Rarely is Lindsay Lohan in the news for something good: no notable movie releases (playing a character like yourself in Machete doesn’t count), no fashion line success, and now charges of grand theft for supposedly stealing a necklace valued at $2,500. Although Lohan’s recent court appearance in a white Kimberly Ovitz “Glavis” dress increased sales for the designer brand, Lohan’s leggings line 6126 has faded out of department stores and is now in the process of rebranding. But not all Lohan news is bad, and similar to a story from earlier this year, the Mean Girls star is designing a handbag line, only it’s her own brand, 7286, and not for Ed Hardy.

Lohan’s designs are already appearing in stores and are presently sold at DSW Shoe Warehouse for $80 to $170 dollars. A quick look at DSW’s online store, however, shows minimal offerings: a few animal print and solid color bags in shoulder, satchel, and tote styles. Although the line will likely expand from these basics, 7286 can be summed up in a few words: dull and unoriginal.

7286 could expand to more designs just like 6126 now includes clothing and accessories. Of course, this is assuming Lohan will have time to design and won’t end up in jail. At the moment, however, why go for a Lindsay Lohan-brand handbag when such styles can be found in nearly every low- and high-end designer collection?

Instead of forking over $100 for a Lohan-designed handbag, find a designer-inspired style with the same look at a more affordable price. If you are looking for a bag similar to Lohan’s in the picture above, consider this purple leopard print handbag from Handbag Distributor. Embellished with rhinestones for a western touch, this handbag uses the same formula as Lohan’s above – leopard print in a bolder color variation.

Animal prints are still popular, but color variations are not the only options. With patent leather still a material of choice, these glossy animal print bags still retain the original colors of spots of stripes but may alter them slightly, as this animal print handbag from Wholesale Handbags USA does. With leopard spots and tiger stripes added together, the design is a collage of two popular animal prints.

Bold and big best describe handbag trends from the last two years. Hobos were in, animal or snakeskin prints covered everything, and studs were the perfect rock star – or is that western? – embellishment. For the upcoming fashion season, some of these trends are still in, so don’t retire your current purse to the closet just yet. Brands Marc Jacobs, Nina Ricci, Louis Vuitton, and Valentino have all rolled out their spring 2011 lines. Based upon what they’ve added, here is what to expect for designer inspired handbags in a few months:
• Bold but solid colors. As Marc Jacobs’ collection shows, you can be bold, but just choose one color. Louis Vuitton takes some liberties with two-tone, bold-colored handbags, but the looks aren’t much of a stretch.

• More shape. As you can see by the Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton bags, no look is shapeless this year. Everything has angles or a slight curve.
• Smaller purses or satchel styles. The latest Valentino handbags range from clutch sizes to medium-sized rectangular styles.
• Texture. Solid colors aren’t always boring. As Nina Ricci’s collection shows, textured fabric makes an ordinary pink or black clutch distinct.

• Quilted Leather. Even though Chanel has had this look for a few years, Marc Jacobs is adding the style – angular, solid-color purses with a quilted or bubble texture – to his line. Could Blake Lively, the Gossip Girl star and face of Chanel, begin to sport Jacobs’ bags instead?
• Longer Straps. While not a trend on all bags, all of these spring lines have a few looks consisting of a thin metal or leather strap attached to a clutch or medium-sized purse.
• Studs, metallic shades, and animal prints. These have been in for the past few seasons. Although Valentino toned the stud embellishments down, don’t expect any of these to drop off the fashion radar just yet.

Slouch purses are on the way out, but that doesn’t mean that bigger isn’t still better. Like we saw a few months ago with Twilight actress Nikki Reed, bigger bags are practical but, from a style perspective, need some shape. Not everyone these days is carrying around a large bag, and Sienna Miller, actress and wife of Jude Law, was spotted with a leopard print Prada bag the size of a clutch. With a strap attached, the leopard print Prada bag functions more like a small purse.

When you look at Sienna Miller’s bag from a trend perspective, animal prints are still in, but big and shapeless styles are out. Could it be that celebs are carrying fewer accessories, leaving the makeup at home? Or is the size of a hobo handbag too excessive for the amount of things a woman – famous or not – needs to carry?

While this leopard print Prada bag costs more than a month’s worth of rent, you can still get the same style at a lesser price. Designer-inspired handbags are capitalizing on this trend, rejecting hobo styles for distinct shapes and a smaller body.

