Although the unstable economy has not dented sales for luxury brands, celebrities appear to be staying away from frivolous and opulent-appearing goods. Price tags aside, modest and practical handbags and classic sunglasses are the latest accessories spotted on stars. Designers might have experimented with bright colors and textures and opted for smaller sizes at the latest Fashion Week, but if celebrities’ tastes are any indication, classic handbags, like the satchel and the tote bag, made an appearance this spring and have stayed around ever since.

The satchel, for the moment, seems to be the “it” bag – and practicality appears to take precedence over any ostentatious display. Essentially a hybrid between a standard purse and a larger tote, the satchel has all the style the hobo didn’t. Staid enough for the day and stylish enough for night, the satchel is the all-purpose handbag.

A few celebrities have been spotted carrying satchels. Jessica Simpson, with a Celine Triptyque Satchel, is one. Because the pop star-turned-fashion designer doesn’t need to worry about going into an office every day, her satchel is covered in tasteful leopard print — eye-catching but not too gaudy.

R&B singer Ciara, matching her pants with her handbag, was spotted with a Givenchy Antigona Satchel. Even with crocodile print, Ciara’s satchel appears more practical than in-your-face. Unlike the Olsen twin’s glazed crocodile backpack, the “Goodies” singer’s bag is fashionable but not over the top.

Actress Claire Danes also carried an animal print-like satchel, the Reed Krakoff Gym Bag. On close inspection, the satchel has a reptile-like print, but the bag itself does not appear to be made out of actual snakeskin. With “gym bag” in the name, this satchel seems to emphasize its practicality, but its style, again, is eye-catching rather than a Jersey Shore level of tackiness.

Menswear often takes a backseat to women’s fashion. With a limited range of cuts and colors typically, menswear ends up appearing too straightforward and predictable. Occasionally, a pattern, such as paisley or flower print, may be featured more prominently or the cut of a garment may change, but men’s fashion often stays on a straight and narrow path, while women’s clothing veers into new and unchartered territory each season.

For spring 2012, however, menswear has taken a slightly different turn. If you’re a guy who follows fashion and wants to be up with the latest trends, you’ll likely start seeing the following over the next few months:

• Brighter colors. A man has to get out of the blue, white, and black comfort zone and explore other shades. Designers seem to be revisiting the early ‘90s with shades that come dangerously close to neon. While Marc Jacobs in particular seems to be pushing the trend, many others had models walk out in pants the color of highlighter. If yellow’s too strong for your tastes, neon orange, lime green, aquamarine, red, purple, and cobalt are other options for practically every garment – even your good suit.

• Plaid. This isn’t your grunger’s pattern. Think more ‘80s preppy than ‘90s slacker. And, it’s on everything, from pants to blazers.

• The blazer. It’s the “it” apparel for men for this coming spring. Although both single- and double-breasted styles can be found, the former is ideal for casual wear. For every guy’s style, the blazer can be neutral (black or gray), a bright or bold shade, or patterned. Make sure, however, that the blazer isn’t the same color as your pants or shorts.

• The baseball jacket. Spring 2012 is the time to be the high school varsity player you never were. Expected to be a popular item, a baseball jacket can be difficult for an adult to pull off. Go too youthful with your attire, and you’ll end up embodying the mid- or quarter-life crisis.

The clothing takes center stage at Fashion Week, and the accessories play a distant second fiddle. Nevertheless, without fine-tuned observation of the handbags, sunglasses, jewelry, or shoes accompanying the rest of the garments, how are you supposed to know what to wear for the upcoming season? Designer sunglasses styles for spring 2012 have gradually been rolled out since the spring 2011 Fashion Week, and more came out during the last series on shows in September. So, if you’re looking to get up to date with the latest eyewear, what’s in – and what’s out – for men and women?

It’s all about the colors for this upcoming spring. The colored frames of your Ray Ban wayfarers are no longer sufficient. Rather, designers like Fendi and Anna Sui take it a step further and just color the full pair with a solid shade; red, purple, and gold appear to be the most popular colors for women. In the case of Fendi, the colored sunglasses are rimless and transparent. For other designers like Dolce and Gabbana, the frames are solid colored plastic.

