A black or brown leather purse is a staple in many women’s wardrobes. It can get to the point where attending a family gathering is difficult: you put your black leather purse down by the door with your shoes, and when you leave, you are confronted with a smorgasbord of black leather purses, and have to remember which purse you brought that day and what it looked like.

It’s almost like black or dark blue rectangular suitcases at the airport – you have to tie a ribbon around yours to find it again.

A leather purse, whatever color you choose, can be a good choice because they are durable, dependable, and fairly basic. A very trendy purse can go in and out of fashion, or might only work with some of your clothes. A black or brown leather purse can round out your wardrobe as a basic handbag to grab for work or for going out, or you can choose a more fashionable one with a more interesting style.

For some fun along with durability, you can get your leather purse in a variety of colors, patterns, and styles. The semi circle shaped ones, which were very fashionable last year, are still very useful and fit a lot of stuff. A red leather purse to match red leather shoes makes a statement and stands out in a crowd.

The point of any purse, including your basic leather purse is to carry things. Many women tote around a cell phone, a wallet, a pen and maybe some makeup. (Except for the makeup, most men do to – but they, poor guys, have to make do with pockets). Most leather purses will fit all of your things into sections, although they might not have all of the handy velcro shut pockets that canvas handbags come equipped with.

A leather purse, despite not having all of the pockets a canvas or other material bag often would come with, still works best with many coats and shoes, especially if you have leather or suede shoes.

You can get a small one that basically tucks under your arm and will only fit your cell phone and wallet, or a larger bag that carries your entire life: Blackberry, make up, car keys, house keys, work keys, pens, medicines, etc.

If you carry a purse often, a leather purse is a good basic purse to carry, so you don’t suffer the inconvenience of having to change purses every day, and thus losing track of things or leaving the house without something important like your cell phone.

I curse the day my wife set her eyes on it. In fact, I curse the day it was invented! Oh why in God’s name did they have to be so good at what they did? And why were all the millionaires in the world in awe of their skill? Why did it have to happen to me? Oh why did my wife have to set her heart on an unreachable Italian leather handbag?

If you are even vaguely connected with the fashion world, you will realize that Italy is famous for more than mere exotic ruins and ancient buildings. Of course history and culture have always been the defining aspects of life in Italy. For that matter, the Italians have also been renowned for their food – including the likes of pasta, pizzas and even spaghetti.

But if there is one thing that the entire world goes gaga about the Italians, it is the stuff that dreams are made of – like genuine Italian leather handbags.

Maybe it has something to do with the climate. Maybe it even has something to do with the kind of food. But genuine Italian leather is a class apart. Which makes Italian leather handbags probably the best in the business.

This is why some of the most renowned designers have been using this leather to craft their Italian leather handbags. Add great leather to unmatched styling and a famous designer name, and what do you get? You get a genuine Italian leather handbag that is overpriced like no other!

But jokes apart, ever since my wife set her eyes on an original Italian Leather handbag, I knew that my days were numbered. Being the bringer of a miserable amount of bacon, I knew that I could never ever afford to buy her a genuine Italian leather handbag. But if I didn’t get her the real thing, I would never be able to live in peace.

I had to buy her the damned Italian leather handbag. And I had to figure out a way to do it fast.

Like always, even this time, it was the Internet that came to my rescue. As I plodded along online, dejectedly seeking out Italian leather handbags, I came across a website that offered me the real Mc Coy for a reasonable price. In fact, even after paying the charges for postage and handling, the genuine Italian leather handbag was much cheaper than the ones that were available at fifth avenue.

 And while they were not branded, the designs and styles they were presented in were more than comparable to the ones my wife and I had seen on display.

Ordinarily, I’m not the kind of person who pays much attention to designer labels or brand names. Instead, I try to choose clothing, shoes, and accessories because I like the way they fit or look rather than just because they were made by a certain designer. In fact, I used to constantly tease my friends about their loyalty to certain labels or brands, and couldn’t really understand where they were coming from.

But then I discovered Kate Spade handbags and my perception instantly changed.

Kate Spade handbags have been popular for years, so of course I’d heard of them before. But I can’t say that I really noticed them or specifically sought them out in boutiques and upscale stores. I just figured they were probably out of my price range and never gave them a second thought.

 That is, until I was on vacation in New York City and happened to come across a store that prominently featured Kate Spade handbags in their front window. After taking some time to actually look at and appreciate the various styles and designs in that particular collection, as well as the quality of the craftsmanship, I decided that I had to have one for myself.

Once I got a look at the price tag, however, I realized I would have to put off buying the purse for a bit longer. After all, I was already spending a lot of money on my vacation and wouldn’t be able to afford several hundred dollars on an unplanned Kate Spade handbag purchase. As you can imagine, I was extremely disappointed and couldn’t get that particular bag off my mind.

When I returned home, I immediately started checking all the stores in my area to see if they carried the purse I fell in love with. I guess I was hoping that Kate Spade handbags would be a bit cheaper in my neck of the woods than they were in Manhattan. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough of a price difference to justify speeding up my purchase.

