Consider the sales of a large brand like Mulberry, who reportedly took a commanding increase in its sales over the holiday season into January. According to an article from Yorkshire Post, the fashion designer showed up in the face of bad business climate:

“The group, which designs, makes and sells leather goods and accessories, enjoyed a 41 per cent sales boom in the six weeks to January 14 as the upper end of the fashion market proved resilient to the economic gloom. The Somerset-based company is likely to have benefited from strong demand from its stores in Asia and from affluent Asian tourists visiting stores in the West.”

What makes this story important for store owners who carry wholesale fashion goods is the primary item that brought consumers to stores – handbags. The article says even though slow sales had been reported in various areas, the overall growth shows that a large western style handbag selection is crucial to the success of fashion store owners.

As you prepare your store for the upcoming spring season, make sure you have a wide variety and selection of wholesale handbags for your customers. Don’t just carry a few western handbags – instead carry western handbags, children’s western handbags, hair on hide handbags and other choices for your discerning customers. This will only help with your sales in the New Year!

The celebrity world is something the majority of us will never be a part of – there are a chosen few who ever even get to go to awards ceremonies, never mind actually getting nominated! This morning, the nominees for the Academy Awards were announced, bringing the excitement of new fashion to the forefront this awards season. As we saw a few weeks ago, the Golden Globes were given away to actors and actresses wearing some of the newest western style trends. Needless to say, the Oscars are sure to do the same for many of the styles we discuss in this blog.

Here are some of the fashion accessories to look for on the red carpet this awards season:

Belts and Belt Buckles – One major element of this season is not that major at all – in fact, it’s usually overlooked as minor – western belts. The Golden Globes showed several actresses adding belts to their designer gowns, which may surprise some. However, the idea behind mixing dresses and belts builds on the shape of a person’s body, so cinching a belt with a nicely designed belt buckle is being seen at awards shows, movie premieres and at dinner parties everywhere. Consider this approach the next time you are wearing a flowing dress – you might like the results.

Look at the Purse – Along with belts, other accessories like designer handbags are being looked at closely by style experts and fashion critics. It’s not so much about an actress’s choice of dress as much as the full ensemble – that’s why picking the appropriate clutch is crucial at these Hollywood events.  Don’t forget that this is not only important for Kate Winslet – your choice of handbag is also a huge part of your outfit for Friday night.

Adding Sparkle – Finally, the last accessory to add to your ensemble is western style jewelry, which has always been essential on the red carpet ever year. By choosing the right wholesale jewelry, you will bring out the colors and style you are looking to embody. Don’t forget about the depth that jewelry can bring to your already beautiful look.

The holiday season has come and gone and many retailers are wondering how they can bring huge business into stores during the beginning of 2012. All over the world – especially in Vietnam – handbag sales went up in the last quarter of 2011, showing the extreme potential that this fashion product has for store owners. As you consider choosing a line of wholesale handbags for your shop in 2012, you should think about other fashion items as well.

Consider the success that major brand-name stores have had shifting handbag buyers’ eyes from favorite western-style handbags over to other items like apparel and accessories. An article in Bloomberg discusses how huge department stores are creating “reasons” for shoppers to buy clothing:

“U.S. department stores are leading the charge [to change marketing], with Saks Inc. (SKS), Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) and Macy’s Inc. (M) improving in-house clothing lines and refurbishing women’s departments. The retailers are counting on women to spend more overall and not simply shift their dollars away from higher-margin purses and footwear…”

The article does admit that handbags are not only big sellers, but bring in the big money as well. However, women are still spending more of their money on clothes, but overall purchases have been leaning towards accessories over the last few years. The difference is a little under 3-to-1 ratio:

“Women’s apparel sales amounted to $108 billion in the 12 months ended in September, according to NPD Group Inc. Women bought $22.5 billion of footwear and $5.7 billion of handbags, the Port Washington, New York-based firm said.”

