Top Budget Bags for Summer 2008

Summer is finally here and although we couldn't wait for its arrival, we still need to finish our summer shopping! Clothing is easy - flowing dresses, short and long skirts, blouses and tanks - but it's the handbag choices that can be tricky. With so many designer handbags to choose from, it is often hard for us to narrow down or favorites so we thought we'd help you with yours since we have a lot of experience looking (i.e. we love to shop!).

You still have time to score that perfect summer bag (or two) but here our are top looks for the season (oh and did we mention, they start at $15!):


The Cotton Tote

No summer wardrobe is complete without a cotton tote. We decided to pick up this Murval polka dot cloth tote in both black and green because we couldn't resist the small dots and roomy hobo shape. Plus at only $15 each, we could afford to splurge. Murval tote measures about 19 x 11 x 7. The double strap drop is about 13 inches. The interior is very roomy with a center two way zip compartment to divide the large bag. The inside has four large pocket pouches to carry all sorts of things.

The Everyday Bag

Sure your everyday bag for summer can be a neutral tone (black, brown or nude) but wouldn't it be more fun if it was one in one of the jewel tones that are all the rage right now? We thought so. We fell in love withe MELIE BIANCO Shirred Doctor Bag in yellow because it looks very similar to the $2k version we saw in fashion magazines and adorning celebrities limbs and at only $55 we can get the look too. Plus it's roomy enough to use for work which makes it perfect for every day. Melie Bianco handbag measures about 16 x 12 x 4.5 inches with strap length of about 22 inches.

The Straw Bag
No summer would be complete without a straw handbag (at least not in our books) and with so many stylish versions of this casual look, it's easy to see why straw handbags are so popular year after year. Though it isn't as budget-friendly as the other handbags featured, we just had to have the MICHAEL KORS Santorini Straw Shopper. We didn't mind the extra dough because this bag screams warm weather fun yet is sophisticated enough to wear for cocktails out or a nice dinner (the leather trim and shape really make it stand out). Michael Kors handbag measures about 12.5 x 9 x 3 inches with double straps having about a 7 inch drop. Canvas lined interior features 8 inch zipper pocket and 2 patch pockets.

The Clutch Bag

The Melie Bianco Convertible Clutch bag is our favorite for the clutch for two reasons, it is an adorable and original style and it is really three bags in one. You can remove the straps to create this funky clutch, or wear it as a satchel or a simple shoulder bag (seen here). The bag comes in a variety of colors and when's the last time you were able to score three cute handbags for $59 let alone one cute handbag? Melie Bianco handbag raw edges measures about 16 x 16 inches with a single shoulder chain strap.

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