bag!monkey

1150.00! For canvas! I want one.

2007-10-31T21:52:00.000-05:00

So...in my last post I talked about curbing bag spending after my wild, months-long Pierotucci buying spree. I thought about getting a Tano -- or two, at those prices.

Hahahaha!

Somehow, my brain turned "one cheaper bag" into "Louis Vuitton! Yes, please!" I have one LV now, the ever-classic Speedy 30, but I'd like another, more structured bag, something slightly larger for those times when I'm toting more than the usual amount of life crap. I'd really like a Speedy 35 or 40, but for the money, that seems a bit redundant. So!

I've been looking at the Deauville for quite a while now, possibly through two price increases, one certainly, so I'd be insane to wait any longer. It's 1150.00 on eLuxury, which, luxury, no kidding, because it's basically coated canvas.

I wouldn't balk at paying that much for leather (I already have!), but...canvas! I think this is Salma Hayek, but I can't say for sure. One thing for sure is that she looks as short as I am, whoever she is, so this is a good picture for sizing purposes.

Oooooh. Want.

Including the Speedy, I own four LV pieces: the Passport Organizer Wallet, which is the best wallet I've *ever* owned (I think I'm the only woman on the planet who has one); the Snapped Billfold and Coinpurse wallet for smaller bag days, and the Pochette Cosmétique for lipsticks and such. The Passport Organizer was worth every penny, by the way; I've had it about three years and even though I've carried it every day, it's still in nearly mint condition.

LV love notwithstanding...1150.00 for canvas? I can't decide! I'm going to the Mothership this weekend; I'll have a better idea once I see the Deauville in person. I can pose in front of the mirror for a while, and drive the sales staff crazy with my indecision. Maybe I'll buy something small to soothe their anger. One of those little round coin thingies, perhaps.

1150.00! For canvas! But I really, really want one.

Today's bag: Lous Vuitton Speedy 30

Fall! Almost!

2007-09-26T22:24:00.000-05:00

I wore a surprisingly successful outfit the other day, surprising because I threw a new color into the mix and came up with something a little nicer than the usual.

I have an oddly-patterned skirt that's covered with geometric shapes. It's a lightweight two-layered skirt, a nice weight for three seasons, but it doesn't look ridiculous in winter. The predominant colors are cream and a soft celadon green; detail colors are a kind of olive/brown shade and a bit of light teal. The tops I wear usually play on the greens, creams and browns.

Since it's been a bit fallish the last few days, I thought it would be nice to transition into deeper colors. I picked a dark teal knit tee to wear, along with my slinky chocolate cardigan. It looked wonderful! The only thing I'd change would be my footwear; I wore tan/light brown shoes which I swear, just don't look quite right with anything -- and I can't figure out why. I bought them with summer clothes in mind, and I've tried them with several outfits. Seeing them the other day was the final straw. The next time the Salvation Army calls for donations, they're out the door.

For my new fall combo, I think cream stockings (the skirt's too light for anything darker, no matter what the fashion nabobs are telling us this season) with my dark brown silver-buckled flats will look nice, especially with the chocolate cardigan up top.

In other completely-not-surprising news, I'm scouting bags to give myself for my birthday. Since I've gone Pierotucci hog wild the last few months, I'm looking at bags with more modest price tags. I'm thinking a Tano might be nice; I've never had one, but they seem to be interesting bags for the price. Stay tuned!

Today's bag: cognac Pierotucci Birkin-style bag. I loooove it.

More shoes! Tortoise bangles! Cute outfits!

2007-09-20T20:01:00.000-05:00

Another successful outfit today; this one was even simpler than yesterday's.

I wore the white version of the v-neck, long-sleeved t-shirts I talked about in my last post, my slinky black side-slit skirt, white hose, and a new pair of fun leopard flats that I got for 7.99 on sale at Target. Very comfortable, and they look more luxe on your feet than they appear in this picture: Pearls, tortoise bangles (hahahaha, yes again), silver hoops with tigereye ball drops completed the picture, along with my cognac Pierotucci Birkin-style bag.

You know those women who roll out of bed looking fabulous? They might be wearing nothing more than a crisp Oxford shirt and a pair of jeans, but they look flawless and wonderful? That's how I felt today. I love a simple, elegant outfit.

Speaking of tortoise bangles, I stumbled upon this bracelet duo by Liz Claiborne (30.00) and was immediately smitten:

Chunky tortoise bangle! Sadly, no modeling pictures on the site, so I can't get an idea of the true size, but it must be fairly substantial. I am intrigued. I may hunt these down in person for a live viewing, and then buy two sets. Yes. Also, I am an idiot: the 225.00 tortoise 5-bangle set by Ralph Lauren (lusted after in this post) went on sale for 125.00, but I didn't jump on it. Those bangles are now back at the original 225.00 price point. Yes, I'm a doofus.

Today's bag: cognac Pierotucci Birkin-inspired bag.

New shoes! Cute ones! And the coat search continues...

