Last year, at this time, handbags were all about the retile prints, the hobo style, and the tattoo look. But, while anything Ed Hardy or Ed Hardy-inspired went south when seen on Jon Gosselin, the hobo and reptile styles are still in. Additionally, many of the fashion collections seen recently in New York and Milan indicate that bright colors and western fashion – although not necessarily on the same handbag – are here for at least a few months longer. While this means that the reptile or fringed black leather hobo handbag you bought last year is still fashionable, the one with the tattoo rose and rhinestones on the front may not be.

One of the more notable western-inspired collections seen on the spring fashion runways is Emilio Pucci. One look at the handbags all of the models are wearing under the link, and “western” is one of the first adjectives to come to mind. Some of the designs by the fashion line for spring include the basic black leather handbag with fringe, but others are embellished with fur and feathers. The blogger on The Purse Page calls it “hippy chic,” but we’d rather call it western fashion.

On the other end of the spectrum are collections by Mulberry and Versace. Both of the spring lines by these design houses use bright colors and patterns, often juxtaposed with black for a sharp contrast. This is exactly what the Versace handbags looked like on the runway: An oversized coin purse style in black with neon highlights. Mulberry, on the other hand, was all about bright colored prints and hobo styles. Some of these satchel and hobo handbags take the animal prints we’ve seen everywhere last year and colors them in with reds and neon shades. Others in the line stick to the basic black look but with a reptile texture. Essentially, Mulberry sees trends from last year in reverse: Understated reptile handbags and colorful, bright animal print hobo purses.

What do you get when you combine two of the hottest handbag trends of the moment? The clutch that’s seen here on Amanda Seyfried. The actress known for Mean Girls and recently starred in Dear John appeared with a zebra print clutch, as seen under the link, designed entirely out of rhinestones. The clutch, by Judith Leiber, appears almost like a jeweled case instead of a clutch and the design of white and black studded crystal is described as a “sunburst.” As both jungle animal prints and crystal – or rhinestone – studs are two popular trends currently, this handbag combines them both without over doing it and does not become tacky.

We’ve seen other celebrities with jeweled clutches on here. In fact, clutches, more so than large handbags, appear to be embellished more often by rhinestones or crystals. A few weeks ago, we saw Naomi Watts and Kate Winslet both with jeweled clutches. Winslet’s had larger crystals, while Watts’ simply had a metallic sheen on a jewel-toned body.

Such purses often retail for thousands of dollars. In the case of Seyfried’s clutch, the value is almost $3,000, which can be expected for a bag of small crystals meticulously put together. If you’re looking for a similar pattern combining these two styles, Best Handbag Wholesale has various affordable options. One is a zebra-patterned wallet with a metallic sheen which, at a distance, has the same crystal-like quality as the more expensive clutch, and many other clutches or wallets that combine a zebra pattern with rhinestones. For the latter wallet, this design consists of a basic zebra pattern with rhinestones along the edges. As Best Handbag Wholesale specializes in western-inspired fashion, this particular wallet style includes a rhinestone-embellished cross at the center. Either design gives you the combination of these two trends.

In recent news, two individuals, one on a local level and the other a celebrity, have designed handbags to raise money for specific causes. In one case, Scarlett Johansson, the actress best known for Lost in Translation and more ecently Vicky Cristina Barcelona, has designed a handbag to raise money for relief efforts in Haiti, while a teen in Greenville, NY, designs handbags to raise money for his school. In either instance, the handbags are for sale and the money is going directly to a cause, either locally or on a national level as one of many relief efforts.

In the case of the Greenville teen, Liam Manak, a 15-year-old boy who has a dream of becoming a designer, has some of his handbags for sale at a local event. Called Valentine’s Boutique Monday, the event is designed to support local vendors in the Greenville area and also to raise money for a local private school, Tuxedo Park School. Manak’s handbags are entirely handcrafted from knitting and, at the event, will be retailing from $150 to $250 dollars. From the looks of the picture included with the article, many of Manak’s colorful knitted handbags can be used as mid-size purses or clutches.