I finally decided to take my search for Kate Spade handbags online. I don’t know why I didn’t do that in the first place since it’s practically a given that merchandise costs less at a web-based store than they do at physical stores.

Fortunately for me, Kate Spade handbags are no exception to this shopping rule. I was able to find a website selling the exact same authentic Kate Spade handbag that I saw in New York for much less than I ever expected to pay for it. I snapped up the purse in a matter of minutes, and had it delivered to me a few days later.

I love my new Kate Spade handbag and don’t regret my purchase at all. Now I can totally understand why all of my friends have a favorite brand that they’re loyal to. As for me, I know I’ll never use anything except Kate Spade handbags from now on!

Walking down any busy New York City street you will see vendors on the street corners selling knockoff designer handbags.  These knockoffs are almost exact replicas of their more expensive name brand counterparts, but obviously are not made from the same materials or by the same companies.

Many times knockoff designer handbags are sold and auctioned on places like Ebay and other high level auction sites.  Since these knockoff designer handbags can be quite deceitful, these websites have strict policies that demand that sellers explicitly state that these are not the actual designer handbags. 

In the past there have been sellers that try to pawn off the knockoff designer handbags as the actual things and then up and leave the auction site without letting the buyers get their money back after becoming aware that they were knockoffs.  This had become such a phenomenon that there are now actually website guides on how to tell a knockoff bag from a true designer bag before even purchasing. 

Also, these auction sites now offer to prosecute if a knockoff bag is sold under the premise that it was real.

While some people have been duped by knockoff designer handbags, there are others that actually seek them out.  There are a multitude of websites that only sell knockoff bags, and make that perfectly clear on the main page.  Also, these bags are now even sold in mall kiosks. 

In addition, there are companies like Tupperware and Tastefully Simple that hire consultants to sell these knockoff designer handbags at parties in the home.  The most popular knockoff designer bags generally include brands such as Dooney and Bourke, Louis Vitton, Coach, Prada and Burberry. 

In my opinion, I don’t understand why we are immersed in such a backwards culture that we would buy a really badly made purse just to look like we spent way too much money on the real thing.  Shouldn’t those that can’t afford the real purse buy a less expensive well made purse rather than chasing labels? 

 And what gets me is that those that actually own the real bags can pretty much tell in an instance knockoff designer handbags.  So really, who are these people fooling?  It’s a sad state of affairs that the reason someone would buy a purse is because it is meant to look like something more expensive. 

Why on earth can’t we be comfortable with what we are able to afford instead of having to look like we wasted so much money on a stupid purse?

Gothic style is unique to each wearer of this “dark side” look in fashion. In rebellion against the conformity of mainstream styles, Gothic fashion is known for its individuality and sharpness. Careful cultivation of this look is necessary, with boots and apparel all chosen with care. Accessories add to the final appearance of the well coordinated and high fashion Gothic costume.  Most popular among accessories is the Gothic choker.

Unlike conventional costume jewelry, the Gothic choker has a distinctive look.  Jewels, beads, leather, and metal are all signature to the Gothic choker.  A common misconception people have about the Gothic crowd is that they have no diversity.

Perhaps you haven’t taken a close enough look to see how elegant this little piece of neck wear can be as an accessory. Gothic chokers come in many styles and shapes. All enhance your femininity.

Everyone should shop the Gothic choker section in accessories and come home with at least one to add to their jewelery case. Take a look on the net and you’ll see the diversity and find something perfect to pair with the little black dress this weekend.

So long as your neck can be seen, a Gothic choker can set your face and outfit off to great advantage in your overall appearance. For some reason, an optical illusion is created with the Gothic choker whereby your lips seem brighter and fuller than is actually the case. Many women feel this is desirable, so a Gothic choker serves almost as a beauty aid. Your skin tone permitting, red lipstick seems to be the perfect contrast.

Basic Gothic chokers are plain lack leather, with a buckle in the back. Any Gothic fashion enthusiast will have at least one of these. This is an every day choker suitable for trips to get milk and bread.

For dressier occasions, there are many elaborate Gothic chokers. With velvets, satin, rich embroidery or set with jewels, these chokers remind us of eastern art work, with their ornate and elaborate designs, with careful attention to detail.

Best of all, even the elaborate Gothic choker can be worn at any time, anywhere. For hang-out sessions to fancy dances, jewels can compliment any skin tone. Red and black jewels are common, usually adhered to some kind of leather backing. 

Round jewels are good for fairly thin people, because the curve of the gem stands out against the sharp lines of a thin person. On the other hand, diamond shaped jewels, square ones, or long strips of gems look stunning on a more  voluptuous person. Extra edges and lines add more dimension to a cushy figure.

Once you’ve gotten your hands on some appealing Gothic choker accessory pieces, you’ll want to get a jewelery box for your new “line” of accessories. Velvet lining adds a classy touch with a little romance every time you retrieve one of your chokers. A compartment with extra clasps is a good idea, in case the original buckle falls off.