CRUSH: Handbag Heaven

Baghaus.com's secret status makes it a gem. While somewhat of a diamond-in-the-rough, the site offers sleek and of-the-moment bags. The site sells a variety of well-made purses, some of which garner inspiration from designer labels, others are well-known brands, and some are Baghaus designed. Users shop by "new arrival," "brand," "trends," "celebrity style," "size," "color," and "price." The site provides some fun features like "Baghaus TV," which showcases the newest styles. It also offers an online chat option where users talk to a Baghaus professional to ask questions about potential purchases. The company is reliable, and items get shipped fast. But the most inspiring aspect of Baghaus is the prices. Purses usually sell for less than $100, and most land in the $40-$60 range.


http://www.baghaus.com/product/649/quilted-handbags-purses
"Urban Expressions Quilted Chain Satchel" $54.00
(Clearly inspired by Marc Jacobs' Stam Bag)

CRUSH: Save-the-World Bags

Most women consider their handbag a totable security blanket. These comfort accessories come in the form of Mary Poppins satchels that hold holding everything from a great read to a water bottle, makeup pouch, and laptop to a small clutch that accommodates a debit card and a tube of lipstick. But these three green handbags do more than make a girl feel secure; the do a pretty good job making the world a little better too.

Belted for Beauty. The Harvey’s are a husband-wife team who landed on a great green idea after installing seatbelts in their 1950s Buick: Their Treecycle collection uses recycled seatbelts. Each bag is hand-made in the U.S. and comes in neutral colors like grays, blues, and browns. Seatbeltbags.com; $124 to $148.

Eco With an Edge. Ecoist makes handbags and accessories from recycled materials like discarded food packages, soda bottle labels, rice bags, soda can pull-tabs, candy wrappers, and movie billboards. Artisans create the edgy looks, and the company ensures fair wages and safe working environments. Ecoist.com; $38 to $180.

Totally Tubular. In Boulder, Colorado a green company called English Retreads makes their purses from reclaimed inner tubes. They follow Henry Ford’s original Model T motto: You can get any color you want as long as it’s black. Englishretreads.com; $169 to $400.