Reese Witherspoon's Bags and Style

Because Reese Witherspoon tends to act more like a regular career-minded mom and less like a crazy Hollywood actress when she’s out in public, it can be easy to lose track of her in the deluge of Internet gossip. I suspect that’s exactly how she likes it, but it so that I lose track of when she’s, say, pregnant. Like now, for instance. I totally forgot that Reese Witherspoon was pregnant, but it’s pretty hard to stay ignorant based on these photos.

Reese looks as composed and well-dressed as ever, of course, in a navy silk maternity dress and a tan Fendi 2Jours Tote. The 2Jours is one of the biggest bags of this season, and despite not being a fan of brown in general, I love how navy and tan look together. It’s just so…equestrian. I can’t tell from this angle if Reese chose to have an “RW” embossed on the bag’s signature hang-tag, but in my mind, she totally went for it.

Bag Reese’s Fendi Style via Neiman Marcus! View the Gallery →

I’ve had these photos of Reese Witherspoon carrying a tan Chloe Paraty bag sitting around for a day or two, and I didn’t feel much urgency to write about them immediately because they’re fairly standard. Reese, looking casual like always and carrying a luxurious but fairly muted handbag, is not an image that sets off alarm bells in my head. As a few other large fashion sites have pointed out, though, Reese’s Paraty is made of python, which can’t be bought or sold within California, where Reese is carrying the bag in these photos.

I’m still not sure what exactly the problem is, though. It’s not illegal to own or carry python in California, it’s just illegal to purchase it within the state, whether you’re doing so online or in a store. You can physically acquire the bag elsewhere and bring it into California yourself with zero penalty. Reese Witherspoon, as you may have heard, is a big movie actress. She does lots of traveling! She probably even buys things while she’s traveling, particularly if she wants something she can’t get at home. So…what’s the big deal? Personally, I think her denim-on-denim outfit is a more interesting topic of conversation.

Bag Reese’s Chloe Style via Net-a-Porter!

In most situations, Reese Witherspoon is what I would call “pleasantly predictable” on the red carpet. She always looks glamourous and lovely, but her stable of demurely embellished neutral cocktail dresses must be enormous, because that’s almost all she wears. With that in mind, seeing her in body-conscious leopard print at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards was like a breath of fresh air.

I’ve been critical of Zac Posen in the past, but this dress hugs Reese in all the right spots without looking inappropriate for a married woman with children and a somewhat conservative public persona. I appreciate that she stepped out of her normal routine for an event aimed at a younger crowd, but keeping the dress neutral instead of going for a more traditional leopard print (or a bright one, perish the thought!) ensures that the look stays relevant to her personal style. Excellent job, Reese. View the Gallery →

Do the paparazzi ever catch Reese Witherspoon not looking lovely and ladylike? Even when she’s going to or from the gym, she looks classy and put together, so when it’s time to face the press on the red carpet, it’s no doubt that she looks every inch the movie star. At the premiere for her latest film “Water for Elephants,” Reese took to the press line in a lace-embroidered Jason Wu cocktail dress.

I like a lot of things about this look, most importantly that it’s very much in line with Witherspoon’s personal style, but something about the cut is bothering me. In these photos, it seems as though the dress was supposed to have something of a bubble hem, but it just looks uneven and bunched-up. I’m not sure if that’s just the angle, a result of an unforgiving car ride to the premiere or simply not a great example of Wu’s tailoring capabilities, but whatever it is, I wish it had been worked out before Reese hit the carpet.

Bag Reese’s Jason Wu Style via Neiman Marcus! View the Gallery →

Of all of the Hollywood starlets that I can think of off the top of my head, Reese Witherspoon seems to consistently embody the sort of personal style that most women might be able to recreate in their private lives. The clothes she wears aren’t over the top or exceedingly body conscious; instead, Reese picks classics that would often flatter women with a range of body types and ages. I think that’s why she seems to be so generally well-liked – people can see themselves in her.

This casual look is a great example of Witherspoon’s style universality. A simple, casual chambray dress gets accented by a rich brown Chloe Marcie Hobo and matching Chloe Wedge Sandals, both of which are the sort of functional accessories that a stylish mom wants to have in her wardrobe. And I guess that sentence really says it all; in a lot of ways, Reese seems like many of the stylish moms I’ve met in my life, whether or not they were famous.

Bag Reese’s Chloe Style via Net-a-Porter! View the Gallery →

Reese Witherspoon may not be the most exciting dresser in Hollywood, but she almost never gets her look wrong, which goes quite a long way if you’re being constantly hounded by cameras and press. Sometimes I think that her sense of style ages her a bit, but most likely, we’ll look back on her in thirty years and remember her for always looking like a lady. That seems like a fair trade-off to me.

At the 10th Anniversary Avon Foundation for Women Gala in New York City, Reese looked as pretty as always in a black-and-nude Jason Wu cocktail dress and Christian Dior Chi Chi Tulle Pumps. The look is classic and feminine without being too showy or personality-specific, just as we’ve all come to expect. And when you expect Jason Wu of someone, that’s certainly not a bad thing.

