Keep warm with a comfy handbag...

As the skiing season steadily approaches us here in the frigid North, I've been looking forward to buying a new handbag to portray my "ski girl" look. I'm not a fantastic skiier, but I do like to at least attempt to look the part. Anyone seen Bridget Jones 2? Yeah. I'm Bridget Jones.


Yeah, this is definitely me on the left...

Anyway, back on track. I've recently been noticing the new trend of designer handbags that are knitted. I realize, this probably isn't the newest trend, but sweater handbags are a perfect answer to the question of "what handbags should I choose for my winter sports?" Sweater handbags are a perfect blend of comfy, sexy and practical, which for me, makes them a great sell! I read a blog (and now I can't remember where... grrr) where the poster was talking about sweater handbags and said that she wanted to snuggle with one. I completely agree. Like throwing on a cute sweater when it's freezing out, these handbags are soft and cozy.




Here are a few sweater handbags that I find absolutely adorable. Tell me what you think? You know what? I'm going to put a poll on the top left hand corner of this blog. Vote for the sweater handbag you think I should buy!


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For all you history nuts out there

I was emailed an article this morning about the "truth behind fashion."

This article explains the behind the scenes information on the history of a lot of our favourite designer brands. If you're interested in knowing why they call them stilettos and pumps or if there was indeed a real Mary Jane, you should definitely check out this article.

If you're not one to click around from site to site, here is my favourite tidbit of information:

"Have women always carried purses?

Once upon a time, ladies stored their essentials in a little waist sack tied under their clothing (sort of an early ancestor of the fanny pack) and accessible through slits in their skirts.
Around 1800, thinner, silkier fabrics and slimmer cuts came into vogue, and women could no longer hide the bulging sacks around their midsections. The solution? They began carrying their belongings in small pocketbooks instead."

From fanny packs to designer handbags... we've come a long way haven't we?

-Katie

Buying replica designer handbags is like shopping at Ikea

I love Ikea.

Ikea is a shopping wonderland of all of the trendy home designs offered at affordable prices. You can even get a cheap Swedish lunch while you shop. And kids love the ball pit. The only downside of this Swedish Walmart for home owners is that if you go too crazy with Ikea items, then you run the risk of having the exact same things as everyone else. Maybe that's the point.


It is the same with designer handbags and replica designer handbags.

Whether or not we're willing to admit it, most of us enjoy conforming with the rest of society. We like having all the new, great things that everyone else has. Oddly enough, we don't like other people knowing that we feel this. We get a little red in the cheeks when people find out that we paid much less for something or that we have a replica or a knock off of a much more expensive item. Everyone loves to have the exclusive designer handbag because it makes them feel at the top of the social hierarchy.

I think personally I like the sense of satisfaction knowing that other people think I paid a lot of money for my fabulous designer handbag while knowing that I actually didn't. Replica designer handbags, on average, offer a similar quality to designer handbags, but at a fraction of the cost. While it would be great if everyone could afford to buy exactly what they like, it is refreshing to know that there are other options for the rest of us.

Ikea will always remain a popular chain namely because of its ability to offer decent quality products for less than the expensive, brand name counterparts. Replica designer handbags follow suit. As long as there remains a need for designer handbags, replica designer handbags will also coexist.

What do you think about replica designer handbags? Would you rather pay more for the original? Leave me a comment below.

-Katie

Let's Go Tartan!

With the winter months almost upon us, we are continuing our discussion on winter purses and designer handbags for this frigid season (well frigid for those of us not lucky enough to live in a place with a warm winter). At least for me, the winter season is all about accessorizing, especially with scarves, gloves/mitts and the perfect tartan handbags to match?

Tartan handbags are springing up on runways and in stores everywhere this winter season. While the look has been around for centuries, originating in Scotland, it has only been recently that it has taken off on winter purses.

Top Three Sexy Tartan Handbags

1) Barbour Tartan Handbags

-This designer handbag is a fantastic choice for students or other people on the go. It's larger size allows for easy carrying of items like laptop computers or files for work. Even pack your lunch!
2) Vivian West Tartan Handbags - Coin Purse

- I love coin purses and this tartan coin purse is no exception. Great look, and just the right size to store all of that loose change without worrying about space.

3) Dooney-Burke Tartan Handbags
- This tiny tartan handbag is absolutely adorable with its chain handle and lighter tartan colouring. Perfect for any occasion and just the right size to fit everything you need, this winter purse is an excellent choice.

