Bohemian style bags

When I first discovered these wonderful bohemian and hippie styled bags, I imagined that they would be incredibly expensive.

But I was very pleasantly surprised. They are made largely of recycled materials, or scraps that would otherwise go to waste.

Every one is different because they are handmade and not manufactured on a production line. Very stylish indeed.

They are mostly handcrafted in Nepal and India in responsible workshops, and as well as reflecting the bohemian and gypsy styles, they also have design elements from those countries, as they are made from local materials.

As well as being beautiful, they are practical too. Many have zipper closures to keep your possessions safe and some feature an outer zippered pocket which is ideal for your cellphone, keys and other items. They are available in a wide variety of styles and colors too. Here are my favorites.

See some of the colors below. Choose a scarf earrings or other accessory in one of these lovely hues.

Yet another advantage of these is that they can be easily ordered online. They are inexpensive and add a bright and colorful accessory to your wardrobe. They are suitable for any age and made a fabulous gift too.Scroll down to see more lovely color swatches to match your purchase.

See a selection online

Imagine using this example when you're wearing a sweater or jacket in one of the colors below.

Although this bag seems to be largely orange, take a close look at the large images above - and at the colour palette - and you'll see the various colours that are within the fabric of this bag.

These give you plenty of clues and ideas for accessories.

You can buy this bag easily online. See the section on the right.

This one has so many lovely shades to wear along with it.

The colour swatches above show you some of the glorious colours that are featured in this bag.

Something I particularly like about this example is the ripped look of the fabric. This adds to the bohemian, hippie look.

I love the burnt orange colour and the mustard yellow.

The other colours are wonderfully jewel-like. This bag features so many splendid hues which means that it's an incredibly flexible addition to your wardrobe.

This example features some lovely muted shades that you can use to accessorize outfits.

Because these bags are handmade, using whatever recycled materials are available at the time, you'll find that there is a wonderful selection available.

You'll also see that no two bags are completely the same.

Colourways will vary, but the basic design will remain the same. You'll be able to choose exactly the right bag to suit your own needs and your own favourite shades.

Choose what's best for you.

When fashion editors are designing layouts for pages, they will use the exact swatch system that I've utlised here.

They select one item which has several colours (such as these bags) and them choose accessories that will match those shades. This is why you see such coordinated looks in fashion spreads.

See the examples below.

Pick the dominant colors and choose accessories that will add an extra sparkle.

With a range of inexpensive accessories, you can create different outfits every day, based on the colors of your wonderful purchase.

A scarf is a wonderful way to accessorise your bag.

If your handbag features this color, pick it out dramatically by using a few well-chosen accessories.

Over time, why not collect scarves in every colour that you can see in your bag.Imagine just how many outfits that would create.

Love, love, love purple!

Many of the gorgeous handbags available have purple either as a dominant color or a subtle one within the fabric.

Accentuate this with accessories that will perfectly match. See the example on the right.

Fashion editors insist that scarves,sarongs and shawls are one of the most adaptable items you can have in your wardrobe.

They can be worn in so many ways and add a particular zing to the most neutrally-coloured outfits.

Green is so fresh and is a lovely color to wear, especially in springtime.

Pick a shade of green that's in the fabric and choose simple accessories - a scarf, bracelet or an inexpensive t-shirt that will match perfectly.

There's no need to restrict your accessories to scarves.

They say that blue is most people's favorite color and there are so many shades and hues.

Choose a solid shade of blue from the patterns in the fabric and choose jewelry in that shade.

Fashion editors and designers especially like using pendants to give extra pizazz to outfits.

They are subtle and just add a touch of colour but one which is very noticeable.

Bohemian is a word that is usually used to describe people who live creative lives. This certainly applies to the 1960s hippies but they were not where the term originated and there is a difference between the two looks.

The word comes from bohemien which is French for gypsy. (The original nomadic people in Europe largely came from Bohemia).

This description was first used to describe people who were involved in the arts or other creative pursuits in the nineteenth century in Europe. This style was the roots of later fashions such as the hippie style, shabby chic and bo-ho.

NOT JUST FOR TEENAGERS

When a friend of mine saw my shoulder bag she remarked 'Aren't they for teenagers?' Well no. Why should they be? I'm not a teenager, I'm not young. I'd like to say I'm middle aged, but as a grandmother ... oh well.They can look casual or they can be stylish and sophisticated. It just depends how you wear them and how you accessorize them. They are suitable for shopping at the local farmers market, for a day out at the beach or for a sophisticated evening. They are fantastically flexible and a wardrobe essential.