Here’s the final installment in the 3-part blog post series on the Marc Jacobs Spring 2010 RTW fashion show.

I had to break down Marc Jacob’s Spring RTW collection into 3 parts because he sent 3 different kinds of fringe down that runway. The first kind were the super long fringes, the second were the bunches of fringe tassels, and the last kind were these long strips of leather or beaded strings that were a foot or more in length:

Strips of leather or beaded strings extend from handbags at the Marc Jacobs Spring 2010 RTW fashion show

Leather strips and string fringe

Although not as overly fringe-y as the first handbags that came out on the runway, these strings and strips achieve the same effect as the super long fringes. They swayed dreamily alongside the models and the handbags, and looked as graceful and as dramatic.

Even though Marc Jacobs was going the more elegant route with this collection, I appreciate that he did not over-embellish the handbags with girly details like he did in a previous show. He could’ve easily constructed those strips and strings out of ribbons, chiffon or gossamer, but instead stuck with the same leather material and let the handbags speak for themselves.

If you like your fringe understated like on this batch of Marc Jacobs Spring 2010 handbags, then here are 3 others that (hopefully) will suit your taste:

Foley + Corinna Disco City Bag, $198.00

Botkier Tao Shoulder, $379.00

Rebecca Minkoff Loveletter Morning After Mini Bag, $550.00

Remember the post about Rihanna’s Louis Vuitton fanny pack? To refresh your memory, here’s a picture of Rihanna with that fanny pack again:

It is Lous Vuitton, but it’s still a fanny pack. A double fanny pack. With a fringe tassel.

As unlikeable a fanny pack is, it’s starting to look like Marc Jacobs isn’t the only thinking that fanny packs are a-okay fashion-wise. Designer Donna Karan was also seen wearing one of her own, at her own Fall 2009 fashion show no less:

Designer Donna Karan and model-actress Mila Jovovich

During her last interview with FIT’s Valerie Steele, she was also quoted as saying she doesn’t understand why people choose to use handbags when we could all wear comfortable belt bags with pockets. Like the one she’s wearing in the picture.

Maybe it’s easier to adapt this fashion if fanny packs – I mean, belt bags – were as chic and stylish as Donna Karan’s, but when Louis Vuitton and other brands come out with fringe fanny packs like these …

Fringe fanny packs galore

… Donna Karan would totally see why we’re all still sticking with oh so uncomfortable handbags.

Besides, if we wanted something small and falls at the waist, we could always go for hip purses and mini crossbody bags like these (which also don’t look foolish even when fringed):

Madewell Mini Fringe Cross Body Bag

Botkier Howard St Cross Body Bag

Charlie My Love Mini Studded Cheyenne Bag

Rebecca Minkoff Lovespell Rocker Bag

These mini hip bags are better than fanny packs, yes? As long as these bags look cooler than fanny packs, we’ll be staying away from what Donna Karan calls “belt bags”.

Purchase the featured bags through Shopbop.com.

We were just saying that Vanessa Hudgens loves her black fringed Morgan Satchel by Monica Botkier.

Just very recently, the paps have caught her doing some shopping and grabbing some breakfast with her Botkier Morgan Satchel in tow:

Vanessa shopping for home furnishings in LA, Dec. 18, 2009

Vanessa grabs breakfast at an LA cafe, Dec. 17, 2009

When this girl loves a bag, she really gets mileage out of it.

She should though, especially that the Botkier Morgan Satchel retails for $650.00 at regular price.

You can get the original at RevolveClothing.com, but if you still have a lot of Christmas shopping to do like us, then we’re better off looking for an alternative to this fringe designer bag.

We’ve also featured this bag before, but since it reminded us so much of Vanessa’s bag, we thought it deserves to be taken out again. Our Botkier alternative is the O’Neill Sioux City Shoulder Handbag.

It’s black leather and it’s roughly the same size. It’s also got the same gold hardware and most of all, the fringe placement is almost the same. The fringes are only a little shorter on the Botkier but otherwise, the O’Neill has got the same look the Botkier has.

Here it is side by side with the Botkier:

Left: Botkier Morgan Satchel; Right: O’Neill Sioux City Shoulder Handbag

Purchase the O’Neill Sioux City Shoulder Handbag through Zappos.com for only $63.50.

Apparently, it’s also quite popular because we distinctly remember that there was a brown version of this bag too. Looks like it’s sold out because it’s not on the website anymore!

Hurry and get the black while they’re still in stock!