Two years ago, python handbags appeared as a popular trend. From clutches to hobo purses, bags were decorated with snake print, dyed or natural. At first, the skin was tinted with gem or jewel tones, but then this boldness grew out of style, and the bags took a more subdued look for the last few seasons. Black or white snake or other reptile skins, instead, allowed the trend to stay in circulation but made it less conspicuous – unique but not the center of the outfit. In the present, boldness is back – and is far brighter than before.

Recently, Nikki Reed, of the Twilight films, was seen carrying a gold-colored snakeskin clutch. This Michael Kors Hadley Python Clutch, as you can see from the picture, matches her dress, down to the color and texture. But while Reed could have easily paired the gold fabric of her dress with a less matchy-matchy bag, she opted instead to, literally, go for the gold. Even within the outfit, the python clutch stands out with its two stripes in front.

While such a purse costs $900, other affordable options are available. If you go the designer-inspired route, Wholesale Handbags USA has snakeskin and crocodile skin wallets, designed with a clutch style, in several bold shades. Rather than the darker color of gem or jewel tones, the gold, in this instance, enhances the pattern of the skin. Even when made from leatherette, the gold flat wallet, with small rhinestone embellishments, will stand out against any outfit.

Gold isn’t the only shade used for these clutches, and the trend, as of recent, has been lighter but bolder shades – think of hot pink, lavender, or even sky blue. Although “bigger, better, bolder” aptly describes the larger hobo handbags of the present, clutches and wallets are smaller, brighter, and more detailed. Even this hot pink crocodile wallet, embellished with rhinestones, brings out the skin’s natural pattern with a less-conventional color.

By now, it’s old news, and Katy Perry and Russell Brand have already been married. Nevertheless, when the pop star known for “I Kissed a Girl” and “California Gurls” arrived in India last week, she had on an odd pair of designer sunglasses. With a cat’s eye style, the A-Morir shades had a gold chain hanging from the nose to the temple. Going across the right side of Perry’s face, the sunglasses, in pictures, gave off the appearance that Perry pierced her nose and was wearing a traditional bridal ring – on the wrong side. As Starcasm.net explains, Perry wore the ring in the same place that any “lady of the night” would.

But this isn’t really surprising, considering the several questionable decisions Perry has made with her attire over the past few months. From a whipped cream can bra in the “California Gurls” video to the recent Sesame Street appearance that never aired, Perry’s fashion choices haven’t been the greatest. The pair of A-Morir sunglasses, on the other hand, just made Perry look like she was having yet another fashion faux pas at a distance.

The A-Morir shades, from the looks of it, are right on target with the latest trends. With an angular cat’s eye style, the designer sunglasses have frames lined with small rhinestones. A medium-sized gold chain is attached from the nose area to the temple.

While these sunglasses look like they’re heavily piling on the bling, other celebrities have gone after this same look. Earlier this year, we saw rapper Kid Sister sporting studded shield sunglasses, with rhinestones and metal decorating both sides of the frame. Similarly, Snooki of The Jersey Shore also went for the shield look, and was spotted in a pair of designer sunglasses covered entirely in rhinestones – both frame and lenses.

Not all designer brands can be Gucci or Chanel. Some start, have a short but successful lifespan, and then close. Others, such as Ungaro, appear to be dying a slow death, sped up by the occasional poor decision (hiring Lindsay Lohan to be your creative director, for example). Where does Christian Lacroix, a fashion house that debuted in 1987, fall?

According to an article published recently in The Huffington Post, it appears that the brand has not decided its fate and, instead, continues to trudge on by unveiling a line of designer sunglasses. The article mentions that the fashion house has never turned in a profit in all of its 23 years, and Creative Director Sacha Walckhoff wants to take the brand in a new direction. Their sunglasses, apparently, pave the way for a new future.