2007-09-19T16:54:00.000-05:00

I wore a very successful outfit today, and like the best ones, it was simple and pretty effortless. I bought three v-neck, long-sleeved T-shirts the other day, in a heavier weight that's perfect for air-conditioned offices and cooler weather: white, black and charcoal grey.

I wore the black one today with a black/cream scrollwork skirt. I started the day in off-black hose, but changed to white when I got a run. Waaah! I think the off-black stockings had a slight edge, though the white looked nice too. Tortoise bangles, of course (I live in them), pearls, silver ball-drop earrings. What really made the outfit memorable were the cute new shoes I bought yesterday!

Valentine by NaturalSoul by naturalizer, believe it or not! 37.99 on sale! I went to Kohl's with a friend at lunchtime; she was buying socks for her husband so I tagged along. When I saw the shoes on the display rack I couldn't resist. Shiny! Deep, deep red patent leather! The velvet bow on the toes! I'm such a sucker for an embellished shoe that it's almost a sickness. Anway.

I've been wearing my new cognac Pierotucci bag since I got it a couple of weeks ago, and in a very happy accident, discovered that my deep red shoes and my bag are gorgeous together. You'd think cognac would be brown, but the bag's more of a dark red with slight brownish tones. I don't normally do the bag/shoes matching thing, not conciously, so I was beyond pleased to see that it looked effortlessly polished and not matchy-matchy...because the shoes are patent and the bag isn't, most likely. I felt totally fabulous.

Also, the great coat search goes on. This one is so Madonna-in-the-80s, when girls bought men's vintage coats for a couple of dollars and turned them into huge style statements.
I like it; it comes in charcoal, which is another plus, but I'm a bit put off by all of the pockets. Do I really need a breast pocket? Boiled Tweed Coat, 139.50 at TravelSmith. The jury's still out, but it's fun looking.

Today's bag: cognac Pierotucci Birkin-inspired bag. Still no pictures. Yes, I'm ashamed.

Yves and Dior, sittin' in a tree...

2007-09-09T14:01:00.000-05:00

Okay. Remember this post about Chloe's Big Edith, the bag that looks like a cross between the YSL Muse and a regular Edith? Well, the Muse has been a busy bag, because another lovechild has been spotted, this time from the House of Dior.

I wasn't too crazy about the Gaucho when it first came out; kind of like the regular Edith, I didn't see what all the fuss was about. That was before my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when I saw the Gaucho Croc-Stamped Patent bag:

Holy Hannah, that's beautiful! The Muse just continues to inspire and improve other bags, doesn't it? Genius. Here are the particulars, if you're like me and would love to buy one of these babies. Available here at eLuxury, $2,390.00, 18.5"x 13.25"x 7.5" (big!). Here's the bag in action:

Dior's not the first place I stop when I surf eLuxury, so it's a new experience to find myself head over heels for one of their bags! If I had to give Dior a few thousand dollars for one of their products, this Gaucho/Muse hybrid would be my pick. Ah, she is shiny, croco-stamped love.

Today's bag: cognac (yes, another one!) Pierotucci Birkin-inspired bag. When I stop being lazy I'll take pictures.

My coat is made of squee!

2007-08-16T11:47:00.000-05:00

Now that the fall items are beginning to roll in, my annual coat search has begun. Last year's attempt to be fabulous fell far short of the goal; this year I just want to find a simple, beautiful, classic coat that will work just as well dressed up as down. What I'd really like is a classic menswear cashmere topcoat, cut for the feminine body, of course.

I wrote the above in a draft post on July 4th. Fast-forward a few weeks to last night...

Unlike my rather cracktastic claims of coat fabulousness last year (ye gods, what was I on?), I'm set to achieve true outerwear perfection this year. As mentioned in my last post, I've been positively giddy with this season's offerings. I've seen so many beautiful coats and cute jackets that my hard drive is filling up fast with the photos I've saved!

I wanted a neutral color, nothing too long, and nothing too trendy. I wanted a coat that would look polished with work clothes, but relaxed with casual clothes. Ultimately, I wanted something classic that would look great for a number of years, and not look dated as soon as the leaves begin to fall next year.

After looking at many, many coats, this is the first one to really slot itself into the "buy me!" niche in my brain:

Despite the fact that it looks slightly purple or lavenderish, the website listing (and the catalog picture) shows the coat is grey. I saw it and fell in love, despite the fact that I'm not the world's biggest fan of hooded coats. Still, pretty! I very nearly bought it a couple of days ago, but last night I kept surfing. Then I saw it, this beauty by Eileen Fisher:

The people at Saks really know how to style a photo shoot, eh? At first I thought it was a bathrobe, and I was completely underwhelmed. But the more I looked at it the more it intrigued me, and I wondered if somewhere out there, someone had actually taken pains to make the coat look interesting. Hurray for Garnet Hill!
I was sold, because this is exactly what I've been looking for. It's stylish, it's got that vintage vibe that I love, and the oatmeal shade is a perfect neutral (camel would be better, but I can live with it). This coat can be dressed up or down, and I'll still be able to rock it when I'm 70! How perfect is that?

