I was told about "The City" last September in NYC by Emese S. (Global Communications Director of DVF in opening scene when Whitney goes to work) who is actually in it so imagine how excited I've been for its premiere-- my friend is on a reality tv show! Woohooo!!! I guess this is a good time to confess I have never watched an entire episode of "The Hills" so I had no idea what to expect (btw-- is it me or is Whitney really stiff when she delivers her lines? And why does she look bored in every scene? I guess I have to remember these girls are not actresses-- or are they? Am confused about this reality tv stuff). Anywhoo, NY social girl Olivia Palermo is also in it-- I guess they're trying to make her the bitch on the show; I've met her at parties and she's pretty cool (I actually heard Whitney's the bitch in real life but that rumor could have been started by Olivia's camp and hey, who says reality is real!?!?). More exciting, however, is that I discovered Kelly and I are also in it when I watched the first episode (well, kind of)-- we were sitting 2nd row across from Rosario Dawson at the DVF runway show when the camera panned across the audience so you can kind of see our heads! Lastly, our fave publicist Kelly Cutrone of People's Revolution, makes a cameo-- we love you Kelly-- would love to lunch again and this time hopefully there won't be an earthquake LOL (yup, a bit off ass kissing never hurts before fashion week)!!! Tune in to MTV on Monday nights to watch "The City"-- even if you turn the sound off, it's good for the visuals of bags and fashion. Or watch full episodes here.

To celebrate an extraordinary new year and to make sure that we are off to a super excellent start, we are giving away 2 fabulous exotic bags from Adriana Castro - our brightest new shining star who we absolutely love and adore. The grand prize is the ostrich Meissa hobo in African Violet, the exact same bag Heidi Klum has! And the runner up prize, which is by no means any less amazing, is the crocodile Annie Clutch in fuchsia. The Meissa hobo is Genuine Ostrich, with a gorgeous suede lining, is worth $2680. The Annie clutch in Caiman fuscus crocodile is $1505. The total value of this giveaway is $4185!

TO ENTER, sign up for our weekly newsletter (you do not want to miss Bag Snob's latest!). You must sign up again to be entered in to this giveaway even if you already subscribe. The last day to enter is January 31st at 11:59pm EST. We will select 2 winners by a random drawing, the first will receive the Meissa hobo and the second will receive the clutch. One entry per person please and you have to enter a working email address so that we can contact you when you win. Good luck!

Thank you Adriana Castro for the sponsoring this fabulous giveaway. Bag Snob readers get 30% all merchandise with code "ACBAGSNOB".

Thank you for joining us for yet another year of bag adventures-- we've really enjoyed chatting up our passion for bags with you! The Snob family looks forward to 2009 and hope it is filled with fabulous bags for all. Kelly gave us the Slobs of 2008 yesterday but before we toast to the new year, let's reflect on the best Snobs of 2008-- it was hard to limit the list to 10 bags; despite our griping, there were more than a few gems this year! Happy New Year everyone, we'll see you next year!

10. Nancy Gonzalez Purple Crocodile Tote -Purple continued its reign both on the runway and off in 2008-- this regal shade stole our hearts and in a fabulously fun crocodile, how could anyone resist? 9. Leonello Borghi Ophida Tote - Possibly the chicest tote to hit the shelves in years, you can never go wrong with a simple black tote.  The python and contrasting white leather border brings a timeless elegance to this basic bag.   Borghi is definitely a designer we are keeping our eyes on!

One bag is nice but FIVE bags are so much nicer, don't you agree? For our December giveaway, we are giving FIVE amazing bags from KOTUR worth over $2300!  Five lucky winners will win of these gorgeous bags.   Fiona Kotur Marin is the creative force behind the Kotur brand and her bags are not only a favorite of Hollywood celebs, they are coveted by the Bag Snobs! We are so excited about this giveaway and secretly wish we could keep it for ourselves but we are in a giving spirit and will choose FIVE lucky readers on New Year's Eve, December 31st at 11:59PM! A huge thank you to KOTUR Handbags for sponsoring this generous giveaway! (JUMP for details of the bags!)

To ENTER just fill out the sweepstakes form with your active email address (we must have a working email address to contact you when you win!). This will also sign you up for our weekly newsletter so that you will be kept up to date on all Bag Snob stories. Even if you already receive our newsletter, you will need to sign up again to be entered in this sweepstakes. The contest will end on December 31, 2008 at 11:59pm EST. Only one entry per person please. Good luck! Sign up now, you do not want to let this one get away!!! Tell all your friends to sign up!