Men’s sunglasses, while likely not red or purple, don’t fall far out of the realm of this trend. Expect to find some shades in gold, and if you still own a pair of colored plastic framed aviators, hold on to them.

On the same note, metallic looks are in for both sexes. Although mirrored lenses were a trend for men over the past summer, they’ve now extended to women. Metallic sunglasses for both sexes, on the other hand, won’t just stick with silver or blue; rather, gold too is predicted to be popular. If the mirrored look doesn’t suit your tastes, gradient lenses are making a comeback.

As far as shapes are concerned, the more angular, the better. But, oversized sunglasses are still on the fashion radar for women – just as long as the rims are round. A hybrid style – angular with rounded edges – is too ambivalent, and for a pair, go with either a round or fully angular design – whichever fits your face shape. Or, a cat eye pair has the right amount of angles and curves for women – a straight slant on top and a rounded swooped line on the bottom.

New York Fashion Week 2011 just passed, and while the clothing was, obviously, the main attraction, many designers provided previews of their spring 2012 handbag collections. Although handbags have not changed drastically since last year, designers appear to be going for more texture and are loving angular-shaped purses. If you’re still holding onto that hobo from 2009, realize it’s time to put it at the back of your closet.

What types of trends will you see for the next year? Based on what we saw from the fall Fashion Week 2011 collections, this may include:

• Clutches, some no bigger than eyeglasses cases.
• Bright colors. Think neon orange or hot pink – but definitely not together. If you need to go bright and bold, have a handbag in a single shade.
• Satchel styles, which are practical for nearly any environment: the office, casually walking, dressing up, or going out.
• Zippers may be more prominent. Expect some to go across the body of the bag.
• Texture. Instead of a passerby saying, “Hey, that’s a cute handbag. Where did you get it?”, expect some to ask, “Hey, that’s a cute handbag. Can I touch it?” Designers went all out with texture, from low-key velvet or snakeskin to more prominent feathers, studs, or frayed material. Bottega Veneta appeared to weave many of its bags and then take them apart, making them look like highly-sophisticated and boldly-colored ripped jeans.
• Tailored looks. In addition to zippers, stitches along the edges are more visible, as if to say, “See? This bag was sewn by hand!”
• Angles and cubes. It’s safe to say that the shapeless trend of two years ago is over. Most designers now give their bags rigid angular shapes. Marc by Marc Jacobs even has cube-shaped purses.

Since spring, classic sunglasses by top designers have been the “it”-look for celebrities? And, why not? It’s about time the stars started wearing something practical, a style that doesn’t alienate budget fashionistas. No matter if it’s Prada or Ray Ban, these classic styles stick with black and tortoise, with the occasional gradient lenses, and run the gamut from wayfarers and clubmasters to oversized and aviator frames.

At the same time, though, some celebrities are still having fun with their eyewear. After all, basic black starts to seem boring after a while. Despite its versatility, black often takes a backseat to brighter shades, and a handful of celebrities have been keeping this in mind over the summer.

While bright colors rarely end up on men’s shades, actor Emile Hirsch was spotted in neon green and black striped wayfarers. The design certainly pops out and, with his otherwise-plain look, they say, “I’m casual but still spontaneous.”

Whitney Port of MTV’s canceled The City also went for an out-there look while on the beach with a pair of Karen Walker Bunny sunglasses in translucent orange. Not practical in any way, Port’s Walker sunglasses are strictly for fun.

Rather than go with a bold color, Ashley Olsen’s Prada sunglasses stand out on shape alone. How often do you see oversized sunglasses with curved ends and prominent curlicues near the temples?

Or, as U.K. singer Cheryl Cole shows, embellishments glam up an ordinary pair of oversized sunglasses. Her Swarovski Amazing sunglasses (pun intended, I think) go beyond basic oversized shades with crystals and texture along the edges.

But what if you’re not a celebrity? Certainly a basic black or tortoise pair of shades should be in your wardrobe, but for a bit of fun and in casual settings as these celebrities show, a bright, embellished, or uniquely-shaped pair of designer sunglasses enhances an otherwise-ordinary look. If you have to have two pairs of sunglasses, mix them up: a practical set for everyday wear and a fun one, such as bright-colored wayfarers, you know you’ll wear often.

