PRADA HANDBAGS & PURSES

I so prefer candid shots of Carey Mulligan to staged red carpet pictures. As I’ve mentioned before, she always looks so awkward and uncomfortable at events, but in everyday life, she usually looks adorable and normal, like she’d be the kind of girl you’d want to have lunch with. She seems to have great personal style and a clear idea of what she likes to wear, so she usually looks just as good in her everyday duds as she does when she’s styled for a premiere or awards show.

Here, she’s looking perfectly trendy in cropped skinnies and a coordinated plaid shirt. The best part of the outfit, however, is her huge Prada bags It’s the kind of handbag that everyone should have in her closet – big, neutral and totally luxurious.

 

I’ll be the first to admit that fashion bloggers are often working with a somewhat limited medium. The industry’s recently increased presence on the internet, both in retail and editorial sectors, has given people like me a great deal of material to work with when writing criticism and making sartorial recommendations, but there’s just nothing like the real thing.

We make our best educated guesses about what a bag will look and feel like in person based on what we know of the brand’s construction standards in the past and the pictures we see on the internet, which are often quite good, depending on the website that they come from. Sometimes, however, a bag just doesn’t make sense until you see it in person, for whatever reason. That’s exactly what happened yesterday when I saw the Prada Saffiano Printo Tote Bag– I had seen pictures of the bag before and wasn’t terribly interested, but in person, it was love at first sight.

The version that I fell in love with was baby blue, dove grey and white, but for our purposes, this incarnation with have to suffice. All of the patterns used for these bags were found by Prada handbags designers in the brand’s archives, and they’ve been reinterpreted to adorn the collection that we see today. They have a painted, imperfect effect that only makes the bags look more hand-crafted and luxurious, and the gentle texture of the structured, tough saffiano leather underneath is almost reminiscent of a canvas.

While the pattern may prevent these bags from being carried everyday for most people, for those that have the wardrobes and budgets to accommodate one of Prada bags spring prints, please buy one. Something in the back of my mind is telling me that these are going to be highly sought-after classics a few years down the line, and the decision to get one is not something I think you’ll regret

We’ve seen our girl Jessica Alba carry this same bag just a little while ago. I had to agree with Amanda when she said she wasn’t really a huge fan of the Prada Spazzolato Tote Bag.

It was ok; nothing to write home about and actually a bit pricey. However, the more I see people carrying this Prada bags and the more I see it with different outfits, the more I like it.

Jessica was seen doing some shopping with a friend in Beverly Hills looking great. She has a knack for dressing down but still looking put together. Rarely do I see her looking like a slob and unless she is heading to an event never looks over done.

 I really despise seeing celebs look like Barbie dolls while they are shopping or running errands; it is just so not necessary! So, this Prada purses is growing on me… what about you?

 

O man is this a bad one or what!? Jessica Alba was recently photographed in the Prada Fall/Winter 2009 Velluto Sere Clutch ($1,350), which just has way too much going on (thankfully Alba paired the clutch with a simple dress).

 As if pulling off a velvet purse isn’t difficult enough, Prada bags has decided to add sequin, bead, and stud embellishments. Plus that strap on the side looks so cheaply constructed.

The only redeeming quality is that the prada handbags  is lined with satin (though since it’s not reversible that doesn’t get anyone very far…). I also find the color pictured above, as well as the color of the one Alba is sporting pretty hideous.

Sometimes, elements come together to form a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts. That might sound like kind of a melodramatic way to describe a celebrity with her handbag, but in this case, it’s totally necessarily. I’ve never been a huge fan of Jessica Alba or her Prada Spazzolato Tote Bag on their own, but I’m digging the prada bags in these pictures, and Ms. Alba looks happy and ready for spring.

I’ve seen a lot of people praise this particular bag, but I’ve seen it in person, and to say that the patent leather looks like plastic would be an understatement. I kind of like what Miuccia tried to do with the over-the-top faux gemstone closure, but I don’t think that the prada handbag lives up to the clasp’s promise. These pictures are making me want to give it another chance, though, and maybe not write it off so quickly.