On the other end of handbag creation is Scarlett Johansson who, unlike most celebrities, has stuck to the realm of performing – acting and singing – until recently. According to this article, her contribution to raising money for relief efforts in Haiti has been through creating a handbag design which, retailing at $29.90, will be sold in Mango stores. The handbag design itself includes ancient Haitian scripts, and the money from its sales will go directly to Oxfam for clean water and similar causes in Haiti. Although Johannson has posed with handbags for Louis Vuitton, this is her first attempt at designing fashion. Maybe a fragrance will be in the works next.

Both Vanessa Hudgens and studded handbags are old news. While the actress hasn’t appeared in anything significant since High School Musical, studded handbags have appeared on every celebrity this past year. It’s a look we’ve seen too much of. The basic design consists of a black leather handbag embellished by silver studs arranged in a pattern of some kind. Many of these have been bullet studs, but others, such as on a handbag worn by Lindsay Lohan, have been triangular shaped or dark colored. Of course, because both western style and rocker chic have been in for about this amount of time, studs are nearly on everything – clothing, shoes, handbags, and jewelry.

What’s somewhat notable about Vanessa Hudgens’ purse are the studs used. The handbag is a Balenciaga and appears to be the centerpiece for her outfit, but, instead of a silver-on-black design, her bag uses gold-colored, angular studs placed at various points on the leather. Although gold and silver studs are seen together on some lesser brands – take a look at the selections in the latest Forever 21 offerings – the gold studs on Hudgens’ bag stand out from their color and design. Think of a chunky gold bracelet added to a black handbag and, essentially, that’s what this Balenciaga bag looks like.

Similar handbags can be found on discount and designer-inspired websites like Best Handbag Wholesale. Some of these designer inspired handbags have the same combination of studs on a hobo style handbag, much like Vanessa Hudgens’ bag above, but the stud option include silver, gold, and rhinestones. The bag under the link, for example, has a line of clear rhinestones around the edge of a beige-colored hobo bag. Other similar handbags still keeping up with the western style use studs of several sizes and shapes around the edge of the purse.

Handbag trends change several times during the year, and a roundup of all notable trends during the ‘00s seems a bit excessive. However, 2009 saw many distinct trends after a decade – and the 1990s – of mostly basic leather handbags. From colors to patterns to sizes, handbags generally saw more of a significant transformation this year than in years’ past. Here’s what we saw this past year.

• Reptile prints. We’ve seen these on other pieces of clothing before but not handbags. Although python skin was the most popular – and this was genuine python skin for designer brands – alligator and crocodile skin both made a distinct impression. While the natural color pattern and texture of the scales was kept intact, many of these reptile prints were often dyed a solid color.
• Hobo handbags. As a throwback to the slouch purse of the ‘80s, hobo handbags were – and still are for the moment – spacious. If you’ve seen someone appear to carry a shapeless art portfolio-style bag over their shoulder, the bag is a hobo. But even on a smaller scale, these spacious bags give celebrities more space for carrying their miniature pet, a la Paris Hilton, be it a Chihuahua or a pint-size pig.
• Studs. Whether you call it rocker chic or western, studs were seen on many leather handbags this year. Not to be excessive, the studs, typically rounded silver ones, appeared on solid color leater handbags.
• Patchwork styles. Combine five different materials on a bag, and you’ve got a patchwork handbag.
• Animal prints. Jungle animals have been the most popular, although cow print has been seen. Generally, these jungle animal prints have seen on a leather or patent leather handbag.
• Brightly colored leather. From hot pinks to royal purples to metallic shades, a solid leather handbag’s color shouldn’t be dull.
• Tattoo styles. Ed Hardy clothing may be seen at your local Salvation Army but, for a few months up to the summer, everyone wanted to have this brand’s tattoo style, complete with studs and rhinestones.
• Western style. From fringe to studs, having a leather handbag fit for a rodeo suddenly became popular.

