thing quite a few of you noticed is my lack of a Balenciaga bag. Truth be told, I do not have one stashed anywhere, I simply do not have one. I do not have a BBag because I have spent years literally racking my brain trying to figure out which color on which style I want. Bubblegum has always looked delicious or what about the baby blue all the celebs carry. So many choices. On our next trip to NYC I plan on purchasing my first Balenciaga bag. Typically it is nearly impossible to find BBags online, but not anymore. Balenciaga has opened up their website to online shopping for the US only! This means more learning about their bags and being able to indulge online, which I am all for. And Balenciaga does not do anything small, as they have designed an exclusive online, the Balenciaga Giant City with Coquelicot Japonais print. I fell for the Balenciaga Giant Seau bag with the floral print when I first saw it, and now this exclusive has my heart. The colors are perfect for fall and winter! There is lambskin offsetting the printed textile and palladium plated metal hardware. Enjoy what Balenciaga has done, opening up online sales through their site! Buy this bag exclusively through Balenciaga online for $1595.

Balenciaga Giant Part Time bags

When Balenciaga introduced giant hardware on their already hit handbags, the accessory world was split. I specifically remember many not being fond of the large chunky hardware. The thing is, I always loved it, it fit my style perfectly. One of many top handle purses from the house, the Balenciaga Giant Part Time implements soft vintage crafted lambskin to give the perfect supple slouch that Balenciaga has become known for. The funny thing is, I am in no way a Balenciaga expert. You know who is? A huge group of BBag lovers on Purse Forum! This group can know the difference between a BBag because of the leather (some seasons has softer leather that people yearn to hunt down), color, and hardware. I just look and know what it is that I like. The Giant Part Time in pink bubblegum is a perfect mix of feminine colors with gold plated oversized metal hardware. There is a removable shoulder strap which helps with ease of carrying. Dimensions are 16.5” x 5.9” x 9.1”. There are quite a few colors offered, but the girly side of me has always loved Balenciaga Pink Bubblegum. Buy through Balenciaga online for $1,645.

Balenciaga City bags

There is this huge worldwide Balenciaga craze, and somehow I have never been part of it. It is not that I do not like Balenciaga bags, actually I like them quite much. I would go on to say I adore them even, as they are just my style. Is there a particular reason why I do not own one yet? I suppose the last few times we have been in NYC we had on our list to take a trip to Balenciaga, and we just never made it.

But our next trip to New York City will surely have a stop at Balenciaga and I will leave with a new BBag. Which one is not the question. Which color is the question. The color variety that Balenciaga churns out is so massive, so unbelievable, that it makes my super huge Crayola box look skimpy.

For one of the iconic Balenciaga styles, the soft vintage crafted lambskin looks sultry and stunning in black cherry on the Balenciaga City. The City is one of the most well-known designs from Balenciaga, and this color, well, I DIE! Love it. The deep black cherry is accompanied with aged brass hardware. The signature Balenciaga signs are evident; hand stitched handles, leather strings on zips, and leather framed hand mirror. Dimensions are 15” x 9.8” x 3.9”. Once I jump into Balenciaga, or even before my NYC trip, I know I will be coming to you all for suggestions! Buy the City through Balenciaga online for $1,295.

Balenciaga Giant City bags

Over the weekend Vlad and I made the journey up the state of Florida to Tallahassee, home of Florida State University, where my brother goes to school. It was family weekend, and we went up to visit him and go to a Florida State game. If you know me, Vlad, or my family, you will know that we are rather obsessed with college football. This was my first FSU game and we had a great time, who wouldn’t? Even better is FSU won. I did not own a FSU tee-shirt and had to head to the school store to FSU myself, Vlad, and my mom out. We got shirts and finally fit in with the rest of the school population. What worked out perfectly is that I took my Rebecca Minkoff Wine Nikki and my mom had her Linea Pelle Dylan Croco Shoulder bag in yellow. Perfect bags that showed off garnet and gold and we didn’t even plan it.