Two things are a bit worrisome. It's unlined, so will it be warm enough? On the other hand, an unlined coat is a much lighter coat! The length is the stickiest point: it's about 42 inches long, and I'm about 61 inches high. If I'm lucky, it will hit at my mid- or lower-calf. I've got my fingers crossed. Stay tuned...

Edited to add another picture:

Eileen Fisher coat, at Neiman Marcus, Saks, Garnet Hill. Also at Eileen Fisher. Plus sizes, $378.00, women, $358.00.

Today's bag: camel Pierotucci Birkin-inspired bag.

Footwear eccentricity and my dream wardrobe. And bags!

2007-08-13T18:40:00.000-05:00

Ah, that time of year again. Time to dream of and surf for new fall clothes! A few posts ago I said this:

Every year I swear I'm going to buy an all new wardrobe consisting entirely of solid-color clothes (no prints!) in neutral shades: black, navy, brown, ivory, cream, white, grey...you get the idea. It's never happened, but one of these years I just may do it.

While shoe-surfing the other day, it came to me. How fabulous would it be to wear nothing but leopard or other animal-print shoes? Yes, I'm completely serious. Think of it: A gorgeous wardrobe of neutrals worn with animal shoes in every style imaginable. This would be the prime year for such an eccentricity, too, because apparently animal prints are tres hot this fall.

If I were, say, JK Rowling (more money than the Queen and more fashionably flexible), that would be my signature look. Neutral color palletes and leopard shoes. You'd need a few shots of color of course, because who can resist all those deep, beautiful jewel tones that usher in fall? And think how a beautiful bag would pop against such a background...

Speaking of beautiful bags, here are three in one of my favorite color combinations, black and chocolate brown...

waaaaaay luxe - Louis Vuitton Delft Exotic in the new-for-fall monogram Mirage line, $8,250 (info - though not the picture! - snagged from The Purse Blog):

less luxe, but still gorgeous - Coach Chelsea Leather tote, $428.00, [11 1/4 (L) x 11 3/4 (H) x 5 (W)]:

waaaaaay not luxe, but still interesting - Gap Patent-trimmed leather tote $128.00 (14"x16"x4"):

I'm sure it's safe to say that I'll only be admiring the Vuitton Mirage from afar. The Coach, however, is singing a very sweet "Come buy me!" song that's hard to ignore. Even the Gap bag, in all its thrifty least-luxeness, would be a welcome addition to my bag wardrobe.

I've been looking at coats too (squee!) , and unlike last year, I've found quite a few that I'd actually spend money on. The first of many coat posts will soon follow. Stay tuned...

Today's bag: camel Pierotucci Birkin-inspired bag.

Latest bag purchase the day(s) after.

2007-07-04T22:34:00.000-05:00

I saved this draft post on July 4, shortly after the bag mentioned in the previous post had arrived, but had not yet been carried.

Well, my wallet seems to be safe -- though I love the vintage vibe of the Kelly style, I'm defnitely a Birkin-style girl.

My new bag is lovely, but it just isn't my style. I do like that it has a vintage, "left to me in Grandmère's will" look...which oddly enough is my style. Holy moley, it might actually work for me! Yikes! My wallet!

Don't love: I'm carrying essentially the same things in my new 35cm Kelly style that I had in my 35cm Birkin style, but it's a snug fit. I put my makeup and little things in smaller bags to save room, since the Kelly style is a narrower bag.

Do love: It's lighter in weight. Great color, love the contrast stitching. I'm leaving the straps open and just letting them dangle; it relaxes the look of the bag just enough, I think. I love that the handle is big enough to go up to the elbow with my coat on, which is always a plus with a handheld bag. There's a detachable, non-adjustable shoulder strap which offers a hands-free option.

It's kind of scary that the more I look at it (it's on the bookcase where I can see it while I surf on the laptop and watch TV), the more I think I might be liking it. It'll look fabulous with fall clothes. Oh no! I think I like it after all! It wasn't love at first sight, but it's growing on me fast.

I wasn't quite sure if the style really worked for me, but I can't stop looking at it. This may be the start of a new collection; I'll know better tomorrow after it's been in action. I may even do a little shopping after work -- for wearability research purposes only, of course.

present day... My initial response was correct -- the Kelly style is a beautiful bag, but I really am a Birkin-style girl. I'm highly pleased with my new bag though, because it'll fit right in with fall's retro vibe. I mostly bought it for dress-up occasions anyway, so spicing up work outfits with a little vintage glam now and then will be a bonus!

Today's bag: camel Pierotucci Birkin-inspired bag.

New bag!

2007-06-18T20:43:00.000-05:00

Someone I know purchased this bag last week:

Pierotucci 35cm cognac firm leather, gold hardware. Actually, that someone was me, as if you couldn't guess.

