Don't Let it rain on your parade

On this wet and windy day, don't let the weather dictate your fashion choices, instead have fun with these stylish umbrellas. Here at CarrieMe HQ we like to stand out on our commute home.

Timeless and Chic

We can't resist this Lulu Guinness' iconic Big Ben and Tower Bridge design - it will definitely make you stand out from the crowd.... and as you know at CarrieMe we're just mad about London.

London Print Umbrella- Lulu Guinness 

Technological Design

For those looking for a more techy design, try the Senz Original which withstands winds of up to 70 mph - just the thing for London today, so I don't have to worry about my umbrella turning inside out and breaking.... plus the added bonus, its available in lots of colours including our favourite brand colour purple!  

Senz Original

Arty and different

Having met the 2 designers of this product, I think its fab idea for those wanting to be a bit arty and different. Try Squid London's London Skyline Squidarella, which has some nifty ink technology which activates colour on contact with water, so put a smile on everyone's face as they watch it change.  

Squid London- London Skyline Squidarella

Now that you're dry, you can turn your thoughts to the next stage - what do you do with your wet umbrella once you're on the tube or bus or need both hands for things like shopping?  I mean you don't really want to just stuff your wet umbrella into your bag and get everything wet - purse, mobile, makeup and all the other treasures we absolutely need on a daily basis.

So at CarrieMe, we decided to create the CarrieMore Clip just so that you could attach your umbrella to the outside of your bag, keeping both hands free and most importantly, everything else dry!  Go on give it a try!

CarrieMore Clip by CarrieMe

CarrieMe- CarrieMore Clip

The best handbags are in London!

Did you know that it wasn't until the 1920s that handbags really came into their own.  At this time, they were a symbol for female independence - a woman with a handbag could travel without a man, carrying her own things, which was a revolutionary concept in those days... as don't forget, women used to be considered the property of men, thank goodness things have moved on!  

The Italians and French brands such as Prada, Gucci and Chanel dominated the handbags market at this time, but now, it seems its in Britain where we can find the best handbags, especially in London.

Alexander McQueen, Mulberry, Lulu Guinness, Anya Hindmarsh and Burberry are leading trend setters and some of most important handbag brands around at the moment.

Lulu Guinness always plays on the fun quirkiness of being girly - we love her clutch bags, her use of recycled ideas like the old camera design and the flash sunglasses giving the bag her own personality!

These 2 examples of Anya Hindmarsh's current collection, show how she experiments with different materials and colours to create beautiful designs for different occasions... I'm definitely coveting this red bag!

But of course Burberry are queen's of the statement bag, and check out their new designs above with colour blocking.

As for Mulberry, we're loving this green pastel tote - bring on the summer it says to me!

As for McQueen, their handbags are very stylish, feminine, and chic!  This is a real knuckle duster ... and yet the designs also include these textured clutches and fold over zipped versions that look like hot pants with the fold down magnetic flaps and zippers.  Pure imagination!

So which would you pick for a night out?

Top 5 Handbag designers

Hope you all had a fantastic holiday and are ready to take on 2011 as today is the start of new beginnings.... 

Did any of you lucky people get a handbag for Christmas?  I confess that I didn't, but before I get back to work on CarrieMe, I would like to share with you my Top 5 handbag designer brands (it was really difficult to narrow it down to just these 5!).

I absolutely adore Orla Kiely handbags and Orla as a designer. Her use of vibrant prints and colours appeals so much to me as I’m such a colour and texture person.

 

http://www.orlakiely.com/

I wouldn’t be without a Lulu Guinness, its their quirky, London inspired handbags I like best, being a London girl at heart!

http://www.luluguinness.com

I love Anya Hindmarch because she makes lovely bags with her signature style.

http://www.anyahindmarch.com/

Fendi handbags are always trendy with at least one being on every “It-bag list” but at the same time they are classics with simple lines which really appeal to me.

http://www.fendi.com/

and lastly, Mulberry handbags will take you from season to season without ever looking dated.

 

In fact, the gorgeous Mulberry Tillie bag is set to be the IT bag for 2011 after being shown at Fashion Week – what are your thoughts about it?

http://www.mulberry.com/

I would love to hear your favourite handbag designers too in the comments.

Hope you had a fabulous party last night to celebrate the end of 2010 and the beginnings of 2011…. I definitely woke up with a hangover, but I have a feeling its going to be a great year ahead!

Love Carrie xxx