I have to admit that I think the coin purse is my favourite of these three. Probably because I absolutely adore a cute coin purse. What is your favourite of these winter purses? Let me know by leaving me a comment.

Check back tomorrow for more on winter purses!

-Katie

Who doesn't love handbag cartoons!?

As many of you may know, I'm a member of Blog Catalog. If you're not, I highly recommend it as it is a great way to meet other bloggers and really feel a part of a community. That being said, I stumbled upon (ha ha) a blog called A Side of Cartoons that has some utterly fantastic cartoons (and posted daily, no less). This one was ridiculously appropriate, so I thought I would share it with you guys. Hope you find it as great as I do.



Designer handbags are the best! Leave a comment below and let me and Robbay (the artist) know what you love about this cartoon.

Check back later for another article on our winter accessories and designer handbags series :)

-Katie

SCOTT creates the new handbag goggle

With winter around the corner, I thought it would be a good time to start discussing all of those great winter accessories for those of us who live in places where winter is full force (I'm a Canadian, so winter accessories are extremely important in my world)... I know, normally we're a designer handbags only kind of blog, but hey, this new product is called the SCOTT handbag, so technically we're not off topic here. Or at least I like to think so.




I don't really know a lot about SCOTT products, but being an avid skiier and a newfound designer handbags addict, I think this winter season I am going to want to own accessories like these. The SCOTT handbag is the accessory above all other accessories in my opinion. Not only are these goggles unbelievably chic, but it is also completely practical and a high quality product. There's nothing quite like looking your best when hitting the slopes.

The SCOTT handbag is a limited edition product, which will be sold worldwide this winter season. If you are interested in picking up this sexy accessory, check out the SCOTT website at http://www.scottusa.com/

What do you think about winter accessories? I'll be writing a series of articles about them next week, so hit me with your opinions and we'll discuss them here.

-Katie

Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs do it again?

Well the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2008 RTW Show is behind us and now we're left to reflect on what we think of the new designs and fashions. To be honest, what I find amazing about fashion shows is how many celebrities make appearances. I know that celebs are huge designer fans, but it always makes me wonder how us regular, non-star-studded folk can manage to ever keep up.

Maybe we'll always be a little behind in fashion. Maybe we're okay with that.

Before I say anything further about Louis Vuitton handbags or Marc Jacobs handbags (of which I do have many opinions), I thought I would post a picture of this Scarlett Johansson's Louis Vuitton handbags advertisement, which I find absolutely stunning. Perhaps it will con you, as it has me, into buying and/or renting this glorious white Louis Vuitton handbag.




It could be that I'm a sucker for classical advertising, or that I find Scarlett Johansson absolutely gorgeous in that "Old-Hollywood" sort of way, but this ad makes me want to go and buy that Louis Vuitton handbag... maybe many of them. How about you?

Back to the fashion show...

I don't have a million thoughts about the Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs new designer handbags, but I do have some. Namely, what sort of time machine did we just step out of and how can I rent the machine? Check out the bright colours and cute styles!



While I am absolutely in LOVE with the new styles, I think a lot of the reason I'm so smitten is tied to the fact that these designer handbags are fairly remniscient of past styles (namely the sixties and the eighties). Bright colours, funky patterns, retro images... this fashion show was screaming "TAKE ME BACK!" I have to smile at the pink and purple nylons these models are wearing as I remember thinking that coloured nylons were the best thing since sliced bread when I was 10. Ah, how history repeats itself.

It is also good to see larger bags back in style again as I'm the kind of person who is constantly lugging too much stuff and never enough room for it. Interestingly enough, I was on the train this morning heading into work and noticed that quite a few women (I'd say about 10 in my immediate view) were carrying Louis Vuitton handbags... not one, but two. Two designer handbags a person? This is saying something about the styles. Clearly ... a) we have too much stuff in our purses and b) the purses aren't big enough.



Marc Jacobs also made me smile with his SpongeBob designer handbag. I've always been a sucker for Spongebob and now I'll have to be searching around eBay to find this handbag for less.

Press Releases

We are currently seeking people who would like to write press releases about StillChic.

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If you have a blog or website and would like to write an article about the concept of renting handbags, or a press release about StillChic's grand opening, please send me an email at katie@stillchic.com We would be more than happy to exchange links with your website and link to your article on our blog or website.

