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Dear Bag Snob,
I am saving to buy the YSL lizard embossed Easy or Muse bag, do you think it is snob worthy?  I love the look of exotics but can not afford to buy the 5 figure version. I am still in college and will pay for this bag with my summer job. It will be my only bag purchase this year so I don't want to make a mistake!  I like the Easy a bit better but will it last like the Muse did?  I am grateful for any advice!
Respectfully, Snob in training

Dear Snob in training,
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the YSL embossed lizard bags! As we always say, buy the best bag you can afford and if your budget allows you a lizard embossed suede Easy tote (17" medium is $1,195 and the 12" small is $995) and you love it, then you must get it!  The suede version is so lush and rich--  I love the iconic Muse but the Easy is more youthful and will see you through the school year and beyond. YSL Bags at Saks.  Good luck and enjoy your bag no matter what anyone else says, after all, you are the one working to buy it and you are the one carrying it! 

Much love, Bag Snob

I understand the need to be creative and I certainly appreciate it when designers go out on a limb to make something really unique for our enjoyment. But sometimes things are better left in its conceptualization stage. Like this Snake print (is it pleather?) bag from Miu Miu. We generally go ga ga for Miu Miu but we have no love for this strange red and black geometric (Chinese Checkers anyone?) print bag. It's just so busy and the colors so loud that I feel overstimulated looking at it (I never knew that word existed until I had a baby.  Suddenly, everything is an over stimulation risk!).   I am also fixated on the pattern of the checkers and am convinced Miuccia placed a code there. If you stare at it long enough, you might be able to crack the code, or get really dizzy.  Try it, and tell me what you think.

 Miu Miu Geometric Snake Print Bag- $1,150 at Net-a-porter.com

Let me put this delicately, even if this was the last bag on earth and free, I wouldn't carry it. I can't imagine what went through MJ's mind when he designed/approved of this awful thing (well, I can imagine but I'm not going to say it). I tried to make the photos as small as possible as to not frighten you with a nightmare before Christmas but it was necessary to show all the gruesome details of this ghastly bag. To make matters worse, it appears the entire cast of Escape to Madagascar were used for the bag (I adore that movie-- I like to move it move it!). The poor animals-- had they known this would happen they would have stayed in the NYC Zoo! I can't even tell how you're supposed to open the bag, or perhaps the bag is merely decorative!?!?! Will have to request sample to investigate further but we are not the most popular people at Marc Jacobs. Such a shame because I'd love to sit with him and just watch him at work. Then I can explain the madness genius to you all. MARC JACOBS - LAYERED SAHARA TOP HANDLE 1,749.00 EUR/2,438.33 USD at Luisa Via Roma.

Enough of what I think, what say you my lovelies? Snob or Slob?

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When I started Bag Snob, it wasn't about trying to be a snob about anything, I just wanted to have fun indulging in extravagance to fill my free time and who wouldn't right? It's like when you have guests over for dinner, you don't serve diet cake, you bring out the most decadent chocolate fudge cake! If you ever meet me you will see that I am by far the un-snobbiest person out there. My point is, you obviously do not need to be a label whore to be stylish and chic, it is almost the opposite. I mean, do I own a Birkin, Chanel, Bottega, etc? Yes, but I never do head to toe in it. And I feel like I am cheating when I use my bags as the center piece, it is why I love bags because it is true, all you need is a good bag, but to really be hip, it takes a bit more than that. You certainly do not need to spend thousands to achieve true style. If you can walk in to TJ Maxx and come out with a fabulous outfit, you have way more clue than anyone living on Park Ave. Not that this Michael by Michael Kors clutch is the answer to economic bohemian chic but I love that it has personality and that's the key to everything. The cutout handle is all rage (yes, still) and haircalf is considered an exotic, at least it is not traditional leather and that's really the crux of the "exotic" trend. I am not an animal print girl but this is a small bag (12 3/4" x 8 1/2") so it just adds a splash of it for some fun. For $348 you get a bag that is on-trend, functional and can be made all your own. At Vivre.com.

Does the Dior stamped croc tote for Fall look eerily familiar to you? I don't think it takes a genius to see where its inspiration is drawn from. Not only is the shape uncanny to the YSL tribute tote (which came out last year), they even went as far as using a stamped croc leather, as if no one would notice?!?! So the handle is slightly different and they added an outer pocket but everything else (including the dangling logo) is too similar to ignore! I was discussing bags with a friend who is a director at a large fashion house in New York last year and she had said-- "Everyone in the bag business wants to be YSL." Apparently, Dior does, too. Of course, it could be er.... coincidence. As in, pigs fly south each winter. Dior $1,895 at eLuxury and YSL Tribute tote $1,395 at Saks.com

How sexy is the sleek and chic D'abo snakeskin minaudiere from Kotur? I love the slightly rounded boxy shape, it really shows off the beautiful snakeskin texture and is a timeless classic. The dazzling colors complemented by jeweled clasps is also utterly glamorous; dress up a pair of wide legged J Brand jeans or rock it with a floor length gown, this is a versatile piece that you will feel love towards for years! It is really too yummy to pass up, wait til you read the price, you will want both colors! It's around 9"x3"x7", which is roomy enough for all the lip gloss you require for a nice evening out. Vivre is one of my absolute favorite sites to shop at, it's full of uniquely luxurious items that you won't find elsewhere. The owner, Eva Jeanbart-Lorenzotti, scours the world for fabulous finds that you will treasure for a lifetime, like the Kotur D'abo minaudiere. $395 at Vivre.com

Another stunner from YSL that will appeal to snobs of all ages and tastes, the Catwalk bag in Nubuck embossed crocodile in a subtle glimmering shade of gray. Currently the object of obsession for many fashion editors, it is also one of my favorite bags of the season. The 70's influenced flap bag is enhanced by a flat edge shoulder strap ensuring the bag stays where it belongs, on your shoulder. I am so conflicted this season, there are so many amazing bags tempting me and I want it all! Kelly and I ask each other to edit our purchases (someone has to control us as we have no self control! And no, our hubbies definitely have no control nor say over our purchases, we do what we please when it comes to bags, they know to keep quiet and stay out of the way.) and I will have to ask her to talk me out of this one as I have talked her out of the purple Marni patent she is yearning for (why do we have to control ourselves you ask? Because we have more bags than our little arms have time to carry and if we buy every bag we review, we would need to buy a warehouse to store all of it!). But those of you who don't have the same problem and are looking for the bag of the season that will last you for many years, this is the one for you! $1,595 Yves Saint Laurent at Saks Fifth Avenue.