Editor’s Note: Our Design Assistant Katy had her Dents leather scoop handbag with her right through her western USA holiday last month.

“I loved how versatile it was – never too smart for a day trip out and never too casual for an evening meal in a nice restaurant. Knowing how much today’s climate has made everyone shy away from spending money I just wanted to let all our customers know that a good leather bag really is a good investment for years to come. My bag (as shown here) is still available, but for those who may be slightly more colour shy than me, it also comes in black or mocca. I just can’t believe how new it still looks given that it’s been my hand luggage on 6 flights, my beach bag, and still managed to look presentable in all the high end shops like Prada and Bally on Rodeo Drive!”

 

Every year at about this time I get very excited about one special event in my diary…. It’s Ladies Day at the Races! It’s all about the finer things in life, from getting my hair styled in the morning, to the afternoon limo ride with bubbly, and maybe even placing a bet when we get there. Obviously the dress is everything, but looking perfectly styled is a fine art, and Dents is always my first call for accessories. This year it was almost a case of picking the bag before the dress, but in the end there were so many lovely styles that I had to go out and get a dress to narrow down the selection! Now I have a glamorous Karen Millen dress and a very chic pair of Kurt Geiger shoes, but how do I decide between the endless choices of accessories available here at Dents?! A picture of me as I may look at the races! At the moment I am swaying towards the Polka dot navy ensemble from Dents Spring / Summer 2011 brochure. The clutch is just gorgeous with a very vintage style clasp although I may swap the gloves for a pretty pair of leather bow gloves in Dove (the brogue detail is SOOO hot, plus they’re available on the Dents website now!) As usual what we are going to wear this year is a major point of discussion among my girly group of race-goers, all of whom desperately want to win the best dressed lady competition as if their lives depended on it. One Lady is wearing a beautiful satin Coast dress with this oversized hat with very demure diamanté detailing. It will be the saviour of her fair English complexion if the sun does come out, and she will also look like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s when she puts on her oversize sunglasses, which can be no bad thing! Another has gone for a lace Phase Eight dress, and will be teaming it with this frilly leather Dents grab bag, which is oh-so fabulous, and also has room for the obligatory umbrella and pashmina for when the weather does turn (which it always does!). I am just hoping that I will end the day with my killer heels still on my feet and some money left in my purse, but I guess it wouldn’t hurt to add a Best Dressed Lady trophy to the mix, would it?!  

I snuck  a peek at our autumn / winter collection, and this one caught my eye – a fabulous handbag in a fabulous setting, that photographer got this one just right… more to follow.

Well, this month it’s all about food, chocolate, chocolate and more CHOCOLATE!  Lovely! It’s nearly Easter and Bettys does Easter better than anyone we know.  Luxurious, indulgent, simply delicious, handcrafted eggs, beautifully decorated.  The kind you eat in the utility room, so you don’t have to share with the children! This is such an uplifting, inspiring time of year, daffodils, lambs, fluffy bunnies, and of course a new wardrobe. Always time for  a new bag, a huge, easy, fun tote in tomato red  (20-1310 ). A pretty modern bow bag in rose pink. The start of a fresh outdoor mood, lazy picnics and Summer holidays to follow…

A Spring update from Adele, our handbag designer…

key baby satchel in divine azure, rose, toffee and black

 

Gold piped studded statement scoop

Stripey stripes, essential transition pieces

At last!  The sun is shining, snowdrops are fighting their way through the solid ground and we are finally, tentatively, emerging from  our thick winter coats to embrace the rays.  Hopefully this is not just a cruel trick of nature, and it won’t be snowing again next week!

The stores are full of Spring, Spring, Spring and here in design we are getting ready to shop.  We’re like magpies drawn to sparkly treasures, longing to own airy whites, peachy nudes, neon brights, stripes, sequins, buttery soft leathers, bows, beauty, optimism, romance and glamour…

We’re starting with the details at Dents.  Bags to love…

A soft slouchy scoop with a doubly fabulous heart clasp detail, in delicious toffee, white, dove and black. 

Our signature handbag.  Elegant, understated, so on trend this spring, with multi pockets and zips to organise all the little things that don’t always stay in our heads!  Beautiful colours, toffee, buttermilk, white, navy, berry and black. 

And to coordinate, our useful north/ south tote. With sweet grab handles, and a long across the body strap, in toffee, navy, berry and black, perfect for work and weekends.

Stripey stripes, essential transition pieces to brighten our days.  Very chic, in berry, navy and black.  

 

Spring wouldn’t be spring without some quirky quilting.  Embellished with bows, oversized frames and chains, or simple, zipped sophistication.  Black with white, coffee with cream and white with black.  Just lovely. 

Key pieces to buy now and wear all season, take your pick!

 

So tell me, have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? I still have loads to do – Christmas really seems to have snuck up on me again this year (which is a really daft thing to say… because it’s the same date… every year)!  Must do better next year (there’s my New Year’s Resolution sorted)!