Best Handbag Wholesale has a zebra print clutch embellished with a flower. The clutch has the print all over and the accents – the flower and a few rhinestones – are minimal.

Animal patterns cover larger handbags, and much like the bag Nikki Reed sported a few months ago, these white leopard print handbags have some shape. The animal print, for this purse, has some variation, which we have seen over the past year. Additionally, as many of these designer-inspired handbags from Best Handbag Wholesale have some western inspiration, this particular bag is embellished with rhinestones. Although not as modest as Sienna Miller’s Prada bag, this leopard print designer-inspired handbag is a bolder interpretation of the same trend.

The Situation already debuted his clothing line, which looks like an Ed Hardy knockoff, and J-Woww’s Filthy Couture came to a stop, but Snooki appears poised to be the next Jersey Shore fashion brand, according to a story from the New York Post. Not entirely recent news, Snooki was expected to get involved in designing sunglasses with J-Woww back when Filthy Couture was in the works. Instead of being J-Woww’s partner in crime, the pint-sized guidette is going off on her own.

According to the New York Post article, Snooki’s clothing line will, in initial stages, encompass slippers, jewelry, and sunglasses, all blinged out beyond recognition. Clothing, lingerie, handbags, and beauty products may be added later. Brand Happy Feet, known for the large puffy slippers Snooki wears on Jersey Shore, is already beginning to collaborate with the reality TV star.

Although no designs have appeared, what do you think Snooki’s fashion line will look like? We can suspect that she’ll capitalize on her image, going for low-cleavage clothing and brightly-colored, and rhinestone-covered accessories. But, while Sitch’s line looks like cheap Ed Hardy gear and J-Woww took the lace and corset look too far, Snooki could combine these two tawdry trends or go for something completely different.

Snooki tweeted nearly a year ago about creating a line with zip up hoodies and decals, but who knows if she will follow through. As the overly-tanned reality star is doing a book tour at the moment, her fashion line may take a while to hit stores.

Examining her fashion choices, what should we expect? Rhinestones everywhere are inevitable, and her styles will make such Valentino sunglasses seem modest. Her handbags and clothing, if added later, may even out-bling some of the recently popular western handbags.

How do you change your image from a lower-tier department store for the middle-aged set to a hipper, more youthful character? You bring the Kardashian sisters on board. But considering their recent debit card debacle, is this a wise approach for Sears? Maybe or maybe not. Although no one really associates the Kardashian clan with financial responsibility, they – Kim and sisters Kourtney and Khloe – are often photographed by the paparazzi for their fashion and handbag choices. So with a Kardashian fashion line consisting of handbags, clothing, lingerie, and jewelry coming to a Sears near you, what should you expect?

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that their line, designed for the 17 to 35 age group, promotes a curvy body image. Aside from a sex tape and reality TV shows, though, isn’t this just what Kim Kardashian, along with her sisters, is essentially famous for? The clothing line, as well, will capitalize on their individual fashion choices, but, really, how often does a celebrity clothing line capture the star’s individual style?

If their line will truly take into consideration their individual fashion choices, what would be seen on store shelves? Youngest sister Khloe seems to have the most out-there style, appearing in red and gold in May and with a pair of western handbags at the end of 2009. If we are to take these looks as representation of Khloe’s style, bold attire and western handbags best describe her look.

As far as the other two sisters are concerned, Kourtney seems to be photographed the least, while Kim, despite a rise to fame with a sex tape, appears to go for a classic look. We reported her wearing a Chanel quilted leather handbag back in October, and more recently, she has been seen with Hermes Birkin bags — even at the gym.

Taking each look into consideration, what could this Kardashian clothing line look like? A mix of classic and western handbags and bold style? We have to wait and see.

How many times do you see a studded or fringed handbag on a celebrity and see it labeled as “punk” or “rocker chick” in a magazine? Often, it’s one times too many. As early ‘90s (think grunge), ‘80s (Madonna-esque fashion), and western styles are all in at the moment, how do you tell which one is which? And, if you go western, are you being less rebellious – at least in appearance – than someone with a studded handbag?

Too many celebrities straddle this line and don’t appear to be changing any time soon. But if you’re looking for a celebrity that at least moderately captures this new grunge aesthetic, Selena Gomez and her ripped handbag do it right. While her outfits don’t consist of flannel and ripped jeans, her handbag, excluding the price tag, has the do-it-yourself look that Lady Gaga tried to capture over the summer with the self-studded Hermes handbag.