Is that a beautiful bag or what? Want to hear the best part? $327.00, which is 40% off! Because, yes! It's the Pierotucci summer sale! The link I gave is to the full price page. Here's the link for the sale bag. [note: link removed, sale's over!] Buy away, and feel free to tell them I sent you.

I wanted a Kelly style bag because it's such a feminine style, very ladylike. Despite the size, I'm thinking it'll be gorgeous for dress up, for those occasions when my tote-style Pieros would be just a bit much. Estimated date of delivery is Thursday June 21st, which means I'll most likely have it by Wednesday afternoon -- which means I need to come up with an outfit for showing off purposes Thursday morning.

Sadly, none of you can really help with this since you have no idea what I've got in my wardrobe. Actually, I've been starting with accessories and color and going from there. So...what to wear?

Turquoise immediately leaps to mind since I've embraced my love of blue-greens with a vengence this summer and have the bangles to prove it. My tortoise bangles are classic, of course, and would look wonderful.

White shirt? A white twinset look, perhaps? Clean and streamlined and perfect for the 90+ degree heatwave we're currently locked in. White tank or tee, white shirt worn open over. Yessssss.

The skirt option is where things get dicey. Had I not worn it today, my go-to black slinky side-slit skirt would be a good, though safe, choice. I need something more fun! Or...do I want to go more straightlaced? Maybe my dove grey/muted plaid? Or the pencil skirt in navy silk? Ahhhh. Did you hear that "click"? That was the sound of the pieces sliding into place.

White tee, white blouse. Navy silk pencil skirt. Pearls, silver coin/pearl earrings, tortoise bangles. Depending on the true color of the bag in real life, my croco-embossed flats with silver buckles on the toes (think Roger Vivier) will be perfect. Yay, new bags! Yay, planning outfits around new bags!

Today's bag: blue Pierotucci Birkin-inspired bag.

A cautionary tale: French 1946 Speedy-style bag.

2007-06-17T14:36:00.000-05:00

I confessed in another post that I'm the laziest blogger ever, and I'm confirming it now by recycling what I posted about the French 1946 Speedy-style bag in a purse forum.

I ordered the Black Shadow design -- all black, including a black metal lock, keys and hardware. I was excited when the bag arrived, but when I opened the package and saw the nylon zipper I was immediately disappointed.

It would be a great bag for a ninja or a spy; I think gold or silver hardware would have looked nicer.
12 in. Sacoche - Black Shadow

Definitely of the good: The bag was 102.00 on sale. It'll make a good knock-around bag, and probably a good bag for rain, since the fabric is water-resistant, according to the website. For 102.00 it's not bad. The construction is solid and the bag seems sturdy. I carried it to work once and added another check in the plus column: there's a leather strip lengthwise down the bottom of the bag, which means that even though the bag was pretty loaded there was no "Speedy sag." Yay!

Of the bad: The aforementioned nylon zipper. One of the handles is pretty shoddily sewn -- the stitches are tight but crooked. It's a good thing the thread is black to match the leather, because contrasting stitching would have looked awful.

Again, for the price range, not bad. After carrying it for a day I might buy the herringbone version when/if it goes on sale:

12 in. Sacoche - Herringbone

One thing would keep me from ordering: crappy customer service.

I wasn't happy about the 20.00 shipping charge, especially since - at the time - the banner at the top of the site said "Free shipping in the U.S." When I called to ask about the discrepancy I was told that they'd "look into it." What this meant was that they updated the website, changed the banner to remove the "free shipping" statement, and didn't offer to make good after misleading me. Great P.R. there, fellas.

Today's bag: blue Pierotucci Birkin-inspired bag loaded up for tomorrow.

Ordering another one! and clothing adventures.

2007-06-12T21:01:00.000-05:00

Another unexpectedly fabulous outfit yesterday. Slinky chocolate cardigan, khaki/goldish-ish tank, black/gold scrollwork design skirt. Tortoise bangles, sheer cream stockings, leopard ballet flats, silver hoop earrings with gold dangles. It probably sounds odd, but the camel/gold/brown/black combo looked extraordinarily sophisticated. I was quite pleased! The only thing I'd change: I'd carried my olive Pierotucci the day before and didn't have time to change before leaving the house. The olive looked good, but I think my blue Pierotucci would have added a nice pop of color.

Speaking of camel and black, I've decided that I need a pair of classic Chanel-esque camel ballet flats with black cap toes. That is my shoe mission!

Speaking of Pierotucci...yes! I'm ordering a fifth bag! I tried to order this afternoon, but that stupid secure VISA password thing never seems to work for me without a lot of failed transactions, frustration and crying first. It might be a phone order. ;-p

Today's bag: olive Pierotucci Birkin-inspired bag.

Further adventures in monochromatic dressing.

