Marc Jacobs Stones Joseph Messenger Bag

When I was a schoolgirl, I had a green canvas messenger bag that I carried until an ink stain rotted through the bottom and punched a good-sized hole through the fabric. I used to pin all sorts of buttons and jewels to the front of it – my idea of a fashion statement, I guess. I had one favorite button, a mother-of-pearl, shiny moon and star made of enamel. I lost that button one day in a fire drill and never saw it again – and I’ve missed it ever since. Now, I know I’ll never find another like it, but Marc Jacob’s newest messenger bag, the Stones Joseph Messenger, reminds me strongly of the bag I once had, and the button that once adorned it.

It’s got a soft grained black leather exterior with a gold-toned studded leather strap and a magnetic closure. The bag is hung with hammered gold hardware and has a detachable rear pouch with two zip pockets. As well, it has a detailed interior with plenty of room for whatever you need to carry, be it a file of briefs or a simple datebook. Here’s what I like best about the Stones Joseph: Marc Jacobs has this delicious fascination with Art Deco shapes, and the bag is adorned with a blue metal and stone ornament at the clasp. It’s deconstructed gracefully, in such a way that you can’t take your eyes from it. It certainly makes up for all the ornaments I used to pin on my bag. This alone would get me to pay the $2,175.00, if it wasn’t also an absolutely amazing bag. Barneys.com has it.

Messenger bags are coming back into style for those businesswomen that don’t want to carry a briefcase. The Bally Ririe-00 is a sumptuous leather cross-body messenger made of rich black leather with an adjustable strap. The dimensions are eleven inches by twelve inches, with a three-inch depth. Find it for $653.95 at Zappos.com.

And now for something completely different – Skagen Designs, a Swedish design company, has made a lovely white leather messenger, perfect for the lady who needs to look sharp at work. The Svendborg messenger bag has a smooth leather exterior with an adjustable strap. It looks great with couture jeans, business casual, or even slouchy pants. When a bag makes everything you wear look good, you know it’s a great buy. Get yours at Endless.com for $295.00.