Lacroix’s sunglasses will be the first licensed product since Christian Marie Marc Lacroix left. The Huffington Post article gives a preview of Lacroix’s new sunglasses, and although interesting, they offer nothing unique at the moment. At $250 to $600 a pop, the designer sunglasses are somewhat of a luxury item.

Nevertheless, the collection of designer sunglasses is promising. With women’s and unisex styles, the frames by Lacroix are generally oversized and characterized by embellishments: a few rhinestones around the temples, some metal highlights down the side. But as far as unisex styles go, the wayfarer and aviator frames seem nearly indistinguishable from Gucci sunglasses, with the exception of a few embellishments.

Lacroix, apparently, went into administration in 2009, and for the past year, the fashion house, which never really caught on, has faltered, with only 12 employees on staff. Nevertheless, the sunglasses, unlike other Lacroix clothing, have a practical appearance and, if the economy improves, could be a luxury item in the same vein as Gucci.

Get ready for colder weather with bold colors, fringe, and snakeskin, because some trends just simply refuse to go away. But then again, when the designers using these looks continue to incorporate them into their latest collections, having them disappear seems far more difficult.

Both of these trends are captured by Burberry’s Fall 2010 collection. If fall makes you think of berries and apple cider, Burberry’s collection is reminiscent of key lime pie and snakeskin boots. Nevertheless, bold colors pervade nearly all handbags, with lime green, aqua, royal purple, and yellow being drawn from regularly, but snakeskin, chopped up and colored in, is also seen often in Burberry’s collection. Additionally, most bags have a basic clutch style.

Prada juxtaposed neon and black last year, giving all handbags an early 1990s appearance. This color contrast is still present in Prada’s Spring 2011 collection, unveiled recently at Fashion Week. Bold colors, with an emphasis on purple and red berry shades, and stripes characterize this collection of clutch and tote bags.

Gucci, on the other hand, seemed to take a back-to-basics approach with its 2011 collection. While brown leather with gold buckles is a dominant theme, Gucci’s approach to boldness is to simply color an entire handbag gold. Embellishments, additionally, are scarce on most Gucci bags, but tassels, like small dots of fringe, pop up on a few designs.

Marc Jacobs, on the other hand, seems to think that Boho is still in, and adding brighter colors to mid-1990s-style fashions somehow makes them new. Nevertheless, his Spring 2011 collection at Fashion Week was different from most of the others shown. If you’re looking for a western look, Marc Jacobs handbags clearly have it, as nearly all designs have a hobo look lined with fringe and tassels.

Nude makeup has been in rotation since the 1990s, and while this might have been a swift reaction to the contour, blue eye shadow, and heavy foundation of the 1980s, the “natural” look has never gone away. As of recent, this look has gone beyond your eye shadow palette and slightly pink lipstick to your clothing and handbag. Spring and summer trends saw light pink and tan shades introduced to all forms of clothing, although these were originally marketed under the shade “flesh.” But, as retailers have realized the un-PC nature of the term (and seem to recall that Crayola changed the name of this shade to “peach” in the early 1960s), they appear to have redeemed themselves with the nude handbag.

AOL Shopping published a trend piece yesterday regarding nude handbags. They claim that these will be the only handbag you’ll need this season, as the color goes with nearly everything. But, as the pictures accompanying the article indicate, the “nude” color extends from a cream shade to Jersey Shore tan to medium brown. Some nude handbags are a solid shade, while others use two shades of “nude.” Additionally, the trend pervades all styles for fall and winter, and clutches to large hobos will all display this range of neutral shades.

If the high price tags of the bags specified in the trend piece turn you off, designer-inspired lines are displaying this trend, as well. Best Handbag Wholesale, for example, has a taupe handbag that illustrates the lighter end of this trend. Barely a cream color, this hobo handbag has a shiny exterior and drawstring closure. Nevertheless, the nude trend is often matte, and Handbag Distributor gives an example of a mid-shade of nude. Their western taupe handbag uses a tan color as the base and incorporates darker shades of brown on the sides and strap. Similarly, Wholesale Handbags USA uses a greater contrast of color with their western nude handbag and uses a western cross and rhinestones as embellishments.