2007-05-24T20:34:00.000-05:00

I wore a successful outfit this week that could have been better. Black slinky side-slit skirt, dove grey v-neck t-shirt (Mossimo from Target, I'd love a rainbow of these!), deep charcoal grey shirt worn open over the t-shirt. Slender silver bangles and earrings, black sheer stockings and my black flats with black/white dotted bows completed the ensemble.

The black and greys looked good, but definitely could have benefitted from a pop of color. In my defense, I wore my blue Pierotucci that day. Looking at myself without the bag, though, it was just a good outfit that fell a little short. Next time around I'll do one of two things:

1) White t-shirt instead of the grey, same silver accessories. Same blue bag. That would have looked fabulous!

2) Same grey t-shirt, but colorful bangles and earrings instead of the silver. My new turquoise bangles and a pair of turquoise earrings. Maybe with my ivory Pierotucci...

Another thought is that my accessories were just too wimpy to add punch to the outfit. I think I'll try the combo with a bold black bangle and some interesting black earrings next time.

I actually started to wear a slinky chocolate cardigan instead of the charcoal shirt, but I wasn't feeling quite that adventurous once I got dressed. :-) The grey t-shirt looked wonderful with the chocolate cardigan though, so that will be my next monochromatic experiment. Hopefully I have a skirt that will work with such a combo. Then again, if I don't own something already, that's a great excuse to go shopping!

Today's bag: blue Pierotucci Birkin-inspired bag.

Purchased ages ago, like, January 2006...

2007-05-18T20:51:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling incredibly lazy; I want to post, but I don't really feel like writing anything. Because of this, I'm going to recycle a post I made in a forum; I bought my Luella Suzi tote before I started this blog, so here's a blast from the past...

The leather is gorgeous and I love the styling. The bag is a bit heavy for its size but not crippling.

My main issue with the Suzi is that because of the way it's constructed, it's much smaller on the inside than you'd think. The sides are gathered and there's a pocket sewn in the middle to create two compartments...two small compartments. Plus, there's a foldover flap from the back that attaches magnetically inside the front of the bag, which makes getting in and out a little trickier than it needs to be. There's a ton of wasted potential space.

With all that said, it really is a pretty bag; I carry it every now and then as a change of pace. I bought it online from Saks after seeing the white version in Vogue; if I'd seen this bag in person first, I'm pretty sure that's $1100.00 I'd have spent on something else.

Today's bag: blue Pierotucci Birkin-inspired bag.

Bangles and baubles and shoes, oh my!

2007-05-17T16:51:00.000-05:00

I've been on a tear lately buying accessories. I've wanted tortoise bangles for the longest time, and couldn't seem to find any online. Two weeks ago I was surprised and pleased to find six or so at a thrift shop; priced at two for five bucks, I bought four of them, not wanting to be greedy. Four skinny tortoise (plastic, of course) bangles looked quite nice on my wrist; six seemed to be pushing it. Now, of course, I'm wishing I'd gone overboard and gotten the last two as well.

Naturally, now that I've found my bangles after what seems like ages of looking for them, they've popped up courtesy of Ralph Lauren, no less, at three price points.

Chaps, three bangle set, $18.00:

Lauren Ralph Lauren, three bangle set, $30.00:

Ralph Lauren, five bangle set, $225.00.

I purchased the cheapest set at my local Kohl's; believe it or not, they're not quite as nice as my thrift shop finds! They're just a bit smaller in diameter, and the color's just a wee bit off. You quite obviously get what you pay for, eh? I'm thinking that 225.00 seems a bit overpriced for plastic, but I just may treat myself to the five bangle set. Accessories last a lifetime, especially the classics, and tortoise bangles may be as classic as it gets.

Classic while perhaps debatably classy, I finally sated my lust for leopard. I'm starting small but a bit daring for me: leopard ballerina flats with a Chanel-esque quilted cap toe! All done quite grandly and cheaply by the folks at Old Navy:

The fit is a bit odd; the size 8 feels like a 7 on my foot (a bit tight!) but moving up to a 9 felt more like an 11. How completely bizarre is that? No half sizes, naturally. For 20.00 bucks though, I decided to splurge on a bit o' cat; I've worn them with two outfits, and I'm convinced that these are definitely something worth having at a higher price point -- and a better fit!

In the past week I've also purchased a set of three silvery bangles, and two three-piece sets mimicking pieced tortoise and pieced turquoise (to go with my lovely new blue bag!)

I've worn two successful outfits this week that are going on my favorites list: khaki linen jumper with a crisp white shirt worn open over it, silver earrings, my now infamous tortoise bangles, sheer stockings and the also now-infamous leopard flats. Topped off with my blue Pierotucci, I looked fabulous.

Today's outfit was even better: slinky black side-slit skirt, white long sleeved v-neck t-shirt, powder blue cardigan, pearls, silver earrings, silver bangles, sheer black stockings and my leopard flats; blue Pierotucci bag. Perfection!

I love silver jewelry in the summer. Silver's pretty in winter too, of course, but it seems especially refreshing in the summer. Against the powder blue of my sweater and the white t-shirt...perfection.