Check out what Djangoforums.org has to stay about StillChic.

Django Forums - http://djangoforums.org/article.cfm/id/206754

Top Five Designer Handbag Styles of 2007

Designer purses and designer handbags are always popular in general, but the fashion trends change from year to year. 2007 has been a great year for designer purses and we've had some great looks. What were the top fashion trends in designer purses this year? Well, I did a small online survey to find out which types of designer purses ranked the highest this year. Here are my results.


Top Five Designer Purse Fashion Trends of 2007



1) The Metallic designer handbag -
click on the image to rent this designer handbag




2) The Mini designer handbag
- click on the image to rent this designer handbag



3) The Patent Leather designer handbag
- click on the image to rent this designer handbag





4) The Clutch designer handbag
- click on the image to rent this designer handbag
5) The Convertible designer handbag
- click on the image to rent this designer handbag



Although I have to admit, that I love the clutch handbag more than the others, I think 2007 has been a great year for designer purses and fashion trends. I'll be excited to see what 2008 has to offer.


Have an opinion? You know I'd love to hear it. Leave me a note in the comment section below.


-Kate

Winter Designer Handbags

It was a very brisk walk to work today and it got me thinking about the fact that winter is truly around the corner. In addition to pulling out all of my sweaters, cardigans and scarves, I will also be changing up my designer purses. I find that in the winter months, winter fashions truly come into play not only for an aesthetic, I want to look fantastic, sort of way, but also for practicality sake.

Winter designer handbags are typically those that are a little larger and come in darker colours. This season, might I suggest the following winter designer handbags to compliment your winter fashions.

The Louis Vuitton Alma Designer Handbag

Louis Vuitton has amazing style. I love this handbag because it is super chic and also large enough to fit in everything that I need. I think one of the best features of this designer purse is its simplicity. Its black leather makes it a great colour choice for the winter season and its lack of elaborate design makes it the designer handbag that goes with everything you wear. It is a tough handbag that will stand up to crummy weather and keep you looking great while protecting all of your important designer purse items.

The Chloé Paddington Varnished Mocha Designer Handbag

The Chloé Paddington works well as a fall or winter designer handbag. Its warm mocha leather allows it to blend with virtually any fall or winter fashions. I particularily love the Chloé Paddington signature lock and key, which adds a great look to this perfect designer purse. Again, this winter designer handbag is both practical and beautiful with its rounded, large style.

The Balenciaga Twiggy Designer Handbag

The Balenciaga Twiggy is a fantastic candidate for your winter fashions! Both trendy and practical, this winter designer handbag is great if you're looking for something more youthful this season. The Balenciaga Twiggy has a fantastic vintage look and feel and is large enough to fit all of your important accessories and items without being too huge to lug around. If you're looking for style and size this winter season, this winter designer handbag is for you!

Want to know more about winter fashions and winter designer handbags? Check out our website at http://stillchichandbags.blogspot.com/ and see which designer handbags will best suit you
this winter season :). I'd love to talk designer winter fashions with you.

Keep warm!
-Katie

The Sienna Miller Syndome, do you have it?

I just read an interesting article on something called the Sienna Miller Syndrome.

What is the Sienna Miller Syndrome?

Excellent question. The Sienna Miller Syndrome is when women become obsessive with designer handbags and continue to purchase these handbags until they have an "unhealthy" amount of handbags. We do this (as women) because we honestly believe that we need a handbag to go with each of our outfits, and what's more, we are unable to get rid of handbags that we don't really use just in case we might some use for it in the near future.

"When asked why women hoard so many handbags, nearly seven in ten said it's because "you never know what they'll go with". One in five said they are so fond of their handbags that sentimental value stops them throwing old ones away." (Daily Mail)

I've been asking a lot of people in North America lately their opinions on the concept of renting designer handbags and many have replied that they would rather purchase then rent their designer handbags. Perhaps the Sienna Miller Syndrome casts some light onto this discussion. Perhaps women would rather own their handbags merely out of concern that they may need a particular handbag again for a certain occasion or moment.

I wonder what Sienna Miller thinks about all of this added attention. What do you think? I'd love to hear it.

Clutch Handbags are the new celebrity designer handbag fave!

