#6 essential wardrobe piece: A perfect handbag

Okay, this sure is a toughie.. there are so many bags out there that I could think of that could qualify as the perfect handbag.  But I guess the one bag that I seem to never quite get tired of is bags from Balenciaga.  Thanks to Fashionista Cat who first introduced to me how fabulous the bag was about 5 years back.  Thereafter, there was no turning back in the acquisition of these B-bag babies (my affectionate nick-name for the bags).

I believe the investment in a perfect handbag is an essential wardrobe piece. It doesn’t really matter if it’s designer or not, just remember a high quality and simple fuss-free leather handbag will last for years.  Before I could afford any designer handbags, I either raided my mom’s wardrobe for her arm candy or just invested in a good leather handbag that lasted me a good couple of years. Check out leather handbags from Hue, they won’t burst your pocket plus the styles are pretty trendy.  And, if you are thinking about investing in a designer handbag, do consider a couple of these things – ‘Price point (of course)?’; ‘Will the bag age well?’; ‘Does it suit your lifestyle?’ and ‘Will it still be a classic item to pass it down to our kids?’.

For me, the two brands that seem to answer the above would be Chanel and Hermes.  The Chanel 2.55 Bag and the Hermes Birkin/ Kelly are great investment pieces that seem to withstand the test of time.  I’m also inclined to throw in the Balenciaga Motorcycle bags as well.  It was introduced in 2001 but after a good 10 years, its staying power is definitely proven.  I love the bag for its chic-rock style plus it’s slouchy look means that I can throw just about everything in the bag. 

~~~~~

Click here to read more about Lady J’s Essential Wardrobe pieces.

Dre$$ing up

Playing dress-up as we head out to dinner in Vienna. My tunic (kinda Dries Van Noten inspired) was a gem-of-a-find from Forever 21 which I paired over a simple pair of leggings. To make the outfit fit for a swanky dinner-do out about town, my Arty Ring in Aqua and the Belle du Jour clutch came to play.

Have I told you how much I love my pair of metallic ballet jelly-flats? After I ‘broke’ into the shoes, they were like the most comfortable pair of flats that I bring along on most of my weekend trips. Unfortunately, it couldn’t withstand the ‘torture’ that I’ve subjected it to and it finally gave way.

Go on raid my wardrobe!

Going dotty

Today marks the first day of work for me back at the X-Company as a contract staff for the next 4 weeks.  I’m kinda excited heading back to work, meeting familiar faces and working on a couple of projects.  It feels good to have my brain-cells slowly getting in on the corporate action after a hiatus.

My workwear for the day: a Polka-dotted top from Sonia by Sonia Rykiel scored at a whopping 60% off it’s original price!    When I first saw this top on Net-a-Porter, I was soooo tempted to get it but the price was still a little high.  Well, what luck!  Saw the very same top with my size going for a great discount at Galleries Lafayette Paris and I knew it’s ‘destined’ to be mine.  Oh, and I don’t mean to be ‘flaky’ but the top matches my phone-cover too! Hehe.

And if I may just end off this post with some ranting on my part – I admit I’ve been really lazy… I set myself out with a ‘List of things to do in Geneva’ but I never really got round to doing them.  Among the many things that I was supposed to do, cooking was probably the only thing that I could check off the list.  I bought a stash of books that I was supposed to have finished in the 3 months that I was there, but I got really distracted and ended up being a couch potato watching sometimes-mindless shows to while my time away.  Sigh!  Now I feel like beating myself up!  Urgh!!!

So, I will ‘mentally’ beat myself up first.  Then, I’m going to pick myself up and tell myself to do something about it instead of whining about it!  Hmph!

Go on raid my wardrobe!

Dre$$ing up for date night

Date nights have always been special because it gives me the excuse to play dress up.  I guess they are even more special now because with my limited wardrobe space and limited clothes (most are back in Sing), I feel that I need to pay extra attention on dressing up and jazzing up my outfits with the accessories.  Hehe.

The weather was sunny but it was still kinda chilly, so I put on this Zara dress that I bought a while back but never got the chance to wear it.  I love the floral prints on the dress – very Pucci inspired.  As for accessories, just keeping it simple with my Etaupe Rivale bracelet and my quintessential 2.55 bag.    I put on heels for I thought we will be sitting inside but they put us out in at the terrace which was really lovely but the pebbled floor almost destroyed my heels (again).  Sigh.. when will I learn? ;p

Go on raid my wardrobe!

K.i.s.s

‘Keeping it simple and straightforward’ is the look I was trying to achieve when we headed out for dinner last weekend.  Remember my funky fuchsia jeans?  Well, it’s such a bright colour to don and it kinda makes me happy trotting around in this outfit.  So this time round, I paired the same outfit up with accessories that are monochrome.

I can’t seem to find a full-length mirror yet, so shots for Wardrobe Raids in Geneva will probably be taken inside my lift. Hehe. Oh and I’m loving my fun phone cover with polka-dots!

So, shades/ handbag and sandals are all in shades of black-and-white.  The subtle touch that kinda speaks volumes to this outfit.

Go on raid my wardrobe!

Gaga over Leopard Prints (still)

The Man brought me to a Summer Party recently and this was the outfit that I picked out to wear.  The dress-code read Garden Party and I had a white dress that suited the theme perfectly.  But, it turned out to be a wet and rainy evening so I decided to change my wardrobe choice.

Since I’m still in my Animal Prints phase, thought I’ll try pulling off this look for the party instead.  Hopefully not looking like some wild-cat lost in the gardens.

Dressed the leopard-printed top with skinny black jeans.  For an edgy look and to protect me from the winds, I threw on my favourite distressed leather bomber jacket.  Accessories were kept to the minimal with just a pearl necklace and the quintessential 2.55 bag.  Put on a pair of beige heels but it almost got destroyed as the garden was not covered and I had to trudge along slowly with my heels in the pebbles.  Yikes!

Go on raid my wardrobe!

What’s in my bag : Weekend

Over drinks with the Imp last night, I marveled at her bag (and btw, love those Tory Burch shoes that you wore – they are simply the best flats yeah?).  Having just raided her bag recently, I said that there’s no way that bag she was touting could carry all her stuff she posted previously, she smiled gleefully and said it was her weekend bag (la).

She said she was going to do a post on her weekend bag for it holds lesser things that the daily bag.  I gamely said I will follow suit for I too have a bag that I sort of specifically take around when the weekend beckons.

My bag of choice for the weekends is usually the Balenciaga First in Cobalt Blue.  Yes, I love this shade of blue very much!  I have 2 blouses, a dress, a pair of Ray Ban shades and a bag in this electrifying shade.  The Balenciaga First is actually rather tiny but for the weekend, it’s perfect cos I’m usually out about town running errands.  I usually chuck my wallet, my iPhone, my cardholder and keys.  And depending on my attire, I rotate my sunglasses to match the outfit or mood.  Felt like a tee and denim shorts kind of gal today, so popped my trusty Ray Ban Wayfarers to complete the laid-back look.

So, do you have a weekend bag?  What goes in it?  I’ll love to find out, so do link back to this post and I’ll update the list as it grows.

In the meantime, go suss out what’s in Imp’s weekend bag and I’m tagging Miss Ene for the fun of it since she started this ‘What’s in your bag’ meme in the first place.

Check out what’s in my bag or simply raid my wardrobe.