When I went to Ohio State I had a hard time finding the perfect red bag to wear to the games. Red bags are not always my cup of tea as far as the color goes, too bright, too dark, not enough oomph. So why not skip over the red and carry a grey bag to an Ohio State game (colors are indeed Scarlett and grey). I figured out the perfect college football game day bag, the Balenciaga Giant City in charcoal grey. This is the precise bag I would buy from Balenciaga, and next week while in NYC, we will most likely raid the Balenciaga NYC store. This Balenciaga bag is designed with soft vintage lambskin and accented with large palladium plated metal hardware. I have been a fan of the oversized hardware from its inception, so here it is, the ideal college football game bag. It is young, hip, funky, stylish, and comes in a plethora of colors that can suit your college team needs. Of course it would work for NFL, MBA, NHL, NBA, etc. And even if your school looses, a la Ohio State vs Penn State this past weekend, at least you will be cheering and feeling lousy over the loss in style.

Balenciaga Lune Tote bags

I think that one of my favorite things about Bluefly is that their selection is so vast and random. They carry brands that are rarely found elsewhere on the Internet and bags that may not have made it onto the radar of the casual aficionado, in addition to lots of reliable favorites. A perfect example of the breadth of their available bags is the Balenciaga Lune Tote. As one of their rarely-noticed non-motorcycle bags, the Lune may have been overlooked by many, but I think that anyone who appreciates a statement bag should give it some serious consideration. It’s a bicolor, multi-textured beauty made of soft denim-colored goat leather and smooth, slick black calfskin with enough buckles, straps, and trim to keep anyone entertained. It’s big enough to handle all of its accoutrement, though, and the Balenciaga bag designers stopped just before it got overdone. The more I look at it, the more I wonder why we never saw Victoria Beckham carrying the Lune – it kind of looks like something she would like, doesn’t it?

Bottega Veneta Handbags

Bottega Veneta Handbags

Balenciaga Giant Lattice City bags

The first version of the Balenciaga Giant Lattice City that I saw was the smaller multicolor version, and let’s just say that my feelings were, at best, mixed. The combination of colors seemed kind of muddled, and the abundance of blue trim sorta took away from the effect of the latticed leather. But today, I stumbled across the black and white version, and my opinion changed immediately. Since the bag is bicolor instead of multicolor, the careful precision with which the leather is woven becomes much more apparent. At first it looks scattered, but if examined closely, there’s an almost-symmetry to the pattern that indicates just how much care was taken when deciding where the bag would change colors. If it had been completely symmetrical, it wouldn’t nearly as interesting to look at, but as it is, I find it almost fascinating. I love the Balenciaga aesthetic in general, and I REALLY love their bags with giant silver hardware, so all of that combined with the intricacy of the black-and-white woven detail really makes me wish I had an extra $2700 laying around. If I did, I’d be all over this.

Balenciaga Metallic Crocodile Wristlet

Whether or not you believe that clothing and accessories can qualify as art, you have to look at the Balenciaga Metallic Crocodile Wristlet and see, first and foremost, an art object. It’s uses (and, most likely, it’s production) are decidedly limited, but if I was to get my hands on it, I think I’d probably just hold it and stare at it anyway. The crocodile skin is treated in such a way that it almost reminds me of mother of pearl – it’s shiny, but in a way that does a beautiful job picking up the colors and the light around them, making the bag look eternally different. It’s finished with polished blue-green accents, which might be either polished stone or lucite, it’s impossible to tell, and a bold box-chain wrist strap. It doesn’t look like it would hold much, and I’m sure it costs an arm and a leg, but it’s just so stinkin’ beautiful that I don’t really care. Where do I sign up?

Balenciaga: In Praise of Giant Hardware bags

For almost everyone, I think Balenciaga is one of those brands that you either understand or you don’t. Yes – they make more or less the same bags in different colors year after year. Yes – many of them haven’t changed drastically in design since they were first introduced. Yes – many people are happy to do what basically amounts to buying the same bag in a bunch of colors. And some people may think that’s nuts, but I think it’s AWESOME. I love Balenciaga, and anyone that’s familiar with the Balenciaga section on the Forum knows that the Bal girls get in to the details of their bags in a way that few other brand’s customers do. Leather texture and hardware are discussed heavily, even though the differences may not be huge to the casual observer. As a result, when one thing changes about how Balenciaga builds their bags, tongues are set wagging about it for months, if not years.

