Purses and handbags have been a "fad" type fashion for years. This year is no exception. There is a different style for every personality imaginable!

Listed among the top 20 bags of the season, you will find fashions ranging from short and "squatty" satchels to a totebag style that seems larger than life itself! Odd shapes are also in this year. Colors and prints are definitely in. Large bold prints like wide colorful stripes, large zebra prints, geometric prints, or bold colors such as bright reds, pinks, and golds are also included in the season's rage.

Features on the hottest handbags and purses are the metal accents, such as large buckles, padlocks, chain straps, large zippers, rivets, and the like. The smaller bags tend to have more outside compartments to highlight more of the metal accents pieces. These bags would be used for more practical every day use. The "larger than life" bags are basically one large open area and certainly concentrate on "making a statement".

As any other product, you can find a wide variety of discount handbags and purses, as well as many places to obtain the "real deal" designer bags. Prices can range from $20 to over $2,000. The rage and the price is entirely up to you. You don't have to feel out of place this year, as there is truly a style available for absolutely every type of personality out there in any price range you want to spend!

It’s time to ditch those oversized bags and dainty necklaces – this season is all about the clutch and the choker. Though the season’s chokers aren’t likely to fit inside of all those tiny clutches, the two seem to be inseparable on runways across the globe.

Many designer labels have recently come out with “mini” versions of their famous handbags. Prada, for example, has recently released an entire line of (very colorful) clutches that nearly every woman can happily carry around in her hand. While clutches used to be seen only at cocktail parties and formal dinners, these compact bags are really showcasing the “less is more” attitude that is taking this season by storm. Though clutches are back, you’ll want to skip the classic clutch and go for the rainbow inspired clutch this season. What goes best with a small designer clutch? Why, an oversized choker, of course.

The chokers that are gracing models necks this season are certainly not small in size. In fact, you will find that most stores are now carrying very large chokers, and pairing them with simply frocks. Yves St. Laurent is leading women by the neck this season with humongous chokers that, well, almost choke a girl. Still, these brassy necklaces just make a girl feel good, so go ahead and plaster your neck with an larger than life choker this season. From hats to clutches to chokers – this season is going to be like none other before it ... so, get ready to stand out. If there are two fashion “must haves” this year, they are the choker and the clutch.

Staying one step ahead of the trends is a challenge any fashion conscience woman is interested in. Most of us think that involves watching the runways of Milan and Paris and other European fashion hotspots, but to be truly be unique, try looking to the East. Japanese fashion can be quirky or dramatic, but most of all it's fashion forward, and purchasing those fun Japanese fashions is easy if you know how.

A nine-hour flight to Tokyo is no longer necessary thanks to the internet and the recognition from Japanese businesses that there is an increasing Western interest in their fashions. Purchasing Japanese fashions has typically been difficult: Japanese sellers won't shop to addresses outside of Japan, and there's the issue of currency exchange and conversion. Thanks to online bidding services created specifically to assist Westerners in buying Japanese clothing, this is no longer a problem.

Companies like From Japan arose to allow Westerners to bid on products offered in Yahoo!auctions, but they also offer a service where they will travel to Japanese stores and purchase the specific items you indicate to them. They have links of popular Japanese stores, most in English, where you can make your selections and then contact From Japan to have them purchase the items and then ship them to you, shopping bag included. They charge a small fee for this service, and of course you are responsible for international shipping costs.

With a few clicks of the button, a credit card, or a PayPal account, you can dress yourself in the latest trends from the streets of Shibuya. It's something to consider when you're tired of shopping from the same old shops at home and you want to wear that one-of-a-kind outfit without purchasing an original.

It appears that sources of 'green' fashions and accessories are becoming more numerous. Bamboo is readily available and grows very quickly. Consequently, resources are replenished at a rate making it a valuable commodity. Materials made from bamboo grass keep you cooler and are biodegradable. Corn has long been a staple of diets around the world, and it is now being grown and used to make materials and cloth. The starch and sugar are removed from the corn and turned into fibers that can be woven into materials used to make trendy fashions.

Who would have thought cloth could be made from plastic bottles? Fortrel EcoSpun is made from recycled bottles into 'fleece' that is woven into long-lasting materials prized by savvy backpackers. Unbelievably, milk silk is a product developed from mixing goat's eggs and genetic material from spiders. The goats produce milk that is comprised of fibers that when concentrated are made into silk threads. The US military turned down the use of this product and it is now being used as biodegradable sutures. Experiments are being conducted to determine if artificial ligaments are viable. Bulletproof material has been produced from this odd process. The imagination and creativity of mankind is the only limit to developing goods that are environmentally friendly.