Today's bag: blue Pierotucci Birkin-inspired bag.

Maternal influences can sneak up on you...

2007-05-12T20:18:00.000-05:00

I lost my mother five years ago, and even now when I find something fabulous, I have the briefest flash of, "Wow, Mom would love that!" before I remember. I inherited my intense love of accessories from Mom, and believe me, if she were still around, she would probably have asked to borrow quite a few items that I've acquired since she's been gone.

When it comes to accessories, I'm like a bizarre, negative mirror-image of my mother.

I'm all about bags, she was manic about shoes. She loved pumps, and very nearly always wore heels. I'm crazy for flats!

I have more pairs of earrings than I can even begin to estimate, and she had one pair of nice gold hoops that she wore daily. Mom slept in her hoops, while I strip off all jewelry the minute I come in the door, wedding ring included. She had an intense love of perfume, and I can barely stand scented anti-perspirant.

Like Carolina Herrera, Mom never met a white blouse or shirt that she didn't like. I haven't cleaned out her closet yet but when I do, I'm going to count just how many white shirts she had in her collection. I found this fixation amusing until I realized, sometime during my junior year of college, that I owned about six white turtlenecks. I'd apparently absorbed the Wisdom of White by osmosis! I currently own at least ten to fifteen white knit tops in various sleeve and neckline configurations. Even now, typing about them, I'm itching to buy something new. Hmmm...

Happy Mother's Day to everyone, including those mothers like me, whose children have four feet and fur. :-)

Today's bag: You have to ask? My lovely new blue Pierotucci Birkin-inspired bag.

Come to me, my beauty...

2007-05-12T02:10:00.000-05:00

Oh, my goodness. Oh, sweet heaven. My newest Pierotucci arrived today and it's breathtaking. There's a depth to the color that I can't even describe; it's absolutely incredible! I took a few pictures earlier; sadly, they're incredibly crappy. Here's the best of the lot:

Needless to say, this picture in no way, shape or form conveys the gorgeousness of the color! I'm going to try again tomorrow in natural light (outside), and we'll see what happens. Also, the cool tones of the silver hardware complement the blue perfectly. So beautiful.

This Hermes twilly comes close to the depth of color in my Piero, though my bag is more on the blue end of the scale than the twilly. I am officially the world's worst photographer, but that's okay, because I have the best bags evah.

And by the way, is that scarf gorgeous, or what? I received a teeny, tiny unexpected little bonus-lette at work a week or so ago, and the twilly would make a nice little gift to myself. I'm mad about the aqua, but the black version would probably be a more practical choice, since it would work with more of my wardrobe. But I really love the aqua. But I should get the black one, right? But the aqua has green in it...

See the glasses on my bag? They're also new! They're Isaac Mizrahi, purchased at Target for 17.99 (link courtesy of Amazon.com):

Unless I simulatenously (or subsequently) win the lottery and lose my mind, I will never spend more than 25.00 for sunglasses -- I've lost or broken way too many pairs to justify spending more than that. There is one exception: RayBan Wayfarers, because I'm a retro traditionalist at heart.

Yessssssssssss, I'm thinking the aqua twilly. Perhaps. Stay tuned.

Today's bag: Michael Kors signature jaquard bag.

Color, take four.

2007-05-09T18:11:00.000-05:00

If inspired-design bags make you weep, flee now and don't say I didn't warn you.

The following is my Philosphy on Blue. Because I'm apparently the laziest blogger ever, I'm going to copy the text from a mail message I sent to a purse-loving friend:

I'm really funny about blue. I'm not partial to thin, cold blues, but I love anything with depth. I love navy. I'm partial to blues with just a hint of green, or the kind of blue with a soft, creamy base (like robin's egg or Tiffany blue), and I love turquoise. This is why I have a hard time trying to find blue accessories that I really like, especially bags, because the shade has to be just right, and there are *tons* of shades that are just so, so wrong...at least to my eye. :-)

So...I've seen tons of blue bags, and I've even been tempted by a few, but I just couldn't find the one that truly spoke to me. Eventually I fell in love with the oh so lovely color known as 'blue jeans' and I was hooked. Pierotucci had my money quicker than you can say, "Gimme that bag!"

I ordered soft leather, 35cm, silver hardware. The silver should be lovely against the blue! I'm very excited.

This will be my fourth bag, and this one wasn't even on my wish list. It should be a gorgeous warm weather bag, and the blue will provide a bright pop of color against darker clothes this winter. Again, I'm ridiculously excited.

I've been planning lots of monotone outfits in neutral colors so that the bag will shine: khaki, black, brown, grey, white. This will be the first outfit: a crisp white shirt worn open with a white tank beneath and my black slinky side-slit skirt. Finishing touches include a trio of turquoise bangles on my wrist and a pair of silver hoops in my ears. Yes, I shall be fabulous.

Today's bag: camel Pierotucci Birkin-inspired bag.

I must be crazy.