Balenciaga Arena Giant Envelope bags

This clutch is a favorite among the Purse Blog team. Amanda covered this Balenciaga clutch a few months ago, and as far as I know she still did not buy it. Then there is me, who has a slight obsession with clutches and loves the giant hardware on Balenciaga bags. So an oversized clutch with giant hardware is pure love for me. Why have I still not purchased one of these clutches? The answer is truly beyond me. I keep wanting to wait and get it at the Balenciaga store in NYC. Our next trip we are tacking on at least one day for shopping, this I promise not only you but myself.

For me, the Balenciaga Arena Giant Envelope is an ideal clutch. It is a fold-over clutch with lambskin and giant silver-toned hardware. A magnetic closure is easy to use and there is a zipper pocket. I need this clutch. It is a perfect addition to my collection. I always have the same problem with Balenciaga, what color is best? The many color options actually send my head spinning rather than give me clarity on what I want. I am thinking pink. Once I finally get this clutch (and more BBags that I keep talking about), you all will breathe a sigh of relief not having to hear me try to decide on my ‘firsts’ for Balenciaga.

Louis Vuitton leather handbags 95096

• Model: Louis Vuitton leather handbags 95096
  
• Size: 41.5x33x18.5cm
  
• Calfskin, microfiber lining
  
• Natural cowhide trimmings, golden brass pieces
  
• Wide zip top closure
  
• With Louis Vuitton signature on the bottom
  
• Internal patch pocket
  
• Elegant straps for shoulder carry

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Balenciaga Day Bag in Pommier bags

One of my favorite parts of every new handbag season is waiting for the new Balenciaga colors to start hitting stores and websites. They’re my favorite brand and consistently product some of the most vibrant leather colors of any high-end designer. Since their bag shapes are simple and iconic, it lets the ever-changing leather shades take center stage, where some become highly sought-after and collectible.

My favorite from Fall 2009 is Pommier, a beautiful bright green that this photo doesn’t do justice. From what I’ve seen, it’s more of a Kelly shade in real life, and I couldn’t think of anything more beautiful to wear with the blacks and greys of fall. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a green like this from Balenciaga, which is refreshing – they’ve taken to repeating some of their most recent hits in the past few seasons. I’d prefer it with giant silver hardware (since I prefer everything with giant silver hardware), but I’d settle for the regular hardware pictured here if I had to. Maybe if I can save my pennies, I’ll have one of these lovely bags to show you ladies in the future.

Dolce and Gabbana Sequined Sandals

These Dolce & Gabbana sandals ($536 at Luisaviaroma) are my pick for for walking shoe disaster of the week. There are a lot of reasons to pick on this shoe - the over-the-top sequins, the large buckle at the ankle (I have fat ankles), etc. but it’s the arch , or lack thereof, of an arch support which bugs me the most about this sandal. Towering at 4.5 inches, this shoe is already going to tough to walk in, but without the support, it will be tortuous. I can’t even rationalize the lack of arch support because of aesthetics either. Surely Dolce & Gabbana could have added a thin gold sole without impairing the design aspects of the shoe.

What are you thoughts - am I overly rough on this shoe?

Christian Dior Fall 2009 Couture Paris

No one does couture like Christian Dior. He set his show in the Dior Headquarters on Avenue Montaigne. This line was presented very much like the clothes were traditionally presented to press and clients in the 40’s and 50’s. The clothes were reminiscent of 40s and 50s styles only with bright, sophistocated color.

The difference was that the models were “half” dressed.

I would imagine real world clients will combine tops and skirts from these different outfits for real world wear. I can’t wait to see how Charleze Theron wears this look on the Red Carpet.

Here are close ups of the shoes. Note the sparkly hose.