Basic is back for sunglasses, and it’s rare these days to catch a star wearing a novelty pair of frames, unless it’s Lady Gaga. While Ray Ban always seems to be the go-to brand for such a classic look, Carrera has been spotted on several celebrities as of recent.

One in particular is Pete Wentz, former bassist of Fall Out Boy and ex-husband of Ashlee Simpson. But rather than wear a single pair, Wentz is rumored to have stolen 10 from a recent event. How did he go about doing that? According to gossip blog Socialite, Wentz was supposedly approached by a Carrera rep to wear free sunglasses at Perez Hilton’s One Night, and the bass player is reported to have taken 10 pairs, amounting to $1,600, dumping them in his swag bag. Although the rep tried to stop him, Wentz took off with the merchandise.

Other celebrities, on the other hand, wear their Carrera sunglasses honestly – and out of style. Model Heidi Klum was spotted in Cancun wearing a pair of Carrera aviators at a photo shoot for an ad campaign for her upcoming fragrance this past week. Similarly, former Disney star Hilary Duff, who recently announced she’s pregnant, was also seen in Carrera aviators. But, while Klum went with a basic black, Duff’s Endurance pair seems to take a lighter approach, with gradient lenses and a tortoise frame. Additionally, Glee’s Dianna Agron was seen recently wearing a pair of oversized Margot Carrera shades.

So, what’s the appeal of Carrera sunglasses? As celebrities appear to be going moderately economical with their looks by choosing classic sunglasses, Carrera sticks with basics – no crazy colors and no rhinestones. Essentially, a pair of Carrera sunglasses goes with practically any outfit and will be in style for a few seasons.

In January, the Jersey Shore star mentioned that she was getting into fashion. Since then, Snooki’s empire inspired by her fashion sense and tastes has expanded. While her most prominent items of the moment are slippers and jewelry, the pint-sized guidette is including sunglasses, according to a recent tweet: “My sunglass line coming out in the fall! Black frame pink writing says POOF NATION =D”

She followed it with a twitpic of one of her designs, an oversized pair of sunglasses with hot pink and black frames printed with the words “Poof Nation.”

For many fashion writers and journalists, Snooki’s fashion tastes are considered subpar. Tim Gunn, in fact, went as far as saying her style is similar to a monkey house at the zoo. But, is this the case with her sunglasses line?

While only one design, pictured above, has been revealed, it appears that the Jersey Shore castmember is in sync with the latest trends – but gives them her own style. Celebrities, as we saw a few months ago, are still keeping oversized sunglasses in trend rotation, but rather than the thick frames of five years ago, they prefer thinner designs and a palette of red, black, and brown shades.

Snooki’s twitpic shows that, for this particular oversized look, she chose the latest trend, which is somewhat surprising. Considering the Jersey Shore cast’s penchant for tackiness and rhinestones, you’d think that she’d go for the older look, especially as nearly a year ago, she was spotted in shield-style shades covered in rhinestones – even the lenses.

Nevertheless, Snooki’s style, at least from the single picture, is not subdued – but it’s not overly opulent, either. The colors and wording are her touch. The full line is expected to appear in about a week, so what do you think the rest of the styles will look like?

Recently, Salon.com ran a piece titled “Will Nostalgia Destroy Pop Culture,” in which writer Thomas Rogers interviewed Simon Reynolds, the author of book Retromania. While some may dismiss Reynolds’ remarks about no longer having “transformative decades” like the 1960s as another boomer bemoaning the current generation, his analysis extends to fashion.

Recent designer and lower-brand styles have gone back to ‘80s and early-‘90s trends over the past few years, and some looks are so derivative of 20-plus year old trends that they could be considered vintage pieces. Except they aren’t. While fashion itself goes through 20-year cycles of trends revisited, where do you draw the boundaries between “vintage,” “vintage-inspired,” and “derivative”?

Around the same time the Salon.com article was published, actress Amanda Seyfried was spotted with a handbag that no one could identify on fashion blogs and Twitter. Although no one has yet to determine the brand, the actress’s incorporation of the purse brings up the question: is it vintage or vintage-inspired?

While the worn look of the bag may suggest the latter, designers can make products that are intentionally worn. Remember the ripped and stone-wash jeans of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s? At the same time, because no one has been able to identify the brand, the handbag is likely vintage – or a style that just hasn’t appeared yet.

