What fun I had shopping at Marissa Collections in Naples this week!  Being located in this tropical paradise, the extraordinary Marissa can style us for every occasion from head to toe, from day to night, with elegance or whimsy, whether we are shopping, lunching, eating at a fabulous restaurant, attending a gala or walking on the beach. 

Marissa is known for her exquisite jewelry and gems, but we’ll save that for another day. I was bedazzled by the bags on this visit.

This Dolce & Gabbana Women Medium Sicily Cats Printed Dauphine Bag called my name — knowing me, then you know why (elegant cat lady apparel pleases me)! And this one has cats on both sides!

This season there seem to be bags for every lifestyle, fashion style, and budget. I will touch on a few of my favorite trends starting with the gorgeous leather Dolce & Gabbana box bag with beautiful felines. It falls into the “smaller bag with a ladylike handle” trend. And instead of an “IT” bag, it is a “SAY it” bag, meaning it sends a message. Designers are now providing places to brand our selves besides a T-shirt. They also like to trumpet their own brand and are doing that beyond just a fabric printed logo. They are more subtly saying their names and portraying our personalities with hardware, charms and colorful appliques.

Click here to purchase the Cat Print Box Bag.

I also found this collection of casual bags showing us another 2017 bag trend: woven baskets with fringe, feathers, tassels and pompoms, in vibrant colors.

Here are a few woven basket bags you may like, too:

Fringe Basket Bag (click here to shop)

Parrot Shopping Tote (click here to shop)

Before I close today, I must mention the trend for larger bags, since I always seem to have a lot of stuff, especially when traveling. In addition to the trusty traditional totes, unusual shaped totes and backpacks bags have become more beautiful, like the one below from Marni: 

Printed Backpack (click here to shop)

Bags can update an outfit instantly. This year’s IT bag can be whatever you want it to be. I look forward to sharing more of my finds!

Tell Me: What’s your favorite purse at the moment?