Ah, the comforting smell of paper as you turn the page of a book. So reassuring, and perhaps quaint, in the knowledge it can impart to you. But I’ll bet that you tend to open a laptop more often than a book, right?

Well, we are indeed in a new world, where we now read a glowing screen to impart knowledge on digital pages.

Until the publishing world reconciles the way to communicate the written word in ebooks, here’s the next best thing for MacBook Pro owners. I bring you the BookBook.

With these gorgeous vintage covers, you can protect your laptop in an Old World style. With two color options, these covers offer a discreet way to carry your expensive property in public places. Each uniquely distressed book has leather zipper pulls that resemble bookmarks. The defined spine provides a stronger protection than typical neoprene sleeves.

So obviously, I’d ask the creators of the BookBook to make versions for white MacBooks (the light polycarbonate finish may absorb color from the velvety red interior) and PCs (because some Microsofties have style too). And, they should make these for the Nook, Kindle, and other ebook digital readers — because how ironically post-modernist would that be?

Suggestions aside, I’m a huge fan of this ingenous idea. It makes me want to curl up into a leather armchair in a library, with a warm latte on the table and a standing globe at my side.

They’re available in brownish black or red for 13″ or 15″ MacBook Pros for $79.99 at twelvesouth, a Mac accessories shop.

In this economy, we all need a sweet song to lift our spirits. This creature is often the bearer of good news, and has a long mythological history. A bluebird symbolizes happiness, prosperity, and renewal.

Bluebirds are indigenous to North America, and their numbers have dwindled over the last hundreds of years, because more aggressive wrens, starlings, and sparrows pushed their blue-hued neighbors out of their homes.

The crystallized Spring Fling clutch by Judith Leiber has a detachable silver metal strap with a 19″ drop, and silver leather lining (there’s literally a silver lining in this design, which is no accident). Dimensions are 5″hx5″wx4″d. At $3,695, you’ll wear this for years while reflecting the optimism of eternal spring.

While on a semi-related tangent, I’d like to mention one of my favorite shops in London: The Shop at Bluebird. It’s a whimsical, high end experience in Chelsea. Sneakers are displayed in microwaves, while a gilded dining room set may display jewelry…and it’s all for sale - even the furniture. Very fun, I promise!

The action is on the runways under gleaming white tents in Bryant Park. New collections are making their way from the catwalk to the sidewalk…and it’s this very view of the quiet moments on the sidewalk that caught my eye today.

StyleMint stands for a self-expression that eludes fickle trends, so brands with heritage are always attractive for this reason.

Louis Vuitton, though it’s made its name in the past as a mass-clusive brand, has a rich history of fine quality to take its owners around the world.

It was this photograph, taken by the talented Julia Hozakowska, that reminded me of the Louis bags that serve its legacy as a travel brand. The unnamed girl, who we see while peaking through the flowery stone frame in the snow, could be in any number of eras or countries. She happens to be looking toward the iconic Bethesda Fountain in the heart of Central Park, near 72nd Street.

This girl happens to be carrying the Neverfull MM in the Damier Ebene canvas. The Neverfull comes in several patterns and sizes (from largest: GM, MM, and PM). The side laces on all of them can draw the rather structured shape in to function as a smaller city tote. My favorite size is the midsize MM — at 12.6in x 11.4in x 6.5in, it’s fairly versatile.  The red striped material lining has a large inner pocket with a D-ring to hold keyrings. The chocolate leather trim sets off the gold brass hardware well.

The cost? $700.00. The time you’ll spend reaching for it when heading on your next trip, errand, or meeting? Countless.

How much do you love Chanel? Would you go to your local tattoo parlor and profess your love of the interlocking CC’s on your arm? If you’re not quite ready for that kind of commitment, there’s another option.

Karl Lagerfeld and Peter Philips, the force behind Chanel’s makeup and nail polish division, have devised the latest ingenious fashion statement: les trompe l’oeil temporary tattoos in the form of pearls, beads, chains, birds, and the iconic logo.

The sets of 55 transfers cost about $78, and will be available for purchase on the Chanel website on February 15 — just a few days away! You can pick them up in stores by March 1. They’ll last about 2-3 days, so space them out to last through the summer!

The coy femininity contrasts well with the edgy attitude that tattoos naturally carry.

Other designers, such as Jean Paul Gaultier (shown above) and Malandrino, feel the desire to reveal skin in henna or prison-style lettering this spring. Makeup artists James Kaliardos of Rodarte (shown below) and Chantal Miller of MAC took their geometric inspiration from Maori tribeswomen and girls in East L.A. gangs. Inspiration is everywhere.

Objectors to this trend may feel that they’re a branded billboard, but you can take this trend in your own personal direction too. Take a pen and express yourself - even if it’s just to artfully write your to-do list on the back of your hand. After all, it’s all about doing whatever empowers you!

