The popularity of designer handbags is at an all-time high. Everywhere we look, from the high street to the nightclub, everyone is carrying a trendy new purse. It seems that we are often so preoccupied with our new handbags that we tend to forget about the people behind the designs. I started trying to develop a shortlist of my favorite designers, but I realized that I am in love with the work of far too many to list. The following are just a few of my favorites.

Chloe is, by far, one the greatest design houses in the world. I absolutely love their work! At times, I feel that some of the French designers are a little over the topbut where would true fashion be without their sense of creativity and innovation. Chloe has been a leader in the world of fashion, especially since the Stella McCartney assumed the helm. Her star power and understanding of classic design reinvigorated a company that was often lacking the cohesive aesthetic that truly binds a collection together. Make no mistake about itChloe is the new Gucci!

Vivienne Westwood has done more for British design that any other designer in modern times. In many ways, the entire punk genre owes her a debt of allegiance. Vivienne was just a young girl during the heyday of punk, when she met a fellow named Malcolm McLaren. For those of you not particularly well versed in your punk rock history, Malcolm was the manager of the consummate British punk band - The Sex Pistols. After dressing the Pistols for a number of years, she opened her own shop in London called Sex Boutique. Punks worldwide have adopted her design aesthetic, and the rest is history.

Monica Botkier is yet another brilliant designer. Her designs are held in high esteem by women all around the world. After spending the early part of her career as a fashion photographer, Monica Botkier has certainly spent enough time in the fashion world to know what constitutes a great handbag. She is able to strike the perfect balance between function and form, and her designs are some of the most sought after with fashionistas everywhere. Monica Botkier’s designs are famous for their detailing, hardware, and innate sophistication.

Cathy Feldman always wanted to be a famous supermodel. When she is not fantasizing about strutting down the runway with her favorite Gucci purse, she writes for designerhandbags101.com - an online designer handbag resource, with extensive information on Ugg handbags, real Louis Vuitton purses, Cole Haan handbags and more.

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Do you feel like you’re stuck in a rut of wearing the same thing all of the time? Feel like you have nothing to wear? Here are secrets to building a wardrobe you love. You will need to dedicate a little time, but the rewards are worth the investment.

Imagine, a closet of outfits:

Wouldn’t you like to never again feel like you have nothing to wear? The first step is to shop at home. Go through your closet to determine what you already have. Try on everything you haven’t worn in over a month. Your job is to evaluate:

Fit - Does it fit well? I’m not talking about just fitting into it. Does it flatter you? There should be no binding, tight-looking pulls on thread or material. Pockets should lie flat.

Appeal - Do you love how the item looks? More importantly, do you love how it looks on you? Does it flatter your figure and coloring? A beautiful item is only truly appreciated if it looks great on. Otherwise it’s a design and fabric waisted. Remember, the goal is to build a wardrobe of things you love, look/feel great in, and can’t wait to wear.

Comfort - Can you move comfortably? Does it itch or caress the skin? I won’t wear anything that itches or sheds (shedding is a major pain with contacts or any kind of lipstick).

Repair/Alterations - You need to decide whether to keep pieces that need repairs/alterations. If yes, make a pile and plans to do it. We all have a tendency to conveniently forget the repair pile. “Rework It” article for alteration ideas coming soon.

Below are some additional guidelines for filtering out the clothes that are just taking up valuable closet space:

“When I Lose Weight” Pieces - Forget it. Just let this item go if it’s more than one size smaller than your current size. Why is okay to keep things that are a size smaller? We tend to fluctuate by 5-10 pounds, especially in the warmer months. Focus on replacing that piece with something fabulous that you can wear now.

Hold Time - Now is the time to purge if you’ve been holding onto something forever. The rule is one year for casual/professional pieces and two years for special occasion items.

Next, outline what you’ve kept. You can simply write it on paper or do it electronically (a table in Word or in an Excel spreadsheet). List your basic clothing, grouped by colors in the first column. An example is a list of skirts, dresses and pants grouped by browns, blacks, bold colors and prints.

The next column would include all of the items you wear with each piece of the basic clothing. Then the third column outlines the pieces you think might work, but haven’t yet worn with the basic clothing. You should also include things you’d like to create additional looks.

An example; I have a pair of chocolate brown cotton twill pants listed in the first column. Additional pieces are white, cream, turquoise, pink and leopard print blouses. I also have sweaters/tops in brown, cream, pink and sky blue, plus blazers in leopard print, brown plaid, tan, turquoise and blue plaid. I’d like an apricot blouse and a butter-soft, brown leather blazer.

The ultimate goal of developing this clothing capsule is to create a list of looks of your existing clothing, plus determine the pieces you’d like to buy to enhance what you have.

Make Sure Those Great Buys Are Something You’ll Really Wear … A bargain is no bargain if it’s in the back of your closet.

Yolanda Keil is a certified image consultant and a confessed shopaholic. She produces two free style newsletters; Style Shopper and Voluptuous Femme. Sign up for email updates at: http://www.polished-images.com/stylenews.html

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