
It's chocolate brown up the top and blond down the bottom! (I'm talking about my hair)
If you don't want a yellow bag, then an even more colourful number is the way to go. This one's technically an overnight bag, but I'm sure you'd get away with it for the remaining 12 (or OK, more like 8 hours) of daylight we have to enjoy. It features a real leather trim and is seriously shiny, very practical and cabin-sized if you can't take any more rain and decide to skip the country.
Fortunately, splurging is not something you'll have to do to buy this bag, because it's been reduced from £79 to just £29 at Aftershock
As well as looking gorgeous, the limited run 'Tabitha' shoulder bag helps a very worthy cause, as profits from each one goes towards the Baba Programme (also known as 'Give a Granny'), which pairs up mature women with young abandoned children in need of a loving, caring and safe relationship. The children have suffered mental and physical abandonment in Bulgaria, where orphans are often kept in faceless institutions. Every bag sold will fund a Baba for six weeks.
The bags themselves are made by hand in London by The Bag Ladies (great name!) who've done a fantastic job with this instantly lovable scalloped design. If you're keen to take one of these very special bags as your own, you'll need to act fast as the metallic version has already sold out. But bags are still available in the 'caramel' shade above and also in a deep 'aubergine' hue.
I absolutely adore her zip-up handbags, available in the familiar Folk Flowers, Rose Bunch (pictured) and Vintage Rose print. They're a handy shape and size for everyday use, and are just so charmingly pretty you can't help but want one. £55 from Cath Kidston it that includes you!
Shaped a bit like strange, organic forms they are quite unlike anything we've seen before, her 'truffle' (left) and 'shell' styles are highlights of the collection. I was surprised to learn that Sonia works not in some newly-developed, synthetic material but in plain old leather. She applies her own original technique, however, which gives the bags the structural, textured look that marks them out as unique.
The 'Diego' bucket bag is clearly influenced by Native American suede pouches, and has a lovely softness to it. It's rendered in a hugely trendy spring 2010 buff colour, and would look awesome with a casual-look playsuit.
For added practicality, each bag comes with a small inner-pouch that can be clipped to the interior of the bag or removed. They're fully lined and coloured with deep, rich dye.
Dialog use a special recycling technique from Malaysia that incorporates small origami folded squares of mixed fabrics. The result is the very pretty patchwork-like pieces that brighten up this practical and stylish looking oversized handbag. This one costs £79; a good price for such a unique piece. But there's also a metallic version on sale at the moment for just £39.
I'm loving the tassel - can't get enough of those right now - and the mock croc effect is knowingly chic. The heart-shaped decoration makes for a lovely finish on this bag, which is also available in cherry red.
It's actually a handmade piece from Brighton-based designer Jane Hopkinson, who makes this style (along with dozens of others) in three fabric colours at her workshop in Ditchling on the South Coast. To see more from this fascinating designer, check out her site, where you can find out more about how to order and commissions.
Of course, being a bag you may not want this item to look like a stereo, and I think it has more than enough grace and style of its own to carry off the loud colours - and the boxiness - without looking plain odd like some of the colour block accessories out there. You can also buy this fun hobo in more muted colours, or in an all-over grey; all fantastic choices for an accessory that's a little different.
So yummy mummies present and future take note: Blooming Marvelous is a great luggage label specialising in bags that you'd never guess were full of nappies. The two styles pictured above: 'Oi Zebra' (£85) and Lin & Leo in red (£159) are both super stylish bags to carry your baby's must-haves with impeccable dignity. Watch out for more styles in the spring!
Also available in a royal blue that would work well with a nautical ensemble in summer, or in eminently matchable classic black leather, I'm pretty tempted by this style as an all-round day bag.
Something about the colour scheme here makes me think of ocean and seaside colours, so this would make for the smartest beach bag ever. Expect to see it on bronzed, bikini-clad celeb bodies before April's out!
The classic hobo makes its debut in episode 12 of season 3, to the awe and wonderment of the show's main characters - and it's been having a similar effect on audiences in the States ever since. Kylie Minogue, Mary-Kate Olsen and Rihanna are also big fans of the bag, and have all been spotted wearing it in recent weeks. Rendered in black, the bag is timeless chic, for everyday or evening wear.