We haven’t seen too many celebrities carrying around designer patchwork bags, although the labels, such as Coach, seem to think that combining several materials on one bag is the next big thing. Coach isn’t the only brand with such styles, and Louis Vuitton carries similar patchwork handbags, including a hobo style patchwork handbag seen on Jessica Simpson recently. The bag itself, as seen in the photograph or under the link is a standard patchwork style, with the traditional monogram leather Louis Vuitton material juxtaposed with textured animal print. Beyond that, this bag is simply a variation on the typical Louis Vuitton handbag, with the sharply contrasting leopard print popping out at the bottom.

Both Coach and Louis Vuitton have a few patchwork bags added to their lines, and, for both, the patchwork style is simply a variation on their basic monogram bags. From clutches or hobo handbags, each employs a variety of materials that are stitched together. While the monogram material is included, textured cloth, such as corduroy, suede or solid leather, animal prints, and basic patterned cloth are all part of a patchwork handbag. In some cases, for more sharper contrasts, patent leather may even be added.

If you can’t afford the hefty price tags associated with Coach and Louis Vuitton handbags, many designer inspired lines carry similar patchwork handbags. These combine the similar set of fabrics listed above, but the monogrammed material is designed to appear similar to – but not quite like – the designer brand’s style. Coach is imitated more often on these bags, especially with a sans-serif C design that doesn’t quite look like Coach’s and not quite like Chanel’s. Aside from this style, other designer inspired patchwork bags are cloth only. These cloth handbags use a set of fabrics with varied patterns, such as the pinks, camouflage, and cross pattern seen on the bag under the link.

The Grey’s Anatomy star was seen recently with an animal print handbag, More specifically, the animal print is leopard, and one that looks more natural, too. Although Halle Berry was seen recently with a clutch of a similar print, the brand behind Heigl’s handbag is Gucci, a brand sometimes known for monogram styles. Patent leather has been an “it” material for handbags over the past year or so, and Heigl’s bag seems to have this look. If not actual patent leather, the material is shiny enough that it appears similar. Additionally, this bag takes the hobo look and attaches it to a shoulder strap, which has been a rarity for such handbags.

While it appears that the python look from this past summer is past us (at least for now), other animals prints are still popular. We’ve seen leopard and cow prints on celebrities recently, as well as cheetah prints and zebra stripes. With Hermes Birkin bags still a celebrity mainstay, even crocodile skin is still here for now. But, as animal prints or skins stay in popularity, what’s the average consumer to do for such a handbag?

The main solution, if you can’t afford a designer handbag, has been to go down the designer inspired route. Many retailers or wholesalers of designer inspired bags stock up on the latest trends and, over the past year, this has been various animal and reptile prints from cow hide to colored snake skin. At Best Handbag Wholesale, such animal print handbags are part of the product selection, and this includes leopard spots and zebra stripes – sometimes even on the same purse. As patchwork styles are another trend this season, animal print patchwork handbags and wallets combine two popular styles for handbags and wallets that are en vogue but affordable.

Where do you look for designer knockoff handbags? Canal Street in New York’s Chinatown section has been the place to go for years. This week, however, the area experienced a crackdown, with the police confiscating counterfeit items like handbags and watches and shuttering businesses. Although Canal Street has this notoriety, knockoff goods can be found many other places, such as South Street in Philadelphia and the internet. With prices only a fraction of those sold at department stores, knockoff handbags almost sound like a deal. Appearances for such handbags are deceiving, however, and what appears to be a Chanel or Gucci handbag sold at $30 falls apart within a few days.

