Currently Coveting: Linea Pelle Jules woven tote

I've been coveting a lot lately, much to the detriment of my bank account. In an effort to save up for holiday shopping I begrudgingly trimmed my list of "wants" to "absolutely have to haves." First on my list: a new go-with-anything, wear-anywhere tote.

While searching for the perfect bag, I realized I'd given up on designer logos. I still wear the classic Louis Vuitton bowling bag once in a while when the mood strikes, but I've grown to appreciate handbags with logo-free facades. They prove to be the perfect accompaniment to any outfit, regardless of the season.

I was recently given the Linea Pelle Dylan bag in black as a birthday present so I thought I'd start there. Linea Pelle handbag designer Andrew Cotton tends to have a knack for fusing luxe fabrics, modern silhouettes and casual designs.  While perusing the website I spotted the new Jules woven tote ($495) and knew I was in love. The smooth Italian leather is logo-free and not priced at an insane $1,000 or $2,000. 

The bag features a woven leather stripe down the front and a drawstring scrunched closure, giving it a vintage '80s feel. The gun-metal chain detail along the straps can be casual with jeans or dressy enough for a night out in heels, and the fuss-free over-the-shoulder style is a must for slinging the bag over arms clothed in heavy sweaters full of holiday shopping bags.

Linea Pelle carries an entire new line of holiday bags in fun crocodile print and soft suede, all in its signature care-free styles. Check out all the Linea Pelle collections on its website at www.lpcollection.com.

RELATED:

Currently Coveting: A bag from the Original Satchel Store

Currently Coveting: Wintercheck Factory's full metal billfold

Currently coveting: L.L. Bean boots for fall

-- Jenn Harris

twitter.com/jenn_harris_

Photo: Jules woven tote by Linea Pelle. Credit: Linea Pelle.

Currently Coveting: Wintercheck Factory's full metal billfold

I  abandoned the traditional style of wallet long ago. Once it had grown to the size of a doorstop, I jettisoned the leather billfold -- the kind with a pocket for credit cards, a plastic sleeve for photos and an interior pocket for cash -- and opted for a divide-and-conquer approach, carrying a money clip (almost exclusively this one from Tiffany & Co., which was a gift from my future in-laws) in a hip pocket, with my driver's license and a bare minimum of other plastic stashed in a slim leather card case in a back pocket.

Which is why I was kind of surprised that I  wanted one of Wintercheck Factory's limited-edition William Wallets from the moment I saw one featured in the August issue of Southwest Airlines' Spirit magazine. Maybe it was the simple, straight-forward DIY look -- two panels of lightweight aluminum alloy held together by simple stretch cord. Or it could have been the subtle, functional details like the notch in the top corner that allows the contents to be easily accessed, and the way quick-access cash can be secured on the exterior by tucking it behind the cord. 

By the time I got around to checking out the Brooklyn-based company's website (which boasts an equally utilitarian assortment of household and clothing items with the same dialed-down uber-sleek look -- including shower curtains, nesting cups, desks, sunglasses and coat racks), the latest run of limited-edition pieces had been sold out, but company CEO Kristen Wentrcek offered to send me a factory reject (one with a small scratch in the powder-coated finish) to test drive until the saleable stock was replenished.

After a few weeks of carrying it around, I was surprised by two things. First, it performed nearly as flawlessly as I'd imagined, but removing my one or two cards from inside the wallet proved to be a bit more of a challenge for me than I'd expected (though, strangely, the more pieces of plastic you put inside, the easier it seems to be to get one out). Also, by the time you lash more than one or two crisp bills to the outside, it starts to looks as ungainly and down market as the doorstop bifold. 

But the bigger surprise was the reaction of others; the men I showed it off to liked it, but the women, most decidedly, did not. (For the record, the wallet was the idea of Wentrcek, who, based on her photo and the pronouns in her online biography, appears to be female.)

While I'm sure there's a psychological study in there somewhere, it'll have to wait for another day; Wentrcek recently emailed me that the wallets are back in stock,and I've got an order to place. 

The best part is, although the wallets are made domestically (the metal pieces are cut and powder-coated by Tortoise Industries right here in Los Angeles and they're assembled in Opa Locka, Fla.) they're still an affordable $30 each.

Which means you can buy American -- and still have some cash left to stash behind that cord.