Life & Style Magazine recently did a short article about clutch designer handbags and their rising popularity with celebrities. Whether it is an award show, an evening out on the town, or simply out shopping, celebrities love clutch handbags. It seems as though these small designer handbags are showing up everywhere these days. They've definitely become the top contender in the world of fashion trends.

Clutch handbags make great evening handbags due to their compact size and formal appearance. With just enough room for the necessities, clutch handbags complete your evening look without capturing all the attention. The only downfall of these designer handbags is their lack of strap. When you have your clutch handbag, you should expect having to carry it around for the entire evening as it cannot simply be thrown over your shoulder.

Popular in metallic colours, such as silver and gold, clutch handbags are a great addition to any outfit (formal or not). Fashion trends may change at a rapid pace, but it seems as though these celebrity handbags are here to stay.

For more information on renting clutch handbags, please visit http://stillchichandbags.blogspot.com/

-Katie

Why buy when you can borrow?

Stillchic
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Designer handbag rentals has been a popular concept in France for a while now and has finally come to Canada. At Stillchic you can rent designer handbags & designer purses for special occasions, work events or just because you want to try out a designer handbag without spending a small fortune.

Sign up for a free membership at StillChic and save big money looking great. Or check our our new Technorati Profile.

The Devil may wear Prada, but I think it's pretty sexy...

I have to admit that sometimes I feel exactly like the lead character out of the bestselling book/movie "The Devil Wears Prada". If you've seen the movie or read the book, you'll see that the world of fashion is all encompassing and can quickly eat you alive... and yet we all stray to it like a bug heading for the bug zapper. Okay, it's probably not that dramatic, but you know...

Designer trends can sometimes be above my head. Like the lead character from "The Devil Wears Prada", I may not always know exactly what is going on in the world of fashion and which designer trends are the best. I do, however, know that I don't have thousands of dollars to look my best. I'm a value shopper most of the time and I tend to leave designer trends to the celebrities who can afford them.

Recently I've been trying to promote this blog and spark some debate and discussion about designer handbags. I've panned through hundreds of photos of celebrities and their designer handbags, I've tried to follow designer trends, and I've asked a ton of people why they like designer handbags. I don't necessarily have all the answers about the wonders of this unique phenomenon, but I have come to some conclusions about why I'm beginning to obsess about designer handbags myself.

Here is my answer:

I like designer handbags because they're elusive. Designer trends (like handbags) represent this higher society lifestyle that has always intrigued me. I probably will never be the kind of person who rushes out to buy the latest and the greatest, but every now and then I want to show off and this is as good a way as any to look fabulous and feel a little priviledged.

It may be evil to wear a Prada handbag (at least on some level as it is the "Devil's choice designer handbag), but I happen to think they're pretty darned sexy... and maybe, sometimes I want to be a little devious.

Buy a pink designer handbag and make a difference

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month across the world and this is the time to make a difference.

There are a lot of amazing products out there you can buy to help raise money to battle this terrible disease. From ipod cases to jewlery and designer handbags, you can keep on being fashionable and now you can feel good about doing it.

Krina Handbags is doing their part to help battle breast cancer with their blush designer handbags, the Isadora handbag and the Tessa handbag. These two gorgeous designer handbags, which are immensely popular with celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon and Jessica Simpson, are part of Krina's fight against breast cancer. 10% of the purchase of every Isadora and Tessa designer handbag will be donated to breast cancer charities. These pink designer handbags are not only an expression of our awareness of breast cancer and its destruction, but also make a statement that we are taking a stand.

Krina Handbags are designed in New York City and are equipped with a penny inside the lining to symbolize the popular quip "a penny for your thoughts." Simple added touches like these make Krina Handbags the choice designer handbag of the season among celebrities and citizens alike.

For more information about Krina Handbags, please visit their website at: http://www.krinabag.com/

Know of a great designer purse company supporting Breast Cancer Awareness month? We'd love to hear about it. Leave us a comment below.

the hottest thing since sliced bread...

The Chanel Coco designer handbag is already the talk of the season. Impossible to get and yet so desired, this sexy designer handbag is both practical and fashionable. We're making it our STILLCHIC designer handbag of the day.

What do you think about the Chanel Coco designer handbag? We'd love to know. Let us know what about it makes you "have to have it?" Leave us a comment by clicking on the "comment" button below.