Store owners need to look at their current offerings and adjust to fit demand for western style accessories versus western style clothing. By using what the biggest department stores have recently discovered, you can leverage your sales of both accessories and clothing to benefit your bottom line. Whether you use your full price handbags to sell discounted clothing or vice versa, make sure you have enough supply to support your offerings!

Chap Stick – As the winter months roll in, the cold air is blowing around, causing all kinds of problems, especially for your lips. The colder it gets, the more likely you are to split your lip or just have chapping problems. Having a chap stick at the ready is a great idea, especially since you never know when your lips will be dry. Keep one in your wholesale handbag.

Moisturizer – Having some lotion or other moisturizing product follows along the same thread as having chap stick. If it’s cold out, your skin can easily get dry and cracked and become unhealthy as a result. Lotion will keep your skin hydrated, but only if you have some in your purse.

Hand Sanitizer – The world can be a dirty place, especially if you live in the city. Taking the subway or merely grabbing a shopping cart can expose your hands to a lot of germs that might get you sick. A travel-size container of hand sanitizer is a great option when a sink isn’t readily available. Take it out of your purse when your hands are feeling grimy.

There are a lot of other items you should always carry in your purse, but these should help you get a good start. What do you keep in your purse?

The proof is in the data regarding handbags, whether imported or exported. In Vietnam alone, handbags generated more than $1 billion in exports for the Asian country, according to SGGP. This has contributed greatly to the leather industry in the country:

“Handbags constitute one of the 26 items bringing in huge profits in the leather export industry, and even though handbags, wallets and suitcases are made of leather, they are a strong commodity by themselves. So far only foreign direct investment companies have exported handbags. Next year, the leather shoe and handbag sector is expected to have an export turnover of $8.5 billion; of which, the shoe sector could reach $7 billion and the handbag sector $1.5 billion.”

Leather is one of the bigger products exported from Vietnam, the article says, with a number of different varieties being sent to European countries and Brazil. This data extends to the US market, with the sale of luxury items like designer handbags up more than 5% in 2011. These numbers will certainly grow in the next year, giving business owners more than enough reason to stay up-to-date with their western style items.

For more information about western wholesale handbags, visit Best Handbag Wholesale, a world leader in the sale of wholesale designer handbags.

For instance, a major part of fashion is the palette that designers use as a basis for their new lines. This year, the choice of many designers is quite interesting…and also very bold. Get ready for 2012’s hottest color: tangerine tango. This, according to an article from Yahoo Lifestyle, will be the go-to color in the next year:

“Tangerine Tango, a vibrant orange is the color of 2012, according to the Pantone Color Institute. The fiery hue is expected to chase the winter blues away next year by injecting new energy and boldness into the economy. So be prepared for the invasion of flaming orange outerwear, dresses, shoes, handbags and even eyeliner!”

The basis for determining the next big color in the fashion world hinges on a number of factors, including pop culture, consumer habits and the fashion shows that debuted summer and spring 2012 lines. Interestingly enough, the article says that tangerine tango symbolically suggests urgency and a call to action – this being totally different to the choice of last year:

“It is a contrast to last year’s hot-pink shade, Honeysuckle, which was supposed to channel cheerfulness and nostalgia.  Over the past several years, designers have taken a liking to orange and the shade has slowly crept its way onto the catwalks across major fashion capitals. And next year,the attention seeking Tangerine Tango is expected to be a take center stage with men’s and women’s fashion.”

What do you think of tangerine tango? Are you excited to add this color to your wardrobe?

As I wrote a little while ago, reselling luxury handbags has become a boom industry, especially for fashion aficionados looking to add a level of class to their wardrobe.  Because of this, one of the most important features of your handbag is the return on investment (ROI) on it, as I mentioned before:

“ROI is something to consider when purchasing a western style handbag, whether it is for personal use or you are choosing from a selection of wholesale handbags for your customers. Buying bags that offer resell value in the long run is the way to go…”

According to an article in The Daily Mail, a rare vintage handbag recently sold for a whopping $203,150 at an auction in Texas. This shows exactly how valuable your handbag collection can potentially be:

“A rare Hermès Birkin has set a world record for the highest price for a handbag sold at auction. The red crocodile skin purse, with white gold and diamond hardware, was sold to an anonymous bidder for $203,150 this week at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.The final price far exceeds expectations, given that it had been expected to fetch around $80,000.”