The embelishments, make me think of old girdle connectors. I can’t tell you how many times I watched my mother squeeze into her girdle and hook her stockings with those little dealies.

My favorite pair is below.

I love the hand work detail of couture.

Chanel’s Cutie Boots and Sandals

Chanel isn’t just for matrons or uptight Heidi Montag types. They’ve got some adorable things for younger girls, too. I spied some remainders of the popular Chanel Camellia Jellies at Saks. Unfortunately, they seem to be unavailable on Saks’ or Neiman Marcus’ websites. However, I can affirm that there were pairs in store at Saks. Whether they’ll have them in your size, I’m not sure. Call 212-753-4000 for more information or to see if they’ll check for your size. They supposedly run a tad small, so you’d be wise to check for the size above as well. They were in the low $200 range, as I recall.

The colors they had were clear, green, yellow and pink.

Here’s a better promo shot of them. Aren’t they adorable? I wore jellies a lot as a child, so these bring back memories for me, but are much more fashionable than my netted pairs!

It’s been a VERY rainy summer in New York. Annoyingly rainy, as I’ve mentioned before, bringing out the boots in droves. It’s threatening to rain this morning, in fact. I wish I had a pair of these, which I instantly fell in love with when I saw them at Saks. How have I not seen them before, I wondered. With the black camellia and off-white camellia, as well as the quilted sole, these are too cute! Hurry into Saks to get them, they’re not on the website as far as I can tell!

Balenciaga Arena Giant Envelope bags

My love of Balenciaga continues to grow and I often find myself wondering why is it that I literally do not own one Balenciaga bag? I know, it is some sort of travesty that I do not own a Balenciaga bag. My collection is vast and covers many designers, but for an amount of time I could not see the craze behind the bags. When the giant hardware was added, Balenciaga got me right in the heart. As a self-proclaimed clutch lover, the Balenciaga Arena Giant Envelope is a stunning funky and edgy clutch. Designed with the signature lambskin, the wrinkled flap front with a magnetic closure offers a fun take on a fold over clutch. There is a zipper pocket and silver-toned hardware. I love this clutch and if I could figure out exactly what color to buy, I would (of course if in my small allotted bag budget for the year). Measurements are 7″ x 12″ x 1.75″.

Shoe Showdown: Chanel Spring 2009 Bowtie Bootie

It’s time for another shoe showdown. Who do you think wore these Chanel peep-toe booties, from the Spring 2009 collection, better? The runway model, Diane Kruger, or Alexa Chung?

I’m going to give this one to the Chanel runway model, despite the hairpiece. Alexa looks mismatched in a biege dress with black/white booties. While I typically love what Diane wears, the crossover messenger bag seems off with her outfit. I have come to expect more wow from her.

Lovely and Lacey Louboutins for Fall

Today I just wanted to give our readers some happy Saturday eye-candy.

So, I went straight to Louboutin in search of some drool-worthy choices. What I found were variations on timeless lace.

This first one is my favorite, even if the shape is all wrong for my particular feet. The all-over lace and that peek of red sole are superbly matched.

Christian Louboutin ‘Ronda Dina’ 140 mm platform pumps; $1025 at Net-a-porter.

But, if you are more of an ankle-boot gal, this next style may be more your speed. Cute horizontal lace patterns make this a nice update on a classic allover lace boot.

Christian Louboutin ‘Paola’ 100mm ankle boots; $1155 at Net-a-porter.

(The Paola is also available on pre-order at Saks)

For a more conservative take (using the same lace as the Paola), is this classic pump designed with a lower, sturdy heel. This is a great look that is not likely to go out of style.

Christian Louboutin ‘Ambro’ lace peep-toe pump; $825 at Nieman Marcus.

Finally, for you gals that like to show off a bit of bad-girl vibe, check out this shoe-confection made with lace, studs, and a zipper bow. This is glam-rock for a new generation.

Christian Louboutin ‘Candy Stud’ pumps $965 at Saks.com.

So, this is just one designer’s take on lace. Are you anticipating more fabulous lace creations from other designers this fall?

I know I am.