Some are luckier and swear by knockoff designer handbags. After all, they look like designer bags and, really, only the designers would be able to tell the difference. But finding a high-quality designer knockoff bag is far more likely in a department store. The fashion blog for About.com gives some hints to spot a fake handbag, but other telltale signs include examining the stitching, sewing, and name plate. If the name plate, for example, isn’t screwed on but, instead, appears glued, the bag is likely a knockoff. Similarly, if it looks poorly stitched from the inside or if the zipper gets jammed easily, the handbag isn’t authentic.

One option, as we’ve seen in the product selection for Best Handbag Wholesale, is to go the designer inspired route. The bags don’t claim to be by Coach, Chanel, or Gucci, but the patterns are based on the styles by these designers. At a distance, they even look like the real thing. Another option is to go on discounted designer websites. Often, products with damaged packaging or a slight scratch find their way onto such a website and are sold at less than full price, even at 70-percent less. Both Vision In Style and Kaufman Fragrance are such discount designer products websites.

No, Lindsay Lohan didn’t get her ears pierced in some bizarre rivet-head style. Instead, she was out seen with a studded leather handbag. As we’ve seen on here, many studded handbags from this past summer involved rounded or “bullet” studs. Lohan’s bag, a large black hobo one, is lined with pyramid studs. While pyramid or triangular studs have been reserved for the punk and Goth looks for a number of years, they’re now being seen on handbags. Lohan’s bag appears to have more of a messenger style than hobo, but the triangular studs line the sides and top of the bag in three rows.

Lohan’s look indicates that studded handbags are moving more in the rocker chic direction than western. Although studs fall under western styles, especially when seen on leather or denim jackets, this mostly applies to rounded or flat studs. As pyramid studs have been associated with the punk look since it first appeared on the scene – and haven’t been seen anywhere else, really – a bag such as the one that Lohan’s carrying has a distinct punk look, even if the three rows of pyramid studs are orderly.

But punk and grunge looks are coming back. Although the two styles are essentially ten years apart – more if you consider punk’s origins in the ‘70s – the rocker chic look is associated with both. From flannel to studded handbags, the hottest and most trendy clothing out now is something a groupie would’ve worn to a Nirvana show circa 1992 or a Sex Pistols concert in the late ‘70s. But, for an updated look, none of the clothing, such as Lohan’s handbag, looks like you did it yourself. Instead, you paid a large sum for some designer to stud your leather purse, rip your jeans, and throw a flannel shirt on a mannequin. While this might delve into the ridiculousness of grunge fashions sold at high end retailers 15 years ago, many who can’t spend the cash – we are in a recession, after all – might go back to the DIY grunge roots and create a look à la Rayanne Graff from My So Called Life.

As we go through any trends of this season, as well as upcoming ones, we’ve seen how the use of leather has changed. No more is it simply just a default black backdrop but, much like the desktop on your computer, it can be customized it any number of ways. After seeing studs, patchwork, and bold colors, in addition to western embellishments, metallic appearances are in, as well. Beyonce recently was sporting this look in South Korea with a metallic silver handbag. Appropriately, the bag has a hobo style and is a solid metallic color. While metallic leather has been seen before in other aspects of fashion (remember metallic Airwalk sneakers?), handbags have been going for the bold look recently, so adding gem and metallic shades to the palette of fashionable shades for a purse only seems inevitable.

While Beyonce’s bag is by Botkier Noa, affordable versions can be found through discount retailers. Best Handbag Wholesale, for example, carries a similar purse with a metallic copper sheen. This metallic handbag by BHW has a dark gold or copper appearance and is designed with a hobo style. The bag has a flap that closes over top, as well as medium-length handles that allow the bag to be worn over the shoulder or carried. In addition, this bag by BHW combines two trends seen this season: metallic leather and crocodile print. The leatherette of the bag, as seen in the link above, is printed with a subtle crocodile pattern.

What handbag trends haven’t we seen this season? As handbags are often the center of many women’s outfits, why go for something subtle? In true ‘80s fashion, bigger and bolder is better, and, as a result, a large and bold handbag, such as these metallic handbags or any studded, snakeskin, or patchwork design, should accompany your outfit.