Remember when mini-backpacks were popular in the mid- to late-1990s? How trends change. While smaller was preferred when Clueless was still relevant, bigger is better in the present. Although a decent teen movie in the same vein as Clueless hasn’t come along since Mean Girls, a lack of youth-oriented pictures doesn’t mean that fashion is stagnant.

But, then again, actress Nikki Reed, who has starred in teen film Thirteen and in the recent Twilight movies, was spotted recently carrying one of these bigger-is-better bags. The Rebecca Minkoff Morning After bag she was seen with recently can’t be described as a hobo, however. The purple gem-toned bag has shape – and even some fringe hanging from the base – but the design resembles that of a duffle or bowling bag.

According to the post from Purse Page above, the Rebecca Minkoff bag is no longer available. That doesn’t mean that other brands don’t carry a similar design, however. Larger-size handbags are in right now, be it a boxy one like Nikki Reed’s bag or a hobo, and gem tones are the colors of choice. In fact, darker tones, like the purple used for Reed’s bag, are preferable.

Rather, Best Handbag Wholesale has a few styles that combine these looks. This purple leatherette handbag, for example, has a hobo style and purple gemstone color. The bag is embellished by a black, western-style cross in front. Other styles, such as this sheen leatherette handbag from Wholesale Handbags USA, go with a mellower shade for the gem tone color – think of this as a darker shade of ruby – and embellish the surface of the bag with rhinestones.

Such handbags, be it by a name brand designer or a line of designer-inspired goods, combine simplicity with eye-popping style. Not subtle but not tacky, solid-color gem tone bags go beyond ordinary black leather to give your look a dash of color.

In a sense, all fashion can be considered limited edition – a collection appears at the start of the season and, after a few months, is gone soon after. In the world of sunglasses, however, some designers hold onto a few tried-and-true designs and keep them in their collections, just as long as the look is in style. But, some looks are here today and gone tomorrow – and others are labeled “limited edition.”

The latter case applies to a recent pair of Max Mara sunglasses that hit the market. These limited edition sunglasses, called “Jane,” are based on Max Mara’s aviator styles but with a distinct old-school appearance. The Jane sunglasses are said to be designed for the women traveler and, considering the history of the aviator style, this is appropriate.

Nevertheless, the features put together for the Jane sunglasses have a distinct early-1990s vibe. And, while not to discredit the style in the same vein January Jones’ dress was at the recent Emmys, the sunglasses look like a style out of an early-1990s sitcom – think of Dwayne Wayne from A Different World. In that case, you can ask yourself, “Do the lenses flip up?”

There’s a reason why some late-1980s and early-1990s styles have (yet) to return. No matter if Max Mara is going for classic style or the nostalgia factor with these sunglasses, they’ll be hard to find in a few months, and they’re only sold through the brand’s boutique stores. Specifically, each pair of Jane sunglasses has a silver or metal frame with round lenses and leather detail on the front. The brand’s name is engraved on the side.

In general, Max Mara aims for a classic look and simplicity with its designer sunglasses. Thicker plastic frames, usually in a dark or mock tortoise shade, have comprised their collection for the past few seasons.

Knockoff or counterfeit items aren’t new, and those searching for designer-looking handbags, clothing, and sunglasses sometimes opt for the less authentic version for the sake of price. Designer brands, however, are feeling the squeeze of the economy, and not only are they lashing out against celebrity designers but also against counterfeit brands. So far, this has worked somewhat, as the amount of counterfeit items mimicking high-end products has subsided, but those making and selling knockoff goods have a new target: low-end designer brands.

