Lady dress: Spring 2011: Drawstring Bags

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Spring 2011: Drawstring Bags

Fashion consultants and stylists often advise women to weed out the old clothing and accessories from their closets. They suggest policies like: "If you haven't worn it in two years, get rid of it." I understand this sort of advice in principle. However, personally, if I followed the two-year rule, I would have missed out on using some things I've grown to love.

Case in point: The Gucci bag at the top of this post. My mother-in-law gave me that bag for my birthday about 14 years ago. Other than one or two occasions, when I knew my M-I-L would be present, I never used it. Back then, I had young boys and I had a wardrobe that might be best described as "rough-and-tumble." A white handbag seemed too vulnerable for my lifestyle. Now, fast forward more than a decade and guess what? I can't wait to use this bag. My youngest boy is in college, white is oh-so trendy for spring 2011, and I'm loving the bag's drawstring design.

So I guess you might say my personal policy is, "yes, weed out, but do it very carefully." Obviously, if the garment in question is worn out--faded, stained, unraveling--it's a no-brainer. Give it the heave-ho. But garments and accessories that are good quality and hardly worn might be worth keeping--even for 14 years! Right now I've got my eye on an Armani black jacket in my closet. Trust me when I say it's not in style right now. But it's in perfect condition and it flatters my figure. I haven't worn it in several years, but I'm not giving up on it.

Meanwhile, drawstring and bucket style handbags seem to be making the scene this spring. Below are a few styles that caught my eye at eBags. Some of them are currently reduced 20%. Click on the photos for details or to go to the ebag site for more handbags.