RELATED:

Convertible Kicks

Currently Coveting: Smoking slippers

Google Wallet opens for business, Visa gets on board

-- Adam Tschorn

Photo: Wintercheck Factory's no-frills William Wallets are made from a powder-coated aluminum alloy held together with polyester-bound latex-rubber cords, and sell online for $30. Credit: Wintercheck Factory 

Currently coveting: L.L. Bean boots for fall

I know what you're thinking: L.L. Bean boots have to be about the most anti-fashion item out there. Except that they aren't, not since Tommy Hilfiger sent a version of the brand's woodsy hunting boots down the runway last fall. Of course, Hilfiger's version had high heels and laces up over the knee, creating a cheeky spin on the down-to-earth classic and rendering it nearly impossible to wear on the street, let alone the trail.

This season, L.L. Bean is riffing on the style itself, offering a new twist on the boot (top left), which was the company's first product in 1912. The new style is flat with laces up to the knee, a waxed canvas upper and a rubber sole for $199. Fashionable but still practical.

The boot is just one of the items in L.L. Bean's more fashion-forward Signature collection, which seems to be improving season over season since launching in March 2010.

Several other things in the fall catalog caught my eye, including the Dakota boots, bottom left, which fit right in with fall's Western vibe. I appreciate the removable leather harness straps that snap around the bottom, and the $299 price tag.

--Booth Moore 

Photos from the Signature collection courtesy of L.L. Bean.

RELATED:

The Giles Deacon for Nine West collection hitting stores Aug. 15

Designer Nicholas Kirkwood talks extreme shoes

Currently coveting: Smoking slippers

Currently Coveting: A bag from The Original Satchel Store

Ok, so I have been coveting quite a bit these past two weeks, but as summer ends and fall shopping starts to become more of a priority, the eye automatically begins to fixate on key items that will hopefully find a new home in my closet soon. 

It’s especially exciting when said item is an adorable bag that isn’t $2,000. In fact this bag is much less than that and it fits the effortless, no-fuss look and streamlined accessory trend of the season. 

A one-year old London based company called The Original Satchel Store makes these traditional leather satchels in a wide array of colors, including eye-popping neon pink and yellow. There are also more traditional hues like tan, mocha and black, but don't discount the less conventional deep purple, pillar box red or British racing green leathers. Each bag is made by hand and certainly has a vintage appeal. You can get one of three sizes –- essentially small, medium or large -- for $122, $134 or $140 and even get the exterior flap monogrammed with your initials.

A satchel style feels right for fall, especially in a tan or brown leather. The two-tone (black with tan details) is cute too and makes for a versatile bag in case you can’t decide between black and brown.   The shocking neon colors work to punch up any ensemble and are perfect for a summer music festival. The long strap makes for an easy cross body-bag, so hands are free for holding concert tickets, getting out your ID and, of course, toting a plastic cup full of beer.

The bags are available at www.originalsatchelstore.co.uk and orders can take up to 21 days to arrive.

RELATED:

Currently Coveting: Charles Henry On Air skirt

Rebecca Minkoff and fashion's sweet spot

Your Stylist: A chic and versatile day to night bag

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos: Various color satchels from the Original Satchel Store. Credit: Original Satchel Store

Currently Coveting: Charles Henry On Air skirt

I haven’t gotten into the maxi skirt or dress trend of summer. Even if they are super comfortable and all the celebs are doing it, my 5’4” frame always looked a bit overwhelmed by all that fabric just hanging there, especially when done in a bold or splashy print, like so many spring/summer versions have been.

But once I caught a glimpse of the On Air skirt that designer Meredith Fisher did exclusively for  Anthropologie (under her label Charles Henry), I was smitten with and definitely ready to wear a longer length skirt.

Fisher is known for ultra-feminine pieces (she previously designed the line WAYF, which was filled with light silk blouses and cute, kicky dresses) and this skirt is simple, romantic and stamped with her signature girly style.

The nude/blush color makes a great foundation to wear with any bold or even soft shade and the flowy nature of the silk is a nice juxtaposition against a structured blazer or chunky knit.

Perhaps it’s the tea length and nude color that grab me? It feels like something a ballerina would wear with a black wrap sweater and high bun -– a grown-up and extremely elegant tutu.

The On Air skirt by Charles Henry is $198 at Anthropologie.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

RELATED:

Good Buy: Zara Plaited Shopper

Currently Coveting: Smoking Slippers

Currently Coveting: Venessa Arizaga's festive jewelry

Photos, from top: Charles Henry On Air skirt for Anthropologie/Anthropologie
 

Currently Coveting: Smoking slippers

 
British shoe designer Charlotte Dellal may have built her Charlotte Olympia footwear brand on killer heels with hockey puck-sized exterior platforms. But for fall, she's also offering something a little more tame. 