Today is all about reminiscing, I guess the end of the year will do that to you. This Gucci bag is almost identical to the first Gucci bag I owned and loved, it was this same structured hobo with the thin strap, no logo (this has the GG embossed on the leather on the lower part) but it was suede and I used it with dedication because back in those days, even though I had multiple bags, I stuck to just one. But with a bag like this, you only need one, I even went out clubbing with it and it stayed on my shoulder, at my side without falling or annoyance. The straps are adjustable so anyone can have the perfect fit and the scooped top conforms perfectly. It is also the ideal size, 15" x 10" - carries everything but the shape deceives its size so you don't look like you are actually carrying everything. I don't even mind the subtle GG embossing, the upgrades like the easy overlapping closure, adjustable and colors make up for that. Of course, I would get it in the amazing light gray blue because I am not looking for the ONE bag, but this ashy brown is the ultimate if you are looking for THE ultimate. At Bergdorf Goodman for $995.

This clutch from Anya Hindmarch reminds me my childhood in Taiwan (stop scrunching your nose-- look closely at the woven leather detail-- it is unique and different from most weaves). I have fond memories of sitting on white wicker chairs while my grandmother tended to her orchids (she had a greenhouse full of the most amazing orchids). I'd wait impatiently for her to finish in order to have cookies and tea with me. I remember always having wicker print on the back of my little legs by the time she was done but I dared not complain for fear she wouldn't give me cookies! But back to the clutch, the wicker weave is made of woven calf leather strips which gives it so much depth and interesting texture. Lined in cotton and trimmed in calf leather, this is truly the perfect summer clutch for luncheons, weddings, and anything else you can think of. Available in both tan or white but I prefer the all white version. It looks crisp and refreshing, the way a summer bag should. $730 at Anya Hindmarch.com

As we leave 2008, there are a few bags we would like to leave behind with it.  Let's forget them forever but before we do so, let's just have a gander one last time for kicks.  If you own one of these, don't feel bad, it could just mean that you are on the super cutting edge of fashion but one thing is for sure, you will not be revisiting these bags in 2009 and there is no closet deep enough to hide them!!!  As with everything else I do, the numbering is arbitrary but is loosely based on the travesty to its label as well as how much they scare me.

10. The Jimmy Choo Face Canvas was defended by many, at least by as many as there are faces on the bag, but I guess if your face is immortalized on anything with a designer label on it, you could forgive but for the rest of us, we should not. I have nothing against the models depicted here but faces and bags just do not go hand in hand. And the humongousness along with the fact that it is super glossy, as you can imagine just makes it all that more gross.

9. If you want to use the Burberry Warrior as a self defense weapon on late nights out, then by all means, but if you think this is in any way fashionable then you need to arm yourself with a few self help fashion tip guides and subscriptions to magazines that aren't written by fan boys (it's ok if you need to look up that term, it is probably good for your fashion sense that you aren't such a Star Wars fan).

Beauty Snob is obsessed with fabulous curls!

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Purse Blog- Givenchy Sacca Chain Tote

Fab Sugar- Ferragamo goes green with eco friendly bags!

A cute bag with a throw back feel of the flower power era, it is not a serious bag anyone is going to covet but at least it is pleasing to the eye and has some amount of interest. I like the simplicity and the subtle details, like the uneven flap and the vague shape of the flower. The Marc Jacobs label is engraved on the long bar that jets out from the appliqué, it's a nice subtle gesture that I appreciate. This is definitely very young, almost too young but contrasted with a polished sophisticated look, it would be very chic. Obviously, I only care about this bag because it is Marc Jacobs, his perverse reverse psychology must be working on me because I feel like anything that is remotely appealing is a smash hit. But this is not anything close to a smash hit, it is just a bag that is cute because of its name behind it. At Net a Porter for $1395.

As we head in to a new year, one of my resolutions (along with the usual dieting of course) is to edit my bag purchases. Even with all the advice I give about choosing wisely, I still end up buying emotionally and on whim, but hey I'm a girl and I am human so those things will be hard to amend. What I want to do this year is to make sure all of my bags fit these criteria: 1. fabulously stylish (always), 2. functional (this has been my worse mistake, I get awesomely cute bags that don't work with my lifestyle and are not comfortable and easy to wear) and 3. collection worthy (which is the hardest criteria since it seems that I have to majorly give up moolah and trends, but it is not true). Take a look at this Adriana Castro ostrich hobo, it fits all of these criteria, the hobo is the ultimate functional shape, the orange ostrich is more than just fabulously stylish, it is absolutely on trend (Heidi Klum has this in violet), this classic exotic is definitely collection worthy AND the price is such that I don't have to give up my arm, leg and head to have, at only $2680. It has a 8" drop on straps, replete with a hidden magnetic closure, interior zip and cell phone pocket as well as a polished suede lining. Get it at Adriana Castro online, best of all Bag Snob readers get 30% off any order with code "ACBAGSNOB", which means this timeless ostrich hobo is only $1876. So far, I am off to a great start for 2009!!