Tampabay.com
AUGUST 23, 2010

Trend de ja vue: Cross-body bags

dooneybourke.jpgOn the list of trends picking up steam every month: The cross-body bag. And why not? This bag so perfectly blends fashion and function that the style goddesses of 2010 have decided it can do no wrong.

Except for when it was so passe. You know, like, six years ago.

I wince every time I see a cross-body bag in a fashion ad. Don't get me wrong, I like the look. I'm just kicking myself over the Dooney & Bourke cross-body bag that I let myself be guilted into giving away several years ago.

My little D&B cross-body bag was an outlet mall score that earned its keep as a weekend staple. That is, until the day I overhead a trendy woman sneering about the fashion frights who still thought Dooney & Bourke was in. I felt like I was in middle school all over again. I dumped my bag.

Within two years, Dooney & Bourke had staged a resurgence. And now I'm seeing everywhere cross-body bags just like the one that I dropped off at the Salvation Army. The experience makes me think that I should never again part with a quality bag, just because it's out of style for a few years. But I'm afraid of becoming all scary and hoardery.

What's a girl to do about the constant cycling in handbag trends?

Deal Diva Letitia

(Photo: Dooney & Bourkey cross-body bag, on sale for $72 at Dillards!)

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THE AUTHORS

Stephanie Hayes came out of the womb wearing high heels. While other kids were reciting multiplication tables, she was learning to calculate an extra third off the half-price discount during buy-one-get-one week. She loves animal prints, black mascara and anything that sparkles. She objects to visible panty lines, Crocs and anything that costs more than a car payment. And she doesn't drive a nice car. She can be reached at (727) 893-8857 or shayes@tampabay.com.

Emily Nipps As a sullen teenager, Emily Nipps refused to wear anything but black, olive green or burgundy, preferably ripped. She has since added color to her life but still experiments with her dark streak. A product junkie, she has tried tons of overpriced face creams and hair products but loves drugstore brands that work the same. She's an Aries and a bassist in a punk band. She has a pet pig, seven chickens, three cats and a rabbit. And just as many lip glosses. She can be reached at (727) 893-8452 or nipps@tampabay.com.

Kameel Stanley has never encountered a thrift store she didn’t like. Her mother taught her that the true value of clothes isn’t how much they cost, but how many outfits one can create from them. Having grown up in Michigan, she was delighted to learn upon moving to Florida that she almost never needed to wear socks or boots again. There’s a lot of turnover in her closet, and she’s obsessed with dresses, necklaces and wedge heels. She can be reached at (727) 893-8643 or kstanley@tampabay.com.

A disciple of the little black dress classics school, Letitia Stein stretches her budget by looking for styles with staying power. She lives for 80 percent off shoes at DSW, floral sundresses and bohemian chic tops. She confesses to being a bit of a snob when it comes to handbags and jewelry. She can be reached at (813) 226-3400 or lstein@tampabay.com.

Coming from a long line of fashionable women, Kim Wilmath considers herself lucky to fit into their hand-me-downs. Her wardrobe staples include her grandma's vintage blouses and her mom's funky jewelry. When she's in the market for "new" items, Kim hits her favorite thrift stores -- a habit she also picked up from mom. But when circumstances require a visit to the shiny stores in the mall, you'll find Kim at the sale rack like a good little diva. She can be reached at (813) 661-2442 or kwilmath@tampabay.com.

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