This is a real shame since Oriano are another range of handbags that meet our criteria of really nice handbags at extremely good prices, but we do note that they are starting to be stocked in some of the leading stores & websites, albeit in a rather peicemeal fashion.

The bag to the right is typically Oriano – very straightforward but quite elegantly designed, very practical in that it doesn’t just look good, it is actually useful, nice leather & metal fittings that feel like they have some substance to them, and the price is an incredible £75.

Now just think about that for a moment. If you see a leather handbag priced at around £75 you probably get the impression that it’s somewhere above the cheap tat that you find on market stalls, but not as good as the named brands that cost maybe £200-£300.

But this idea of value for money is a fallacy. The truth of the matter is that when you buy a “known” or “named” handbag you are paying at least 50% of the price for the name alone.

I think that while people have felt like they were experiencing the good times that they have forgotten how to spot quality & value for money, but I’m sure that as times get harder over the next couple of years that the desire & passion for getting more for your money will return, & we think that companies like Oriano will prosper in that kind of environment – because they are among a mere handful of handbag companies who really do produce top quality handbags at extremely reasonable prices.

Oriano handbags are available from Behold the Bag of Ilkley, West Yorkshire or from their new leather handbags website.