The approach of summer months means two things, vacation and shopping. Each year I shop online for my vacation fashion accessories and after watching fashion week and seeing my favorite celebrities in magazines such as Claudia Schiffer this years must have is a straw purse, which is just the thing to shake off the extended winter blues and get into the holiday spirit.

Oversized bags have been popular for the last few years, but as I found out last year the harsh leather material was somewhat too heavy and formal for a week at the beach. So this year I am following in the fashion footsteps of Kim Kardashian who have been spotted with straw purses and getting myself one or maybe several oversized versions.

Bags that are made from straw are tipped to being a fashion must have this summer due to designers such as Chanel revealing their $5000 version earlier this year, since appearing on the catwalk, celebs such as Alexa Chung and Jools Oliver have snatched them up.

Despite being a fashion lover I find $5000 for a purse a little steep but luckily as the fashion industry and high street names are recognizing the appeal of these purses, many more affordable versions are available.

The bags come in many different colors that will compliment tanned skin such as hot pink, turquoise and even simple light browns. The material is extremely durable so will last for several annual vacations meaning I don’t need to buy a new one every year.

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Best of all, opting for an oversized version means there is enough room for all my beach accessories such as sun cream, towel and books. Now all I need to do is narrow my choice down to one or maybe two.