Right now, I'm engaged on a quest to find a versatile, leather oversized bag. I admit to pulling a Nicole Richie and one those girls whose bag is practically bigger than they are, but I want to ditch my flowered tote bag and carry my books because sorry to say, my Jansport days are over. As much as I love the new Coach campaign, in particular the Bleecker collection, I need to be thrifty and find something that is not in the triple digits. And of course, I will forever want a Chloe bag, but I obviously don't want to drop a thousand dollars. I have scoured the Web and stores for a decently priced bag, and here is what I've come up with.

First, I have to say that my former bag is a Lucky Jeans Brand oversized, white leather tote. I love it to death, but after lugging it around campus last year and all summer long, it has been ruined by pen marks, deep scuffs and miscellaneous stains. I spent $100 on this bag and it lasted me ages, and I'm going to put my budget at $200. I know this seems high, but I can't tell you how sick I am of Frauda's (my slang for fake Prada bags) and other knock-offs that keep falling apart after month or so. Another point worth making is I'm studying abroad next semester and will be traveling frequently; what's better than having a dependable bag to keep all of your important goodies inside (aka my passport and lip gloss)?

I started off by typing in gap.com...no offense Gap, but I don't need to keep my books warm with your wool totes. Onto Macy's, which is conveniently in Nittany Mall, one of the few gems the shopping center features. I found a few possible candidates:

• The Saks Dakota Shopper for $189.00
  Italian leather, detailed straps and satin lining drew me to this bad boy.
  
  


• The Lucky Brand Jeans "Leather Foldover" Bag in ginger for $168.00
  This fresh take on the messenger bag can also be transformed into a shoulder strap, and I love the gold hardware.
  
  
  

I also found a winner on urbanoutfitters.com:

• Urban Outfitters Piped Satchel in brown combo for $58
  Love the colors, the trapezoid shape...and the price!
  
  

Every time I go downtown to Mr. Charles, I'm drawn to their handbags...but they're so pricey. This bag, however, diminishes all my predispositions.

• Hayden-Harnett Ibiza Flight Tote in black for $198
  This is pushing the budget, the quality and it's versatility (it can be rearranged to be horizontal or vertical) makes this bag worth every dollar
  
  

Last but not least, I had to check out Banana Republic. This is what I found:
• Fillmore Deep Satchel in teal for $198
  A fresh color to liven up colder weather and a chic chain that drapes the front makes this bag one of my favorites, but here it is in white so you can see the shape and size:
  
  

This is just skimming the surface and I went with familiar stores and names, but for something more unique, upscale, or whatever you're craving in a bag, these Web sites can help find it!

Check it out:

• eFashionHouse.com for a great selection (and prices that you won't believe, even on brands like Bottega Veneta!) on designer handbags and accessories
  


• metroluxury.net is a search engine for finding designer bags knock-offs
  


• designerimports.comfeatures a large selection of top-notch designer bags with lowered prices