Cleaning 'normal' clothes and those made from 'friendly' fibers should be equally friendly. Bleaching clothes in the sun has been used for centuries. Tomato stains can be removed by the use of lemon juice and leaving the fabric in the sun. Tea tree oil is an excellent disinfectant if you happen to be out of hot water. Grass stains can be removed with rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide is good for blood stains. It can be hard on fabrics so use it sparingly. In time, new resources can be produced to provide environmentally friendly materials that can be cleaned in an equally friendly manner.

Fashionistas are always looking for new trends in order to make themselves stand out. Many designers are looking in unique directions when procuring fabrics and materials to make environ- mentally friendly clothing. 'Green' clothing is being eyed by the higher-end consumers as well as those who have been using and wearing eco-friendly clothing and accessories for years. First of all, a fabric is considered 'friendly' if the substance it is made from is quickly renewable. Next, if a minimal amount of land or water resources are used to produce the material, it is thought to leave much less of a smudge on the environment. Lastly, a fabric or cloth that does not require toxic chemicals during processing to bring it to fruition is highly desirable by environmentally conscious producers of goods.

Hemp, organic cotton, and soy silk are made into cloth. Naturally insect repellent, hemp grows with the amount of water nature gives it. Weed control is not an issue because it grows thick and lush. Hemp has long fibers that are perfect for spinning and weaving without much processing. It takes natural dyes easily and is long- lasting. Organic cotton is grown without chemicals and pesticides. More farmers are taking advantage of the new opportunities to produce materials that are less harmful to the environment. Soy silk is actually made from the residuals of the tofu making process. The leftover proteins are pressed through an extruder and the fibers are woven into thread like any other fiber.

Organically produced materials for belts, shoes, handbags and other accessories are more in demand. Along with the fashionable clothing produced without petroleum and toxic chemicals, the wearer has the satisfaction of having contributed to cleaner land and water as well as having a step up on their friends.

Starck Naked is the name of the Puma and Phillipe Starck collaboration of their new line of clothing. It shall be released around the world during the Spring and Summer of 2007.

The new clothing line designed is body wear for men and women that is meant to accentuate the contours of the human body. There are 15 different styles with choices of material color being an off white or a reduced charcoal color. The material is made of lycra and it silhouettes the body. There is formalwear, underwear and footwear available in this new design line, and it will soon be launched and available in retail stores around the world.

For a brief background on Mr. Starck, he is not only a designer of clothing, but he is an international architect. He also designs vehicles, men's and women's accessories, furniture, household appliances and foodstuffs. He began his career as an apprentice to his father's automotive shop and then continued his schooling as an architect. He has branched out over the years to design other items and products. His brand name recognition has received the appeal of many governments from around the world as he has been commissioned to design the newest and most sought after building projects around the world.

His offices are located in the Netherlands and his website is available in six different languages - the official languages of the countries of the world where his products are primarily manufactured and sold. He has an online newsletter and a web forum for all of his fans/admirers.

When Gucci tells people to “Envy Me” the response is an emphatic: “Oh, but we do!” The signature line that has made couture a household term even in homes that can’t afford it has created some scents that are too good to miss. The “Envy Me” perfume is a light and airy fragrance that is unforgettable.

“Envy Me” is made up mostly of peony and jasmine, but also has some surprising twists in the fragrance thanks to the pink pepper that is also included in the mixture. The fragrance is meant to be flirty and fun with a little bit of an edge. It is definitely a scent that makes others sit up and take notice. The “Envy Me” line is complimented by the “Envy” fragrance. The flower notes in this perfume come from hyacinths, magnolias, and lilies, making it a feminine and graceful choice for those that like to be soft and delicate. Either “Envy” line will certainly have everyone doing just that.

If you aren’t really one for flower scents, no matter how high-end they happen to be, you might be more interested in Gucci’s Eau de Parfum II. This blend takes on more fresh and fruity aromas that won’t seem overly sticky sweet to you, or anyone else. Its main components are mandarin and blackberry, and can be used all over for a subtle, playful fragrance. Whether you go for either partner in the “Envy” line or the fruity alternative, you know if it’s Gucci, it’s got to be good.