Looking for a new wallet…

I am currently on a hunt for a new wallet. Since getting the Neverfull in Damier Ebene, I worry about the red interior causing colour transfer onto my Michael Kors wallet. Don’t get me wrong – I love that wallet, but I do not want the white stripes on it to turn pink..!

I recently purchased a small wallet from Ralph Lauren, which fits nicely in my small Chanel Double Flap, and also fits my keys (one of the main reasons why I bought this wallet!) but it does not hold all of my cards and important paperwork that I need to carry day to day.

So I decided that I need to purchase a new, bigger wallet. I really would prefer to get a zipped wallet, for more security, and I am currently looking into investing in either a Chanel or Louis Vuitton wallet.

I would rather buy a leather wallet than one in canvas. I just feel like leather holds up so much better – of course this depends on brand, types of leather and obviously how much you use the wallet but I just personally prefer leather wallets.

I have a hard time justifying buying a Chanel wallet for 800-1000 euros. It’s just a bit too steep for me. So I am looking at buying one pre-loved – but I really want it to be in great condition. I have my eye on a few, but the prices are still a bit too high for my liking. Buying a pre-loved wallet for 600 euros is till a lot of money to spend on a wallet…

Here are a couple of wallets I found on Vestiaire Collective that I really would like to get – but the price is still preventing me from going through with it.

Chanel wallet 1 
Chanel wallet 2
Chanel wallet 3

I also am really loving this Dior wallet. I think it is gorgeous and the price is a lot better but the problem is that I fear that I would still be wanting a Chanel wallet after all, and I hate spending money on one thing just because it’s cheaper, when I in reality want to get another item. That, in my opinion, is just wasteful.

I also really like this LV wallet, but again – I fear that I would still be left lusting for a Chanel wallet and end up buying that as well, after some time. I honestly only need ONE bigger wallet, so I feel like I will be going for one from Chanel since it appears as though that is what my heart is telling me to get. A Chanel wallet might cost a bit more, but I think I will be the most happy with it.

However, since I am currently on “ban island” (i.e. not allowed to spend anything, but rather need to save my money towards my purchases), unless I come across some FANTASTIC deal on one of the pre-loved sites, I’ll just have to use my good old Michael Kors wallet until then, and hope that the colour transfer isn’t too bad…

 

My designer sunglasses

I only own two pairs of designer sunglasses. The reason is that I just end up breaking/scratching/losing my sunglasses at some point, and so I just don’t think they’re worth spending a lot of money on. But, the two pairs of designer sunnies that I do own, I really love. Both of them were bought at TK Maxx stores and I really like buying sunglasses from that store because you can get really good deals.

My Michael Kors aviators were bought in the UK (can’t remember what city, sorry!) and I got an excellent deal on them. I think aviators are a classic model that will stand the test of time. These come in a rose gold hardware and the glass has a warm brown gradient style.

 

The second pair is by Tom Ford. I bought these at TK Maxx in Rotterdam last summer and I absolutely LOVE them! I really like the fact that they are big and a bit obnoxious… The case is in velvet and collects dust like a mo’fo’ but hey – at least I got a case with my purchase (which is not always the case when you buy sunglasses at TK Maxx).

These were originally 300 euros..! I would honestly never pay that amount for a pair of sunglasses – I paid 1/3 of the original price, which I thought was reasonable.

I highly recommend checking out sunglasses if you ever find yourself in a TK Maxx store. You can really find some great designer pieces for a fraction of the in-store prices!

Bag storage: dustbags

I will be doing a blog post on how/where I store my handbags (although currently I am not particularly happy about the way I store them…) but today I wanted to talk to you about dustbags.

Not all of my bags came with dustbags – which is a shame, because I think dustbags are essential when it comes to storage. It keeps the bags protected and especially if you – like me – are storing them in quite a small space, it keeps them from rubbing up against each other and causing scratches or colour transfer. I’d rathe havea dirty dustbag than dirty handbag…

I really do wish that I had dustbags for all my bags but I have noticed that it really depends on where you shop, whether or not you get a dustbag when you purchase a bag.

Also, just like the name suggests, dustbags prevents your bags from collecting dust; something that I especially  need when it comes to my Givenchy Antigona, because that glossy thing likes to collect dusts like nobody’s business..!

