Welcome to WovenPurses.com. This site is dedicated to all woven bags and more. We cover everything from bag reviews, to recommendations on bagging that celebrity look (for a lot less), to celebrities toting their very own woven bags, proving to us all that they are just as crazy over woven bags as we are.

So what is it with our fascination over woven bags?

Well, it is for the simple fact that a woven bag is a bag that brings character and style to anyone carrying it.

TOP 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT WOVEN BAGS:

If you’re a bag aficionado, here are Top 5 Things YOU should know about woven bags:

1. A woven bag is characterized by the weaving pattern of its material. The technique uses strips of the material interlaced together to create the intricate design. Meticulously done by hand, it is a work of art that always makes the ladies do a double take when they see a woven bag.

2. The very first woven bag appeared in the late 17^th century. This woven bag was created by Native American women who used the bag as container for corn. Back then, the woven bag was made of corn husk. Nowadays however, woven bags are made from different materials (courtesy of www.Nativetech.org).

3. There are several weaving techniques, but the most commonly used in woven bags is the basket weave. This technique creates a pattern similar to a checkerboard with the strips going over and under alternately, interlacing with the other strips, creating boxes equal in size.

4. The most popular kind of woven bag is the one that uses woven leather. The very first brand to offer this kind of woven bag is none other than Bottega Veneta with its Intrecciato line. The Bottega Veneta Intrecciato comes in different shapes, is a celebrity favorite, and is THE iconic woven bag of the century. Below is a hobo variant.

The Bottega Veneta Intrecciato Campana from Bagsbuy.com

5. Woven bags come in different materials. To give you a brief breakdown:

a. A descendant of the corn husk bag would be the native bag made from organic materials. Examples are the Santorini  Straw Tote from Michael Kors and the Rafe Rattan Carrie Clutch . These two (2) are definitely updated and more fashionable versions of the original corn husk bag.

The Michael Kors Santorini Straw Tote, available at Zappos.com

The Rafe Rattan Carrie Clutch, available at Zappos.com

b. For the environment conscious, the eco-friendly woven bag would be a great option. A good example is the Keen Irving Eco-Friendly Woven Tote . It is an interesting combination of haul bags (brown bags) and rice bags (white polypropylene) recycled and woven into this wonderful piece of fashion accessory.

Keen Irving Eco-Friendly Woven Tote, available at Zappos.com

c. Though not as common, the woven fabric bag is also quite appealing, as it is characterized by using fabric strips and interlacing them together to create the weaving pattern. The kind of fabric used will dictate the outcome of the bag. Francesco Biasia’s Miss Allie Woven Lame Shopper is a great example of using a beautiful fabric (in this case, lame) to create a beautiful woven piece of accessory. Isn’t this bag gorgeous?

Francesco Biasia Miss Allie Small Shopper in woven lame, available at Zappos.com

d. The most common is the woven leather bag, but certainly the most sell-able and most coveted as well. The size of leather strips used to create the weaving pattern varies from style to style and brand to brand. The iconic Bottega Veneta Intrecciato Campana is one example. However, you will not be surprised to find that there are countless brands in the market offering equally appealing and more cost friendly options. To name a few:

i.   The DKNY Color Block Leather Large Shopper fashions a basic diagonal basket weave that uses two different colors of leather strips to create the color blocking style.

DKNY Woven Color Block Large Shopper, available at Zappos.com

ii.  The Cole Haan Prudence Satchel on the other hand, uses wide leather strips to create a more pronounced weave. The general look of this bag is more casual, mainly due to the size of the weave.

The Cole Haan Prudence Small Triple Zip Satchel, available at Zappos.com

iii. The Elliot Lucca Palermo Demi Clutch and the Jessica Simpson Rumor Large Satchel use varied sizes of leather strips to create a weaving pattern that conveys texture and irregularity, making the bags look more interesting compared to woven bags that use the basic basket weave pattern wherein the checks are equal in size.

Elliot Lucca Palermo Demi, available at Zappos.com

Jessica Simpson Rumor Large Satchel, available at Zappos.com

iv. The Rafe New York Woven Metallic Mariska Clutch and the Jessica Simpson Runway Bow Clutch offer a different kind of woven appeal as these two use a more unconventional approach to weaving leather.

Rafe New York Woven Metallic Mariska Clutch, available at Zappos.com

Jessica Simpson Runway Bow Clutch, available at Zappos.com

There you have it. Five (5) quick things to help you get to know the woven bag a little more. Do browse through the pages. Read the blogs and feel free to dig through the archives. You will definitely find something of interest. Feel free to post your comments and suggestions, we welcome any input.

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