2007-02-20T17:46:00.000-06:00

Am I really considering another green bag, especially one that's alarmingly similar to another bag I already own?

While perusing the Michael Kors website, I saw this: MICHAEL Michael Kors Something Wild Leather shoulder bag:

Look familiar? Judging from the picture, at least, it's very nearly identical in color to my Tod's Nomade Grande. It also has the same metal-tipped leather zipper pulls, and the slip-in pockets behind the zipppered pockets mimic the look of the horizontal line across the front of the Tod's bag.

The dimensions are nearly the same, too. The Kors bag is 13"H x 16"W x 4 1/2"D, the Nomade Grande is 17.5" x 11.5" x 7". Basically, the Kors bag is the Tod's turned on its end.

The Miky is $1300.00 at the eLuxury website; the Kors is $378.00.

I wish the Kors was available in a different color; alas, it's only available in this green. Still, I really like the bag. I'm very, very tempted. Very tempted. Very.

Today's bag: Luella small Suzi tote.

New loves.

2007-02-13T21:00:00.000-06:00

I have three new loves.

1) My beautiful new beige Pierotucci Birkin-style bag mentioned in my last post. The thing is huuuuuge (40cm), and it's perfect for work. It can hold a multitude of schleppage (the usual stuff you'd find in a handbag, plus work folders and a pair of shoes!) and still look great. I love the color, and I love how polished and professional (yet stylish) it looks with whatever I'm wearing. The only thing I'd change is that it's "strong" leather rather than the soft leather I prefer for their bags. Still, it was half-price so I'm not complaining! I'm contemplating a second 40cm in soft leather in a dark color. I doubt if I'll wait for the next sale though...maybe a present for my work anniversary? Hmmmm!

2) Another fun outfit with my new favorite skirt (also mentioned in my last post), a black/light khaki toile-ish print cotton. I wore it with a black turtleneck, slinky bordeaux cardigan, pearls, sheer black stockings, and, again, my black flats with black/white bowed toes. Great outfit, and it looked fabulous with my new beige bag!

3) Just discovered (thanks to a post in the Purse Forum) The Sartorialist, one of the few fashion-oriented blogs I've fallen absolutey in love with on first sight. I love, love, love that he doesn't just spotlight trendy, hipper-than-thou types; he photographs great personal style on just about anyone: young, old, male, female, rich, not-so-rich. There are pictures of people in the business as well as tons of pictures of regular everyday folks. I've spent the last couple of hours working my way through the archives; it's definitely a love letter to everything that makes fashion/design/style fun and interesting. Seriously one of the best blogs ever. Check it out if, like me, you've obviousy been living under a rock.

Today's bag: beige Pierotucci Birkin-inspired bag.

Great outfits, great bags!

2007-01-27T18:16:00.000-06:00

Another great outfit! Black/light khaki toile-ish print cotton skirt, light khaki heavyweight t-shirt, slinky brown cardigan, pearls, sheer black stockings, and, yes, my black flats with black/white bowed toes. The skirt's one I bought at the end of the summer season, but I figured that since it's on the darker end of the color scale I could get away with it. It's the first time I'd worn that outfit and it looked fantastic! Happiness is a great outfit.

As I type these words, there are two bags en route to my home. Eeee! I'm so excited! I purchased my third Tod's bag from a fellow purse board member, a gorgeous caramel-colored Miky Zip Media. The seller was sweet enough to let me use her picture for this post. So lovely!

I killed two birds out of my wish list sky with the second bag: I bought the beige Pierotucci Birkin-style that I mentioned in my last post. It was the annual half-off sale, so how could I resist? I now own a bone/ivory/beige bag for the first time since I was about eight. Squee! Yes, I'm excited!

Today's bag: I didn't go anywhere today, but my Lauren by Ralph Lauren hobo is still loaded up from yesterday.

More outfits and bag shopping!

2007-01-15T16:24:00.000-06:00

A semi-successful outfit and a completely successful outfit rounded out last week. Thursday I wore a long button-front denim jumper with a gray striped sweatshirt cardigan (zip front) and white socks and grey suede flats. Upkeep note: The jumper needs to be hemmed a few inches.

Friday I wore one of my favorite color combinations, black and brown, in one of my new favorite outfits. I wore my slinky black side-slit skirt (slit only up to the knee!), coupled with my slinky chocolate brown twinset. Pearls, sheer black stockings and my black flats with black/white bows completed the outfit. I wore my Tod's pumpkin Miky media. I love that bag!

Speaking of bags, I'm jonesing for a new Birkin-style bag from Pierotucci. I think I'm going to go up a size, to a 40cm, but I'm having trouble deciding on a color. There are two I'm thinking of, beige (which looks more like bone or ivory on my monitor) and yellow (which looks more like a heavy cream). I'm leaning toward the yellow, though I hope it's as soft and neutral-looking as it appears on my computer. I think it would work as a neutral. If not, I can always carry it in the summer.

