If one is bored with, say, the £25,000 Vuitton “Tribute” or choosing between the latest It bag versus treating oneself to a small caribbean nation state, it’s time to invoke the famous words of Samuel Johnson.

To translate for our times: When a woman is tired of London she is tired of paying for handbags in pounds and should book a flight to New York City. There she will find a host of department stores, boutiques and bargain outlets to satisfy her need of patent leather, quilting, chain straps, mobile phone compartments, sequins, a rainbow of hues and handmade adornments, at a fraction of the price back home.

Naturally a bag fetishist can find the Fendis and Chloes at the big-name shopping destinations (Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman...) but after going all that way, isn’t it better to pick up something that’s not on the shoulder of every third celebrity in Heat?

We visited Nolita, a Manhattan neighbourhood (NOrth of Little ITAly) that’s a hotbed of up-and-coming designers and unique styles. Handbag expert Pamela Pekerman, who writes for her own online magazine Bagtrends.com, contributes to The Huffington Post, is the handbag expert for AOL and has appeared on TV’s VH1, took us on a tour of the best shops.

Watch the video above to see what we found.

Blue Bag

266 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY 10012 (001 212 966 8566)

Tory Burch

257 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY 10012 (001 212 334 3000)

http://www.toryburch.com

Jamin Puech

247 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY 10012 (001 212 431 5200)

INA Nolita

21 Prince Street, New York, NY 10012 (001 212 334 9048)

http://www.inanyc.com

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