This week, we will be discussing two polar opposite types of bags – tiny little clutches and those huge, dog-holding tote bags. At a glance, clutches and totes have nothing in common, except that everyone and their mother has had them out this past week!

First, we have the beautiful and always fabulous singer Rihanna out with a cute little baby blue Miss Martini clutch from Dolce and Gabbana. As always, Rihanna matches her bag flawlessly in a baby blue button up top and khaki skirt. Very tasteful!

Elsewhere, Desperate Housewives’ Eva Longoria was seen not once, not twice, but THREE times with an Adriana Castro Annie bag. That shows serious commitment to such a small bag like the Annie clutch. However, it does look quite fetching with a number of different outfits, so bring it everywhere!

On to the totes! So many celebs with huge tote-style bags! Primarily, I focused on Leighton Meester and Anna Paquin, of TV’s Gossip Girl and True Blood respectively. Leighton’s got herself a gigantic Celine Croc Luggage Bag on the set of her show. It’s definitely a bit out of place as just a standard bag, but would be excellent on an overnight to Paris or two! Anna’s got herself a Chloe Marcie Satchel, which isn’t quite in the tote range, but could definitely carry an outfit or two. She looks busy, so I’ll leave her alone – she just got married this past weekend, you know!

Filming has begun on the smash hit show Gossip Girl and starlet Blake Lively was seen in Paris! Sure, Gossip Girl and Paris will be good, but even better is Lively’s Fendi tote, which completes her entire look. The beige exterior, smart buckles and short straps perfectly highlight the simplicity of her lush green dress and floppy hat. Look for the ensemble on the next season of Gossip Girl.

Lively’s fellow Gossip Girl star Leighton Meester was also seen on set with a stud-free handbag, which is quite a relief. Meester was seen carrying a dark purple Lanvin Mini Pop Bag on her way to filming a scene for the show. Although the purple Lanvin doesn’t quite go with the pink dress, Meester looks good carrying the bag anyway. Her wardrobe could use some serious work however. Sorry Leighton!

And last, but certainly not least, the queen of pop Britney Spears, was seen out with an adorable Coach Julia Leather Small Bag. The Julia (which Ms. Spears had in a fuchsia berry type color) features a smooth leather exterior with long straps for carrying or slinging over the shoulder. Britney was wearing an orange tank top and what’s this? Studded shorts? And studded boots? Just when I thought I was free of this hair band chic, the studs sneak into the picture. I’m just going to focus on the cute western-style handbag.

There’s always hope for next week, I guess.

• Large-oversized bags – Oh, man. It seems like the oversized is never going to go out of style. Year after year, handbags get bigger and bigger. This may not seem like anything new, but don’t be surprised if the bags get even larger in the next few months. Now Paris Hilton will be able to fit two of her dogs inside!

• Soft embellishments – 2009 saw the implementation of huge additions to handbags, like hoops, chains and other large items, but 2010 is being dominated by softer add-ons. These range from rouching (the gathering up of fabric to create a ruffled style) to pleating and weaving of exterior fabric to give handbags a lighter look in color and texture.

• Studs – As mentioned in a previous post, studs are making a comeback, courtesy of Lady Gaga, who loves to adorn her fashion accessories with little metal touches. You’ll see more and more of this in the fall and winter.

The hot colors for winter (reds and grays) have already been popping up this summer on the arms of some of the biggest celebrities and fashion icons in the world. Judging from this slow roll out, these colors and the aforementioned styles will begin to permeate the fashion world and the department store closest to you in the next 4 or 5 months. Get ready to hop on the newest trends in handbags!

Wearing designer goods may make you look like you’re (monetarily) worth more but, when your knockoff purse is falling apart, will you still look good? The fact is, when dealing with any type of knockoff products, including handbags, the quality should come into question. Sometimes, a knockoff isn’t easily spotted unless you look closely. In this case, how the name plate is attached and how the purse is put together, mainly the zipper and stitching, separates a genuine designer bag from a knockoff. Canal Street isn’t the only place for knockoffs, however, and buying a handbag not through a licensed dealer may mean you could be getting a knockoff.

An alternative to this is looking for designer-inspired products. These handbags and other products may not have the label attached to them that, say, a Gucci or Coach bag does but that doesn’t mean they don’t project the same style. Designer inspired purses are an economical option for anyone who wants designer fashion but can’t afford the high price tag. Whether you’re looking for a traditional monogram handbag or one based on the latest trends, be it snakeskin, patent leather, or tattoos, a designer-inspired handbag often has the same type of style without the price tag of a designer brand attached.

But what about the rest of us in terms of design? That’s where Best Handbag Wholesale comes in with its latest styles of designer-inspired handbags. While animal prints ranging from snakeskin to leopard spots have been hot this year, other trends that have remained somewhat secondary have included this patchwork design, as well as western inspired (or rocker chic, if you have to call it that) handbags with studs and fringe.

The selection of new patchwork designer inspired handbags on Best Handbag Wholesale combines various patterns and materials on a single handbag. If you’re looking for a particular style, these patchwork bags are available in hobo, or slouch, styles and small messenger bag styles. The latter includes black cloth lining the edge of the bag. The patchwork style in these bags incorporates patterned pieces of cloth with solid ones. Patterns range from plaid and snakeskin to flower and fruit prints, while solid colors include bold pink and green shades. If you’re looking for a bit of western style combined with modern fashion, some of these patchwork handbags also have a belt buckle closure with rhinestones.

A designer-inspired handbag, however, doesn’t pretend to be a designer purse but it has all of the same styles. For example, some western styles are in this season, including snakeskin print, fringe on leather and suede handbags, and metal studs in smaller and concho-like sizes. In the selection of designer-inspired handbags on Best Handbag, many of the handbags take one of these popular styles and use it for a more affordable design. One example is a snakeskin handbag which, on a designer label, would be made of real skin but on Best Handbag, the material is leatherette printed with purple python scales.

Other popular designs seen on celebrities and on designer labels are also available in the selection of handbags. Some options include quilted handbags in pink or blue shades with frayed edges, drawstring tote bags, patent leather bags in bright colors like purple or lime green, hobo or slouch handbag styles, and monogram bags. If you’re looking for designer style at an affordable price, go with a designer-inspired handbag by Best Handbag Wholesale for high-fashion style.

One such popular trend that can be seen this season on Best Handbag Wholesale is snakeskin. Many wholesale handbag dealers like Best Handbag are carrying this pattern in both the natural colors of a snake’s scales and also dyed. In the selection of products on Best Handbag Wholesale, some of these snakeskin handbags are dyed partially or fully in purple, pink, or blue. Aside from snakeskin, other animal skin patterns are popular for the summer of 2009, and that includes animal prints like leopard and zebra and other reptile patterns like crocodile and alligator skin. These, too, appear natural or dyed.

For women’s western fashion, another popular trend seen on many wholesale handbags this season, particularly designer inspired wholesale handbags, is rhinestones and studs, as can be seen in the picture above. Studs and rhinestones can be seen on even bags by the top designers and on bags that are more affordable. Both studs and rhinestones cover the outer appearance of a handbag and these can be silver or colored. While many may think of studs are being more of a punk fashion statement than western fashion, it all has to do with the presentation. Studs on many wholesale handbags aren’t haphazard and, instead, outline portions of the handbag or appear in rows on the top or sides of the handbag. These studs or rhinestones are then accompanied by a large buckle for a truly western touch.