Today's bag: None! Martin Luther King Jr. Day off from work. :-)

Polished and pretty!

2007-01-10T19:27:00.000-06:00

Another successful outfit today, one of my new favorites: long, slinky black skirt with side slit, moss/olive v-neck long sleeve tee, black wool cardigan with embroidered olive swirls. Pearls, sheer black stockings and my favorite black flats with black/white dotted bow toes completed the look.

I *love* this outfit. I feel (and look) very polished and professional, and because it's completely made up of knits, it's very comfortable. That's the best combo ever, isn't it? When you not only look but feel great?

I should have gone for the win and worn my olive Pierotucci, but I went with the hands-free versatility of a shoulderbag and wore...

Today's bag: green Tod's Miky Nomade Grande.

Color, take three.

2007-01-09T19:44:00.000-06:00

Today's color is...grey!

I wore a highly unsuccessful outfit yesterday: heather grey sweatshirty material skirt, white mock turtleneck top, dark grey collared wool cardigan. OY VEY.

Overall, I think the proportions were wrong. The cardigan was a bit short for the length of the skirt, the top was the same length as the cardigan. All in all, a fashion mistake I won't make again! I'm thinking of adding the skirt to the "weekend only" pile; that's the second time I've worn it lately and realized that it's really not flattering -- at least not for work. For knocking around running errands, it'll be fine.

About the only thing the outfit had going for it was...

Yesterday's bag: Dooney & Bourke Medium Nubuck tote, in a darkish slate grey. It photographs a bit lighter than the real color.

I wore grey again today, an outfit that I always think looks good: dove grey knit dress, slinky chocolate cardigan, sheer black hose and black flats with a black/white dotted bow at the toe. It might sound weird, but grey and chocolate is a really nice combination. The dark brown is softer than black, and with the rest of the black and grey going on, it adds a subtle touch of color. I recommend that you try it sometime, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Speaking of shoes, I finally got around to buying the ones I mentioned in this post, the Target buckle-toed flats. Not quite half price but almost, and they still had the brown ones that I wanted! I had to go to two stores to get them, but it was definitely worth it. They're darling on, and the color is genius. They're a very, very dark brown, like bittersweet chocolate, like, chocolate black. I love them so much I'm tempted to get them in black as well, but I don't know if I need yet another pair of black shoes. Still, I love them madly.

Zebra luuuuurve!

2006-12-29T21:58:00.000-06:00

Is this gorgeous, or what? This is another one of those bags that made me say "Oh my God" out loud when the picture popped up on my monitor.

This is ridiculously beautiful. Simple but rich, luxe but not over-the-top. The red leather handles add just the right touch of color, and the twisted gold links are genius - sophisticated bling at its best. I want to marry the person who designed this bag. You will truly be a workplace diva with this baby on your arm!

Valentino Zebra Hide Tote. Zebra-printed pony hair, 12"H x 12"W. Pre-order for $2,395.00 at both Neiman's and Saks. I want, want, want this bag.

Today's bag: Tod's Miky Nomade Media.

I'm back! Also, new bag lurve for Christmas!

2006-12-22T18:53:00.000-06:00

It's been forever since I posted -- my father was suddenly taken ill and has been in the hospital for the past few weeks. During that time I either haven't felt much like blogging or I haven't had the time. He's done much better this past week, so I've been easing back into my online life. :-)

My Tod's Miky Nomade Grande has been getting a workout since Dad's been in the hospital; since I never know what I might need to lug to and from the hospital, it's nice having a big bag to toss any- and everything into. Oddly enough, even though I've worn it plenty of times before, I suddenly received a cluster of compliments during a four day stretch, including: A woman at work who practically twitched with the need to touch the leather ("It looks so soft!" she said); one of the nurses at the hospital wanted to take it right off my shoulder; my aunt, who commented twice about how much she liked it.

I loved the big one so much that I thought it would be nice to have the regular shoulderbag-sized version. Since this is the season for bag sales left and right, I got lucky (though not as lucky as when I got the big one half off), and not only nabbed it at a pretty good price, but I got the orange bag I've been jonesing for. Yay! Tod's Miky Nomade Media in pumpkin:

I ordered it Tuesday from Bluefly; with Christmas two-day delivery I received it yesterday! Bluefly charges tax, which was an unhappy surprise, so I probably won't order from them again unless it's something I absolutely have to have and can't find anywhere else - and the price is right. One happy surprise is that the bag was shipped inside its big orange Tod's box, a bonus I didn't receive when I ordered the big one from Neiman's. Whee! My cat had a ton of fun helping me open the package.

I now have two Tod's bags, and I'm pretty sure there are more in my future. The leather is luscious, the construction impeccable. I'll be watching the sales, because I fully intend to get at least one more Grande. I plan to get a neutral shade, like the brandy one pictured here at Eluxury. I'm not crazy about brown bags, but that's one I think I can live with. I love Tod's.

Today's bag: Tod's Miky Nomade Media.