What’s even more shocking is the price of other bags that were sold at the same auction, ranging from $80,000 to upwards of $110,000! I think it’s time to get into the vintage handbag business!

Keeping It Simple – Even the most basic black dress can become a showcase for your fashion when you add a number of accessories. For one, your handbag is a major feature of your outfit when you stick with a black dress. Choose a western handbag that features a number of glittery elements, which fit right in with the outrageously bright and sparkly holiday decorations. A great example is a western style wallet with a rhinestone cross, which will add a bright spot to your demure outfit.

On Top – Layers are essential during the holiday season, even if you live in warm parts of the world. By adding on top of the normal outfits you normally wear, you can build in a holiday element to your existing wardrobe. This can take the shape of  tights with holiday patterns and even hosiery with colors reflecting the type of party you are attending.

Embrace the Cold – If you do happen to live in a frosty area, you need to accept scarves and gloves as more than just a way to stay warm. Mix and match your winter clothing with your outfits to express the holiday spirit when you are window shopping or visit holiday sites with your family. Don’t forget about your western style knit hats as well!

Jessica Simpson – Mystery Bag

Bag That Style, a blog covering everything bag related, is having trouble identifying a particularly shiny handbag that Jessica Simpson is carrying. Known primarily for her remarkably huge fashion empire (worth in the hundreds of millions), Ms. Simpson is lugging around a large tote-style bag covered in multi-colored sequins. While this is a good look for the mommy-to-be, how are we supposed to find this unknown bag?!

Taylor Swift – Fendi Anna Shoulder Bag

Expecting country megastar Taylor Swift to be carrying around a western style handbag? Well she is walking a fine line with this Fendi shoulder bag in light denim blue. The combination of colors in this outfit (at left) is pretty pitch-perfect, showing off her new adulthood and ability to blend American western color palettes with handbag selection. I guess she can string together style as easily as she writes hit songs!

Pippa Middleton – Bulgari Leoni Clutch

As the sister to new royalty, Pippa Middleton has done a remarkable job keeping up appearances since sister Catherine’s marriage to Prince William. This extends over to her impeccable fashion sense, shown in this Leoni clutch, which features a gorgeous antique gold closure. While Katie may have been the star at the royal wedding, Pippa has definitely been showing up big sis ever since!

If you’re anything like me, your closet is never big enough for all of the fashion you own. Up and down the walls, there are western style accessories, cowgirl-style boots, wholesale handbags and all other sorts of apparel that I have amassed over the years. Every once in a while, I start to clean up my way-too-small closet so that I can find the western handbags and accessories that I’m looking for the first time through! However, a recent story has me alarmed this morning, citing that a lot of women never clean out their handbags!

I’ve written about handbag care and cleanliness before, but a shocking number of women apparently don’t take care of their handbags at all. According to The Mail Online:

“…most of us have no idea what else is hidden away – 68 per cent of women never empty out their handbags. A survey of UK women…revealed that most of us carry around the usual suspects: make-up, a mobile phone and a purse. Eighty per cent of women carried these essentials as well as keys, a hair brush, tissues, painkillers, a mirror and an umbrella.”

One item cited by the story was quite surprising – two percent of the women surveyed kept leftover food in their handbags. The 500 women asked about their handbags overwhelmingly never checked their handbags at all – by a whopping 70 – 30 margin. The list of items that were most found in handbags were generally normal though:

• 27 per cent carry hair straighteners
• 24 per cent always have spare underwear on them
• 12 per cent of bags had some sort of good luck charm
• seven per cent held Christmas cracker gifts or cuddly toys

However, I wonder why some women treat their handbags so poorly. Please make sure that you clean out your western style handbags as often as you can – they are too nice to ruin!