Purchasing vintage and vintage-inspired fashion can have its drawbacks. The former can be worn and is seldom in new condition; although used, such fashion is the equivalent of antiques and priced just as high as new items on the rack. Vintage-inspired fashion, on the other hand, can start to become derivative, mirroring the mid-‘00s musical milking of Joy Division. Vintage inspired items, such as this Ralph Lauren handbag we discussed a few months ago, too can come with a high price tag, one, such as for this Native American blanket bag, that may be unjustifiably high.

At the same time, some brands, particularly for eyewear, are uncovering their old styles and revamping them. Brands such as Ray Ban, Carrera, and Persol could easily be mistaken as vintage but, because of the neutral and unisex looks revisited, are simply considered “classic” and transcendent of trends.

Designers and fashion magazines seldom talk about men’s sunglasses. It’s as if just black lenses on a metal frame will suffice and simply go along with the latest trends, be it a wraparound, aviator, or wayfarer style. More recently, metallic lenses have turned into a trend for men, although such sunglasses often need more care. However, if you’re a guy looking to do something different with your eyewear and still be in style, the latest look for men is geometric sunglasses.

Celebrities from B-list actors to A-list rappers have been seen sporting these styles recently. Ryan Phillippe, for instance, was spotted in angular Miyagi Dominic 1421 sunglasses. Much like wayfarers, the Miyagi sunglasses worn on Phillippe have an overall angular look softened by rounded corners; with a thin metal frame, these sunglasses can look good on just about any guy.

George Clooney, similarly, choose a neutral geometric look with a pair of Persol sunglasses. With rectangular-shaped lenses, Clooney’s Persol sunglasses have a hint of a ‘90s wraparound style. But, the ‘90s are supposedly coming back, so such a look won’t make you seem dated.

Granted, the look appeared in a music video, but the square-shaped shades worn by Will.i.am give Ray Ban’s Wayfarer Square a run for its money in terms of angularity. Designed by Mykita in conjunction with Rad Hourani, these to-the-extreme square sunglasses go in line with the Black Eyed Peas’ general fondness for less-traditional eyewear.

No matter if the rounded square style of Miyagi Dominic or the sharp angles of Mykita sunglasses appeal to you, not everyone should wear geometric shades. The angles particularly benefit those with softer or round faces, as the style adds some definition. Nevertheless, those with angular visages – square jaw looks – should think twice about going with geometric styles. While the shapes may seem congruous, the angular design of the sunglasses can make a person’s square-shaped face appear too boxy.

As we’ve seen over the past couple of months, celebrities are taking a staid and classic approach to style: unisex Ray Ban sunglasses in wayfarer or clubmaster styles, satchel handbags, and purses in black or brown leather with few or no embellishments. But, at the same time, does that mean your wardrobe needs to be bland? Not at all. Even with basic designs, Ray Ban wayfarers and clubmasters offer a large array of color possibilities, and a two-tone look is one of these.

Teen actress Camille Belle was seen recently in a pair of two-tone cat eye Dior sunglasses. While her look could easily be attributed to simply being a teen, the two-tone Dior shades are truly the center of her outfit, which, even with a western-pattern vest, is composed of jeans and white, black, and brown tones. Against this, the transparent deep red and white shades jump out.

Dior has other two-tone options, especially for oversized styles. These Dior Diorissima sunglasses combine a mock tortoise look on a geometric frame, and, for a distinct contrast, white is added to the ends. Dior Diorissima sunglasses also come in red and black, all with blocks of white added.

The Dior Copacabana is more subtle. With a rounded frame, the sunglasses have metal ribbon-like embellishments at both ends.

Ray Ban, on the other hand, has a full line of two-tone unisex sunglasses. The Wayfarer II is a contemporary update of the classic style, one that intentionally adds contrast through patterns or color blocking. Many frames juxtapose a bright shade – white, red, or orange – with black, with one shade on top and one on the bottom. Others have a novelty appearance, with candy-like stripes going across the top.

If you think two-tone sunglasses would complement your look, how do you wear them? Two-tone sunglasses, regardless of brand, make a statement and, because of this, should be the primary draw of your outfit, not lost in a jumble of bright colors and patterns.