 It’s so difficult trying to find that great present that each person really wants to receive (and I have discovered that smellies* just don’t cut it anymore)!  Thankfully I have a little trick up my sleeve with the Dents online shop.  So, that’s the family sorted… phew! Take a look yourself and you’ll find all your stresses melting away.

 Now don’t forget it’s also the Christmas party season! A perfect excuse for every lady  (and gentleman) to purchase a new outfit (or two) for the festive season. Or you may be keeping withthe classic LBD from last winter.  In which case the easiest way to update it is with a new pair of shoes and a gorgeous bag. I have personally narrowed down your difficult decision to 3 fabulous options:

One – the cute and sparkly sequin number – surprisingly big enough for your all your party needs. It will still be sparkling long after midnight.

Two – the delightful rich jewel coloured taffeta clutch will brighten any party outfit and is roomy enough for all of the essentials.

Three – the stunningly cute, classy clutch in the winter 2010 fabric of choice – velvet. So rich and luxurious, you cannot fail to impress your companions with this little clutch.

Quickly now, hurry off to your nearest Dents stockist, before these all sell out!

Have a great Christmas,

Laura x

*For our overseas readers… this is a British alternative for bath oils and perfume: )

The items featured are available at Dents stockists everywhere…more casual handbag stylesare available at our online shop.

WOW! Is it me or is it seriously cold today! With the weather threatening to go as low at 8c this week, I think it is time I updated my winter wardrobe… and fast!

A major fashion trend this winter is the cape-coat. There are many style options available – from country check pattern tweeds to military style with piping, epaulettes and bold brass buttons.

The cape fits perfectly with our AW10 trend of “Easy Luxury” – a major style trend combining comfortable fabrics with luxurious style. Colours are kept natural – rich camels, tones with fennel greens, dark cocoa browns, burnt tobacco and highlight splashes of berry red mixed into the weaves.

This story needs elegant accessories – a Birkin style handbag in a luxurious crocodile pattern leather looks sumptuous in our chocolate brown leather. And of course long, soft leather gloves.

I’m thinking of teaming my cape with a mid-thigh length skirt, thick winter tights and my new cognac lace-up ankle boots for work. And then dressing it down for weekends with skinny jeans and slouchy flat boots…

And of course, with shorter sleeves on the cape, I’ll need a new pair of long leather gloves for warmth and then a chunky fennel green knitted scarf…maybe a beret…

(all items shown available in our online shop)

If you’ve had enough of that old Birkin bag of yours gathering dust in your closet, here’s a twist hermes birkin handbag on old idea. DecktOut.com- using a points based system, decktOut allows you to exchange those authentic, luxury handbags you’ve grown tired of for ones that are new to you. Every bag they accept is inspected, professionally photographed and verified authentic. You just submit details of your handbag online, receive a point value for that bag based on your input, and schedule a FedEx pickup (2-day shipping is free). Then you pack your bag in a box, ship it off to them, and once it’s been authenticated, your points will be available for you to use on another bag you choose from their site (oh, and there’s a $50 exchange fee which includes 2 day shipping).

I don’t know if Dents handbags are quite what they have in mind… some day maybe…

(thanks to createursdeluxe for this picture of a black crocodile Hermes Birkin bag with diamonds)

What a busy month! We have been gearing up for our major autumn push and with such a fabulous collection of beautiful gloves, handbags and other items in our autumn winter collection, Dents is in big demand from the media.

The shots in the media of our accessories look fabulous. The products are great, of course, but I am also so impressed by what top photographers can do.

So many of us love taking pictures and feel we can create wonderful shots thanks to modern digital equipment, but when you see the moods and atmosphere that can be created by top fashion photographers, it can be a bit daunting! Barnaby Wilshier, for instance, made our long lace gloves look so exciting in a recent edition of She magazine that I went out and bought a pair. Now I will have to think of how I can wear them, choosing a whole wardrobe to go with a pair of gloves is not the ideal way to do things. But I have a friend who was so taken with one of our new quilted leather handbags that she then went and bought a jacket to complement it! Back to front fashion, but why not? Here at Dents we all know accessories can make or break the look you are trying to create.

There has been a lot of recent media interest in our chunky knits in hats and scarves – it seems another cold winter is forecast so we may all want to wrap up warmly again. The trouble with photography is that however good the shot, it can’t really demonstrate the amazing softness of the material. Take our faux fur snood for instance, or our knitted hat and scarf sets, they look great in pictures but you really do need to touch them to realize just how gentle and soft they are.

A flash of colour is surely the way to brighten these dull autumn days. And we have lots of colour in our autumn purses, with brand new motifs and crocodile prints.

The winter’s most popular handbag silhouette is the clutch. Whether it’s fancy or metallic evening style, or casual leather day style, you’ll want to get your hand on one… and we still have someclutch handbagsand other styles available at deep discounts…