Bag Reese’s Louboutin Style via Barneys! View the Gallery →

It seems as though Celine can do no wrong with its accessories since Phoebe Philo took over the brand’s head design post. I’ve expressed by utter and complete obsession with their Boston Tote a number of times, and after seeing this Celine Mini Shoulder Bag at Kirna Zabete in New York last week in a beautiful black-and-cream bicolor version, I’m totally lusting after it as well.

It’s too small for anything but your most essential possessions, which is perhaps why Reese Witherspoon is also holding a tote in several of these photos. Still, the bag makes a sleek, ladylike compliment to her black-accented skirt suit, and if I had one of these bags to carry around, I wouldn’t mind having to carry an extra tote for functionality’s sake.

Bag Reese’s Celine Style via Celine.com! View the Gallery →

She may look lovely and casual, but Reese Witherspoon‘s facial expression is not a happy one. She’s never been the kind of actress that courted the paparazzi-based tabloid limelight, and she looks none too pleased to have encountered them on her trip to…well, wherever. I’m not sure based on these photos, but something about this outfit says “grocery store” to me.

Wherever her destination, she’s getting there with a cute bag. The Marni Balloon Bag is perhaps not the freshest or newest handbag choice, but I respect a woman who carries her favorites for more than one season. I have a few bags in my closet that have been in my rotation for years, and they show no signs of slowing down. Methinks that Reese’s closet may be more amazing and full of interesting finds than one would assume – she seems to wear what she likes and has little regard for trends.

Bag Reese’s Marni Style via Net-a-Porter! View the Gallery →

I’ll admit that the look on Reese Witherspoon’s face in these photos is a bit weird, but you’ve got to give credit where credit is due – at first glance, I assumed this was a much younger actress. Say, someone in her mid-20s, which isn’t bad considering that Reese is in her mid-30s and has two kids.

Part of the reason is that her outfit looks a bit young, but she also just looks good in general, even in very casual clothes and wearing flats. I’m mostly distracted by her gorgeous Bottega Veneta Cabat Tote, however. The uber expensive tote has a subtle, metallic finish that I find irresistible, but unfortunately, I’ll have to resist it at Bottega’s pricepoints.

Bag Reese’s Bottega Veneta Style via Net-a-Porter! View the Gallery →

I may have personally decided against keeping my Alexander Wang Rocco because of its heavy weight and lack of shape, but Reese Witherspoon is rocking her bag. And you know what, while the bag was not meant for me, I absolutely adore it on her!

Don’t get me wrong, I still have a soft spot in my heart for this bag and I shared every thought I had about it with my review. As much as my handbag collection is large, it is nothing like Reese Witherspoon’s (nor is my bank account) and the bag did not work out for my needs or wants. Reese Witherspoon paired her Alexander Wang Rocco with wavvy stitching with a denim on denim outfit. I love the pairing of a lighter denim button up with darker skinny jeans and her strappy flat sandals. The Rocco is a favorite from Alexander Wang and his design aesthetic is a favorite of mine. I just wish the bag had more structure and wasn’t quite so heavy (you can see her bag sagging a bit in the pictures).

Bag Reese’s Alexader Wang Style at ShopBop! View the Gallery →

I am continually in awe of Reese Witherspoon. As I’ve mentioned before, she continues to set the Hollywood standard for a variety of things: how to make a classy transition from budding starlet to grown woman, how to handle a public divorce and cheating spouse gracefully, how to star in Legally Blonde and make it totally endearing instead of annoying. Really, this woman should teach a class for all the girls that move to LA every year in hopes of getting famous.

Here she is, looking perfectly casual and apparently shopping for furniture. I bet she has a great house – I imagine it being modern, but with a slightly rustic twist to it. She’s from Tennessee, after all, and don’t forget it. Although that’s a Texas hat she has one, which I don’t entirely understand, but perhaps it was a souvenir from a visit to Austin. What I do understand, however, is her gorgeous 3.1 Phillip Lim Page Bag that she’s been sporting quite a bit lately.

Bag Reese’s 3.1 Phillip Lim Style at 31PhillipLim.com! View the Gallery →

Perhaps I’m biased because she’s a southern girl like I am, but how awesome is Reese Witherspoon? She always seems so normal and smart to me, which is a difficult thing to do when you became famous at a young age like she did. I feel like I could have lunch with her and feel like I was talking to a regular person instead of a celebrity. This is all in my head, of course, but you always see her with her kids and she handled her divorce in such a classy way that I seriously believe it to be true.

She also must have super powers, because if I had left the house in head-to-toe ivory like she did here, I would look like I had rolled in a mud pit by the time I reached my destination, mostly because that’s just how things go for me. The universe is obviously smiling on her if they’re letting her get by with this cream-colored sheath and an equally pastel Jimmy Choo satchel – I mean, I’m not even allowed to have white bags anymore.

Bag Reese’s Style via Net-a-Porter! View the Gallery →