These are the brands you might see at Macy’s or the lower-priced goods at Nordstroms. It’s Coach, Ed Hardy, Ugg, and many more that are priced within the average consumer’s reach. As the article above mentions, counterfeiters’ aiming low is actually making them high profits. Handbags, for example, ordinarily priced at $200 to $300 each (a price for a Koomba or Coach bag) would be sold through a knockoff website at $180 – a notable discount but not less enough to appear any more significant than a sale.

This last point makes spotting fakes harder for the average consumer. Additionally, as the article mentions, websites selling knockoffs will use photos of similar products from the brand’s website.

If you want to make sure you’re not purchasing a knockoff handbag or sunglasses through the internet, keep these factors in mind: only purchase these products from a reputable website and, if possible, purchase them in stores. If you are purchasing products in a small boutique, examine the quality of the bag, sunglasses, or clothing first. The stitching is often a dead giveaway for poor quality, and the next item to spot is the name plate. Is it sturdy or does it feel glued on? The latter should indicate that the product was assembled poorly and is, in fact, a knockoff.

So, you decide to buy an expensive handbag. When designer brands are considered, a purse by a lower-end brand will cost around $150, while some of the more expensive bags on the market – a Hermes Birkin bag, for example – will cost as much as a new economy car. But, when a handbag is stolen, it’s a fairly significant loss – not just for the money you put on the bag but also for the contents inside. Women, for example, will carry at least one electronic device, such as an iPod, inside and a cell phone, in addition to a wallet, makeup, and keys. Considering a designer handbag is a serious investment, what would you do if it and its contents were ever stolen?

In the UK, taking out handbag insurance is a possibility. According to this article, one in every three British women own a handbag between £150 and £500, and the items inside, ranging from expensive cell phones and media devices to high-end makeup, up the price of the theft even more. An insurance policy for a handbag, for example, would cost £2,500 for the bag and even more for items inside. Banks may give handbag insurance, while some car insurance policies also cover the cost of handbag theft.

Handbag insurance, however, mainly appears to be a British concept. Handbags in the U.S. may fall under the category of “valuables,” and insurance companies offering such insurance policies for jewelry, computers, and musical instruments may also extend the same type of coverage to handbags.

Nevertheless, should you be carrying around an item with you everywhere that needs insurance? If you’re worried about your bag getting stolen, the best bet might not to be purchasing an insurance policy but to find a cheaper-priced bag. Various designer inspired handbags have the same looks as many designer purses but are sold at a fraction of the cost.

Remember the late 1990s, in which every ordinary item of clothing and accessory was emblazoned with a large logo? Some of those logo-centric brands have faded to the background (who wears Tommy Hilfiger and Nautica anymore?) but other brands, particularly for designer sunglasses and handbags, have changed with the trends. The security of the 1990s is gone, people don’t want to be branded simply by wearing plain jeans and a t-shirt, and the appearance of frugality is important. According to a Yahoo article, the shift in fashion is toward “quiet” goods, or products that are made well but are not defined by a logo.

This is particularly important for handbags, as, even after the brand name 1990s craze, handbag designers still went with monogram styles. Coach and Louis Vuitton are guilty of this, but their monogram bags are still top sellers. Gucci and Chanel, however, are toning down their logos. In the meantime, don’t expect any new monogram handbag designs to surface and, if you’re truly looking to go frugal but stay fashionable, designer inspired handbags are the way to go.

When it comes to designer sunglasses, the branding is somewhat more subtle, but certain brands have distinct styles. Ray Ban, for example, is practically defined by their wayfarer look, while brands like Juicy Couture are known for the feminine, oversized shades. Both brands, as well as many others, incorporate their logo or initials on the side of the frame, near the temple, but, as the Yahoo article explains, some of these designer brands are going to tone it down a bit. Sunglasses will be defined more by style – not so much the brand.

When it comes to picking designer duds, style is important and so is cost. Many go with designer fashion simply because of the label, but quality is also an issue. The current lack of logos is simply a trend, as, to paraphrase the stylist quoted, being superficial isn’t fashionable – but having good taste is always in style.