As you can see – I am not particularly loyal to a specific brand when it comes to handbags (even if these are not all of my bags). However, I can say that out of the ones that have come with dustbags, I definitely prefer Givenchy. It is sturdy, thick material, drawstring is pretty heavy duty and I love the crisp white colour of the dustbag. I wish the dustbag for my Chanel was bigger, because I feel that it does not cover all of the bag, since the opening is on the side. I know that the dustbags are different now, but since my Chanel is a pre-loved piece, I just had to accept the dustbag it came with.

I know that some people don’t like to store their bags inside the dustbags, because they’d rather display their handbags, but I am quite the opposite. I prefer to protect and store them so that I can use them for years to come.

Review: Net-a-porter

If you’re not looking into buying pre-loved, but want to get your hands on a brand new designer item, I highly recommend shopping from Net-a-porter.

Net-a-porter ships worldwide and carries brands like Saint Laurent, Fendi, Valentino, Givenchy, Gucci, Prada and many more. It is a very trustworthy site and prices are sometimes even better than buying in actual stores (depending on the brand/item).

When I finally had saved up money to buy the Givenchy Antigona, I purchased it from Net-a-porter. Mainly because I could not find the exact bag (glossy calfskin with silver hardware in the medium size) anywhere in store. I had, however, tried on the bag in pebbled goat skin in store one time, just to make sure that it was the size I wanted.

Buying from Net-a-porter is very safe – and shipping took about a week. Everything came neatly packaged (I’ll show you more pictures when I review the Antigona) and I was extremely happy with my purchase.

 

Chances are, I’ll be purchasing from Net-a-porter again – if I’m not able to get a hold of a specific item in store. Net-a-porter is also a good site to use when comparing prices of pre-loved goods, because sometimes private sellers try to overprice their items simply because they use the fact that buyers do not always know the prices of the items.

 

My most worn bag

In 2015, I bought this quilted tote bag from Michael Kors. I found it at TK Maxx, whilst in the UK, and I can honestly say that I have worn it at least 2-3 times every week (usually I wear it every single day) since I bought it. It is without a doubt my most worn handbag and I am currently using it as my work bag. I have absolutely no idea what this model is called, I know that they do not make this exact model anymore. I love the quilted leather, though. That is what made me buy the bag in the first place.

As you can see, it is pretty beaten up. I have not really looked after this bag. I throw it in my car every morning, I chuck it in my locker at work, it has been rained on, it has been snowed on…you name it! Considering what its been put through, it’s still in pretty good shape. I just need to start hanging it instead of leaving it on the floor in our hallway, because it has gotten some pretty bad creases… The leather has soften a lot throughout the years, but still has worn quite well, in my opinion.

The first signs of wear came after about a year, when the leather straps started to crack and tear. It bothered me a lot in the beginning, but as the straps have worn, I just felt that I had to worry less and less about the bag.

You can also see some wear on the lather, on the back side of the bag – where it has rubbed against my body. I just recently started to condition the leather to try to prevent it from getting worse – but again, this is the back of the bag and not really something you can see when wearing the bag.

The hardware actually shows no wear what so ever – which is extremely surprising – especially considering the fact that on my Hamilton tote, the hardware showed some tarnished within a couple on months.

I truly love this bag. It is comfortable, practical and care-free. Since getting my Louis Vuitton Neverfull, I was planning on retiring this bag, but it is so perfect for work that I just cannot bring myself to part with it. At least not quite yet…

Michael Kors Bedford Gusset Crossbody Bag

This bag I purchased in early 2014. I actually found it by accident, I was not planning on buying a handbag during a weekend trip to Turku but I got a really good deal on it so I couldn’t resist.

It quickly became one of my favourite crossbody bags to wear especially during spring and summer. I have gotten so much wear out of this bag and it has been my go-to travel bag ever since I bought it.

The fact that it has 3 zipper compartments makes it so useful are practical. I’m the kind of person who needs a handbag that fits a lot and this bag has been packed to the rim on multiple occasions and still has held up pretty good. The zippers have been tarnished over the year, but it isnothing too noticeable. Again, this is another bag that I do NOT baby in any way! The leather has no scratches or cuts or any tears, which is pretty surprising considering how much I’ve used it.

There are cardslots and a zipped compartment inside one of the zipped compartments. This is absolutely genious because it means that I don’t have to carry a wallet with this bag! The strap is super comfortable to wear and like I said, I always bring this bag with me when I travel. You can detach the leather strap and carry the bag as a clutch but I have actually never done so.

