The right bag & shoe: the biggest season definers in your new fall wardrobe will be a bag and shoes--and the choices are more gorgeous than ever. What should you get on the waitlist for?

Harper's Bazaar, September, 2006 by Levin, Jenny

Scarlet-red croc. Glimmering gold. Rich brocade. Glossy patent. Designers have dreamed up a plethora of luxe and luscious accessory options this season. But which bag and shoe will you be buying? Some of us can home in on what we want the minute it comes down the runway, while others strategize, compute, and analyze what the wisest purchases would be. Either way, women's love of accents springs eternal, and nothing is more exciting than a whole new batch to choose from. So what factors should we consider before making that life-changing (and credit-card-warping) decision? The fall collections provide a bounteous crop of styles with timeless appeal, so we can take comfort that whatever we buy, it won't be a one-hit wonder. "This season's bags and shoes have a classic...