The primary culprit of this western-or-punk look is the studded handbag. Although Lady Gaga’s studs were put in by hand, most designer and designer-inspired handbags have them organized – perhaps even too organized. While studs are embellishments in both clothing styles, organization is strictly western.

Fringe appears to have this same effect. On nearly all pieces of clothing, from shirts to handbags and other accessories, some fringe has an early-‘90s appearance, the haphazardly cut t-shirt look. Although this look could compliment Selena Gomez’s bag (and not look bad with the skinny jeans she’s sporting), most fringe has a western appearance – think clean-cut leather. Many handbags this season are designed with this look, as this fringe handbag from Best Handbag Wholesale indicates. Additionally, this particular bag takes the western trend a bit further. Beyond clear cut leatherette material and rhinestones, the material is dyed turquoise.

Ultimately, all of these trends will pass, some sooner the better. Regardless of whether a look seems more western or punk, how it fits into your personal style should determine if you should wear it – or put it back on the rack.

Wearing fur – or at least faux fur – is associated with colder weather in various parts of the world, and some designers are capitalizing on this trend. First, Chanel released their line of Fall 2010 handbags that took the looks of winter – fur, ice, snow – to another level. But Karl Lagerfeld and camp aside, fur appears to be an emerging trend, much in the same way snakeskin was two years ago. Considering wearing real fur is somewhat of a fashion faux pas, should you consider one of these handbags – or be prepared to be doused with red paint for wearing one outdoors?

While Chanel’s Fall 2010 collection was all about winter, other designers are far more ornate. Roberto Cavalli, for instance, put out this Squirrel Trimmed Shoulder Bag. With a body made from embroidered velvet, these shoulder bags have squirrel fur trim around the edges.

Squirrel, on the other hand, is considered the bottom of the barrel, as far as fashion and food are concerned. Although the black and brown patina stands out against the gold embroidery of the Cavalli bag, other designers go for higher quality. Christian Louboutin, for instance, has the Eden Fur Ball Clutch as part of its line. Literally a ball of soft fur with a metal chain attached, this small purse uses mink for a subtle look.

Fur, for most, is unaffordable, and these designer handbags with it run into the thousands of dollars – even for squirrel. Rather than blowing a few months’ rent on a handbag, consider the possibilities from designer-inspired products. Best Handbag Wholesale, for example, has gotten in on this look with cowhide handbags. With the same furry appearance but at a far more reasonable price, each of these centers around the appearance of solid-color or mottled cowhide.

Refinery 29 recently compiled all of the looks for handbags for fall and winter. Some of these are retreads of last years’ styles – leopard print, anyone? – while others just go to show that bigger and bolder is often better for handbags. But rather than forking over $300 to $600 just for a purse that may only be in style for six months, here are some suggestions for finding designer-inspired versions.

Leopard Print. Last year, leopard print was everywhere – especially in patent leather and with other color variations. This year, the pattern has gone for a back-to-basics appearance and is found on several styles, from hobo handbags to totes to clutches. Handbag Distributor has a leopard print tote with rhinestones and patent leather.

Satchels. Designed much like totes, satchels give you the option of holding the bag or swinging it over your shoulder. In general, staying with solid colors is recommended, and the top should have a zipper closure, as well as a few pockets. This two-tone satchel from Handbag Distributor uses black and brown leatherette and is embellished by rhinestones along the edges.

Ladylike or Saddle Bags. Although Refinery 29 lists these as two separate looks, they’re essentially the same style: a medium-sized purse with a thin handle attached. Carry the bag or swing it over your shoulder, but the space inside holds a bit more than the basics. An alternative to a clutch, these handbags will hold a wallet, keys, makeup, and other small items when you go out. Find them in quilted leather, print, or snakeskin looks. Designed in black leatherette, these cowgirl bags from Best Handbag Wholesale have the right amount of space and a strap long enough to go over a shoulder.

Bold Colors and Patterns. Refinery 29 mentions red and bold prints separately, but these two looks are essentially one – a handbag that stands out from your outfit. Although red is far more common, prints for handbags have also become bolder. Find both red handbags and bold patterned purses at Best Handbag Wholesale and Handbag Distributor.

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.

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.