I adore these kitty cat flats in leopard print, which bring to mind men's smoking slippers. They're a witty answer to fall's animal attraction and could go toe-to-toe with Marc Jacobs' iconic mouse flats (they give me a fright every time I see them). The kitty slipper also comes in red or black velvet for $660 at Neiman Marcus, Net-a-porter.com and other stores. 

Along with the loafer, the smoking slipper is shaping up to be the hot new shoe of the season, in keeping with the strong menswear trend.

 
 
Besides the tried-and-true preppy versions from Stubbs & Wootton (I love the stormy palm trees embroidered on this blue velvet pair, above left), I've also seen smoking slippers from Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Loeffler Randall, Sam Edelman and Dolce Vita.

Shoes made for walking ... or lounging.

RELATED:

Your Stylist: Loafers are fall's hot shoe

Liwan sandals, a jet set favorite, launch at L.A. boutique Feal Mor

Cute new boot line for fall: Cobra Society

-- Booth Moore

Top photo: Charlotte Olympia. Credit: Charlotte Olympia

Bottom photos, left to right: Stubbs & Wootton; Christian Louboutin; Loeffler Randall and Jimmy Choo.

Currently Coveting: Liebeskind Berlin's low-key, luxe handbags

Decadent handbags, like decadent houses, have become a tad more accessible since the recession began.

More and more, designer brands are debuting bags priced under $1,000, and upstart accessories companies are no longer coming out of the gate with huge markups on simple leather totes (like they did in the mid-2000s).

And now, with all the relatively reasonably priced, high-end satchels on the market, we see little reason to crest the $500 mark when shopping for a new handbag (unless you're splurging on some fabulous bejeweled clutch, of course). 

Case in point: Germany's Liebeskind Berlin's collection of sporty leather bags looks and feels as high-quality as anything hanging at Neiman's. But priced from $250 to $370, the bags are miles more wallet friendly than almost anything resembling them on the market.

The collection of suede and washed canvas bags are simple enough for everyday wear but boast the kind of details that make a bag look expensive, including patches of perforation (in the suede), beautifully covered zipper pulls, chunky handles and metallic weaving.

The slouchy, knock-around bags were inspired by Berlin's laid-back, artsy girls — who, apparently, aren't so very different from L.A.'s chilled-out PYTs.

RELATED:

Your Stylist: A chic and versatile day to night bag

Coveting: Marie Turnor’s simple and understated clutches

Los Angeles-based label Hammitt creates 'True Blood' handbags

-- Emili Vesilind

Photo: Liebeskind Berlin bags. Credit: Liebeskind Berlin

Currently Coveting: Marie Turnor’s simple and understated clutches

For designer Beth Goodman, the simplest things are the most beautiful and certainly what inspired her to create a line of understated leather goods for her L.A-based line, Marie Turnor. The New York native and stylist started her line in 2009 around an aesthetic that bucks trends and goes for more classic silhouettes, or in the case of her Picnic, Snak and Dinner bags, the practical and super simple.

The rolled up, almost scrunched styles are literally like paper bags made from supple leather. Goodman was inspired to create the Picnic clutch after spotting a woman on the street who was carrying a paper bag in her hand. The result was what looks like an everyday lunch sack (especially in the tan leather), but there is something totally modern and timeless about the concept that makes you want to get back to basics.

"The first bag I designed was the Picnic," says Goodman "I was inspired by seeing an elegant woman walking down the street in Paris carrying a paper bag. The bag happened to be red and, in my mind, I saw it as a clutch. So I found a soft, but papery leather to make it out of."

Especially as “It” bags, status bags and anything bedazzled and over the top seems to be fading from fashion, something super sleek, minimal and modern feels right, right  now.

Bags like the kind Goodman designs (and manufactures all in L.A) offer that scaled-back option for anyone who likes more unassuming accessories. The price is right too. The Picnic clutch is $175 and comes in tan, red and black. The Dinner clutch is $220 and comes in white, tan and black and the Snak bag is $115.

RELATED:

L.A-based label Hammitt creates 'True Blood' handbags

Currently Coveting: Headband fascinators by Etsy shop HeartFeltByAviva

Two L.A designers are inspired by their city

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos, from top: The Beth Goodman-designed Picnic and Dinner clutches; the Dinner clutch; the Picnic clutch. Credit: Marie Turnor