Matt and Nat have got it going on

There are a lot of top designers out there: Guicci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada ... the list goes on and on. While STILLCHIC currently offers designer handbag rentals from only the celebrity designers, we thought we'd write about a Montreal-based designer that is definitely worth checking out.

The company is called Matt and Nat and they offer a wide variety of sexy designer handbags and for affordable prices (around $100.00 CDN/designer handbag). Best of all, they're local. What makes Matt and Nat designer handbags interesting is their unique variety of styles. No matter what type of designer handbag strikes your fancy, Matt and Nat have a handbag to meet your specific needs.

The Vintage Collection

This collection is my personal favourite because of the great vintage look of this collection. All of the designer handbags featured here have a wonderful antiqued look, while still remaining trendy and fashionable. What's more is that each designer handbag is high quality and low cost.

The Pebble Collection

This collection has a bag for every occasion. All of the Pebble Collection Matt and Nat designer handbags are great for the every day walk to work or party. Functional and cute, these designer handbags make going out a great experience.

The Brazen Collection

Need a larger bag, but don't want to look ridiculous? The Brazen Collection from Matt and Nat is a great answer to the endless quest for more space. These bags hold a lot without looking too bulky or large.

The Japanese Paper Collection

This collection is unique and a whole lot of fun. Made from Japanese Paper, these designer handbags have a great look and an even greater story. Impress your friends with these original and funky designer handbags from Matt and Nat.

Need to know more?

If you are interested in finding out more about Matt and Nat designer handbags, please visit their website. For designer handbag sales and designer handbags for rent, check out StillChic.com

Renting Handbags = Germs?

I recently decided that this blog could use some more exposure and so I joined Blogcatalog.com. For those of you who have had no experience with Blog Catalog, I highly recommend it. It is an amazing community and I've always had awesome experiences with them. Of course, part of the point of joining a community is to spark some discussion, so... here it is.

Someone posted a review of this blog and gave us a 5 on 10. The reason being that handbag rental is hazardous to one's health because of the rampant germs one carries in their designer handbags. You can see the full review here should you wish and her source on germs and handbags is located here. I thought, let's discuss this issue a bit. After all, she makes a decent point. When you share designer handbags, are you risking sharing and handling germs? Perhaps.

What's in my handbag?

Before delving into the entire germs discussion, I thought it might be pertinent to mention what the typical woman keeps in her designer handbags that might be the root cause of germs. Here is a list of what I currently have in my handbag.

1) My wallet. It's leather and a little on the chunky side.
2) Two lip glosses. I'm of the belief that two are better than one.
3) Cell phone. Enough said.
4) Day planner. I can't go anywhere without knowing what's going on.
5) A book. One never knows when one might need to read.
6) iPod video. A life saver on the train ride into work.
7) Gum. This is more of a "sometimes" item.
8) Lunch.

It is a fair enough assumption that one of these items could leak or spill into the bag making it gross and potentially unusable. This could breed germs. I have to admit though, it's never happened to me. I have, on occassion, had a juice box or jar of something explode into my school bag back in the day, but my purses (especially my designer purses) tend to remain on the clear side. Maybe it is because I'm a neat freak, but I personally don't think my handbag carries anymore germs than anything else I come into contact with during the day. I also don't think it would make a difference if my handbag was bought, borrowed or rented. In fact, I take better care of my designer handbags then I ever would with the bag I bought at the Gap for $10.00.

Germs and Handbag Rental

People do not take care of things. This I know. I can see how this would make one hesitate about renting designer handbags from an online company. The thing with handbag rental is that you are responsible for the designer handbags you rent. If STILLCHIC receives designer handbags back that have been mistreated or look like they're covered in germs... we are not going to rent those again to someone else. We also are constantly updating our handbag rental selection. We hold private sales and sell off all designer handbags that have been in circulation for a bit.

This leads me into the question of... how many people buy designer handbags used online? I know I have some friends who frequent eBay checking for hot deals. Couldn't these designer handbags have germs? They've been touched by other people. I don't see a grand difference between these handbags that people purchase and ones that can be rented.

Germs are something that we live with on a day to day basis. This is probably why those little bottles of hand sanitizer are so rampant in stores. Germs exist on everything one touches and definitely in one's handbags. While designer handbag rental may not ease this problem, I don't believe it is the cause of it. Remember all of those things you borrowed throughout the years? Well, who's to say you're too old for that now?

I welcome any thoughts or debate that you may have. Please leave me a comment on this issue.