I feel that my love for Michael Kors have somewhat died down during the past couple of years, since getting more and more into luxury handbags, but I would say that if you are looking into getting a small handbag from MK – this is the one to get. It’s practical and versatile!

Review: Affordable Luxury

Affordable Luxury was actually the very first pre-loved site that I was introduced to. I have actually never purchased anything from the website but I visited their showroom in Stockholm 3 times. I never found the items I was looking to get so I still haven’t bought anything from them – still, it’s a pre-loved site and store that I do recommend.

They carry brands like Dior, Chanel, LV, Céline, Hermés and many more.

(screenshot from their website)

The very first time I visited their showroom, I got excellent service. It was quite crowded when I was there, but still, the sales assistant confirmed my presence and while she was helping one customer, she asked if I was looking for something in particular.

Back then, I had just started to look for the Louis Vuitton Neverfull and I had seen that Affordable Luxury had a couple of them on their website. Unfortunately, they had all been sold (popular bag, I know…) but the sales assistant told me that they were getting 2 more in the next day if I wanted to come back and have a look at them. Sadly, I was leaving Stockholm early the following day so I never got the chance to look at the bags, but still – I had e very good first experience in the showroom.

The past 2 times I’ve been there, my experience hasn’t been as great. It hasn’t been bad, by any means, but I kind of felt like the sales assistant (the last two times it was an older gentleman) was really just trying to sell me ANYTHING rather than actually help me find the item I was looking for. So I never ended up buying anything.

As far as the website goes, they post new items regularly – which is great. However, I have noticed that sometimes they seem to post items that are already sold. OR,  when you click on an item, you’ll find that the item has actually been sold but it is still left on the website for many, many weeks. This is somewhat annoying, especially if you are looking for something specific.

Since I visit the site regularly (several times every week), I also notice that they repost some items that they do not manage to sell. I guess it’s a marketing strategy but again – somewhat annoying if you visit the site regularly. Their price points vary – sometimes I think they are definitely overcharging for some items, but other times they have really good deals.

I do recommend a visit to their showroom if you’re ever in Stockholm. It’s located in Sture Gallerian and a bit tricky to find (it took me about half an hour to locate the store, since NO ONE I asked seemed to have any idea of where it was..! Not even shop assistants working in stores close by knew..!) but truly worth a visit.

Dior Parfums clutch bag

One of the oldest bags in my collection comes from Dior Parfums. I got this little pouch around 9 years ago and I have actually worn it to two different weddings (not mine!) and I think it is absolutely adorable.

It is actually a cosmetic pouch but I have used it as an evening clutch. Its champagne colour makes it perfect for dressy events, particularly during the summer months. It’s made from a silky sort of material and stains VERY easily so this is not a bag I tend to use very often…

However, I love it and would never want to part from it!

 

MCM bag on my wishlist

MCM is a brand that I’ve had my eye on for a while. To me they appear to have some fantastic canvas pieces but they are less expensive than Louis Vuitton (famous for their canvas pieces) and also a bit edgier.

I’ve had a look at their bags whenever I’ve travelled but nothing has stood out exentionally to me – until now.

This bag is just absolutely gorgeous. I actually found it on Vestiaire Collective and it went straight onto my wishlist!

It is edgy but stylish and it looks like it would fit a lot. MCM-bags also have a fairly good price point so I feel like this definitely would be a bag to add to my collection.

Bags that I fell out of love with: Prada Saffiano Lux Tote

A couple of years ago, I was REALLY into this bag: the Prada Saffiano Lux Tote bag.
I am a big bag kind of woman – I love tote bags and that is the sort of bag that I carry day to day. I still think this is a gorgeous handbag but I am no longer including it on my wishlist, for a couple of reasons.

First of all, it is quite similar to my Michael Kors Hamilton Tote. And since I do try to make sure that I don’t have too many handbags that look the same, I don’t feel that it is necessary for me to get the Prada bag. The Hamilton Tote was my very first designer handbag and so I will never get rid of it…

Also, this bag seems to wear terribly, in the sense that the bag loses its shape and starts to sag. Now, I’m not sure if this happens to the newer models, because they do seem more structured nowadays – but when I look at this bag on pre-loved sites, they just don’t look that great. Obviously the leather softens as the years go by, and that’s fine but to me that just makes the bag look…sad. Again, this is just my opinion, my since I personally prefer structured bags, I’m just not that impressed by the look of a saggy Prada bag.

So I am quite happy with the fact that I never purchased this bag, since I seem to have fallen out of love with it.