The future of fashion marches forward. Makes your heart skip a beat, doesn’t it? That’s the point.

With the new LV line, you really will be able to wear your heart on your sleeve. Decorative jewelry, which can be placed on bags and wallets, will change record your mood through elements like a heightened heartbeat. There are three designs (available in either silver or gold) that mirror the symbols on the monogram pattern.

Louis Vuitton and Ogilvy NY have partnered to produce jewelry that uses HERM (heart and emotion rate monitor). The information is downloaded to a smartphone app that records this information on a map, and creates a “heartbeat path.” This drives home the point of emotion, memory, and travel.

My favorite part? The LV stores in NYC will register the collective emotion of registered wearers inside it, which will cause the building to change color. The brighter the hue, the more intense the collective excitement of LV aficionados.

In just a few days, New York City will be invaded by a stampede of stilettos and espresso shots. How is that different from any other week? This time (and the last time), they’ll be housed in white tents in Bryant Park.

The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week event, held this year on February 11-18, attracts about 232,000 attendees from over 30 countries. Not bad.

Let’s take a look back at how it all started. It first began in 1943 as Press Week, to highlight the innovative fashions coming out of the US. Why did this happen? For political reasons during the WWII, of course. The shrewd fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert created the event to lure magazine editors away from Parisian couture for their spreads.

And it worked. Attendees scrambled to scattered locations throughout the City. Fifty years later, in 1993, it changed its name to Seventh on Sixth, and consolidated its locations to the Bryant Park location. The number of events mushroomed to over 250, and were sprinkled in various locations.

Now, we’re about to take a momentous turn in history again, as it shutters its location at Bryant Park to move to Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center in September 2010.

One trend we can expect to continue to see is practicality (gasp!) in fashion. How? For designers, this translates to the use of mannequins instead of live models (Betsey Johnson and Vera Wang did this), and iPhone apps to augment runway expensive shows and sales (Polo Ralph Lauren Rugby tried this). For customers, this means having the option to purchase multipurpose clothing that can be worn throughout various seasons - definitely a good thing.

Can’t make it this year to New York? Well, you’re in luck, because this is just the beginning. You have a second shot to jet set to the international Fashion Weeks that follow in London, Milan, and Paris. These are known together as the Big Four. But note that Brazil’s São Paulo Fashion Week, the largest in Latin America, is coming up quickly as Number Five in the major world circuit.

Oh, and if you’re into handbags and other accessories specifically, hold on until September, when the major houses unveil their designs in the Spring show.

Learn more about the NYC event at their site.

I’m feeling nostalgic and wanted to revisit one of my favorite fall collections from Chanel.

Karl Lagerfeld rekindled the special feelings for Moscow that Coco herself felt, as she enjoyed a romance with the Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich. As a result of her affair, she created the Cuir de Russie fragrance (an early prototype of Chanel No. 5) in 1927. Thirty years later, in 1967, she revisited Moscow to show one of her last collections there.

Chanel resurrected the ultimate in Tsarina opulence for this collection by combining French joie de vivre with Russian mystery. Shown here is the 2.55 in boiled wool and adorned with jeweled symbols in the typical Russian noble style.

Learn more about iconic Chanel in our StyleFiles.

Cold weather drives you to your dependable boots more often. Same old, same old. Bored yet?

Make it new and let The2Bandits, created by Erica Chan and Tamar Wider, revive your style.

There are many different styles, but the newest (and my current favorite) is the Riders line.  They are adjustable leather and chain boot harnesses, which adorn the base of any boot.

A little biker, a little urban. It’s even perfect for the equestrian look, and would fit in well on a wintry day in Boston.

And if this isn’t your look, there are dozens of other designs.

Unchain your style. They’re sold alone ($35.00) or as a pair ($70.00).

The bag has remained untouched in its style (I’m telling you, there is something simply marvelous about midcentury fashion) — until now.

What’s the difference? Well, the bag is bigger (why, I don’t know — women are getting bigger, or need more room to cram more possessions from a busy lifestyle?) - which I don’t find necessary. What I do love about the new style are the colors — coral, emerald, white, and violet options now complement the traditional leather tones.

The bag also sports tassles (hanging, dangling things from bags have really sprouted this season — more details on that later). The signature use of bamboo also appears on the tassels, rather than on the handles.

Learn all you need to know about Gucci in five minutes at the StyleMint’s Stylefiles.

In pink and black satin, it has a certain preppy formality that is a little endearing.

The drawstring enclosure is very feminine, and the silver strap lends versatility to how you carry it.

And you’ll definitely spot your bag in a crowd from a mile away — how can you overlook anything that’s neon?

$750 at Net-a-Porter. If you want to look down market for more affordable items with this look, I’m betting that JCrew will have a similar option at less than 1/7 of this price.