Saturday, March 19, 2016

New-In (Clothes) : Calvin Klein Clothing

At around the same time when I realize that designer bags have excellent quality and worth their price I was also starting to collect designer fashion items. I realized that luxury fashion items although more expensive compared to the high street brands but their quality were also much better. Then I slowly started to improve my wardrobe. I started buying good quality high-street brands clothing and a couple of luxury brands if my budget allowed. I slowly improved my wardrobe that was once filled with department store brands and a handful of cute-but-cheap clothing. In short, I just want to upgrade the overall quality of my wardrobe. My goal is to have a well-curated wardrobe with nice quality items (that can lasts for years) and less junk.

So with that reason in mind I started hunting for discounted designer clothing. Of course my budget wouldn't allow a full retail price for designer wardrobe so I always try to find some discounted or bargained items. I would scoured these discounted designer items from various sources. I would purchase them as long as they are less than retail price ;p

And that's exactly what happened with this haul.
Several days ago we went out to upgrade my husband's phone because he desperately needs a fresh one after using his old phone for years. We were having a post-holiday shopping mood that day so we decided to shop around a little bit. We accidentally found out that there was a factory outlet near the place where we went to upgrade husband's phone, so we went there afterwards. Husband bought a new t-shirt from TopMan and a new belt from Oakley, while I saw this blue jumper with loose cowl-neck from Calvin Klein. 

This turquoise blue sweater/jumper really stood out for me from the rack. There are many features of this jumper that I like very much. It was only available in a size Medium though (my actual size is Small or Xtra-Small because I'm very petite), but because I like it so much I got emotional and purchased it anyway although I know it is a little bit big on me 😅.

It's from the Calvin Klein Performance line which is their line for active-wear clothing. Well I personally thought this does not look like an activewear clothing at all. I think this jumper looks chic with it's open wide cowl-neck at the front, it's loose wavy shape, and other unique features.

It is made of thick sweater-like material so it's quite warm for the colder weather. It also has a "quick-dry" feature (maybe because it's from their activewear line). What I love about this jumper is how the wide neck gives a dimensional look to the overall outfit.

However, my most favorite feature of this jumper is obviously the thumb hole !
I always wanted one of these since college! One day at the dorm I saw my friend wearing a sweater with a thumb hole in each arms and I thought that's a cool feature to have in a sweater, and I have been wanting one of those ever since. So now I'm so happy to finally own a thumb hole jumper in my wardrobe, hahaha, it's so silly, I know .. 😝
{the thumb hole!}  
{worn with turquoise tanktop}

As you can see on the photo above, the cowl-neck opening is very wide so I need to always wear an inner top with this jumper. I also bought a random brand tanktop in similar color to go with this jumper. Luckily the turquoise blue tanktop I bought matches the jumper perfectly.


Notes for Petites:
I think Calvin Klein clothing size runs big. So instead of my regular size I should opt for one size smaller instead. You see, I bought a Calvin Klein blouse before and it was slightly big on me too, but I decided to purchase it anyway because it looks so elegant and different from what I had in my wardrobe.

When I saw this blouse I thought I could wear it to a semi-formal event but I haven't worn it yet so far - because I haven't had a semi-formal event to attend to. So it still hangs nicely on the rack in my wardrobe room. It's a beautiful salmon pink blouse with a subdued white crocodile-esque pattern. It's made of cotton-silk material and it has elegant design with a nice little buttoned opening at the top. If I was still working at my 9 to 5 office I'd definitely wear this beautiful blouse for work.

As I mentioned above, I think Calvin Klein sizing runs a little upsize. This blouse is also slightly big for my true size so the length of the arms are a bit too long for me. So I don't think I can wear this blouse in long-sleeve style, I probably would always have to wear it with it's sleeves rolled up.
Nonetheless, I'm still patiently waiting for the moment that I can wear this salmon blouse!


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Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Accessories : Marc By Marc Jacobs "Workwear" Computer & Ipad Case

 

One of my fave department store is Galeries Lafayette because they have some of my favorite brands there (which most of them are on my forever wish list ;p), and most importantly because they always have Sales going on especially on Marc Jacobs and Longchamp counters. 

One of the huge discount I had at Galeries Lafayette was on the Marc Jacobs counter around 3 years ago. I found some items from the Marc by Marc Jacobs (MBMJ) range that were slashed for 50% Off - so obviously I must take some benefit from the sale because it's not so often that MJ having a 50% sale here.

So I bought myself a MBMJ "Pretty Nylon" Computer Case in Knockout Pink, and a blue MBMJ "Pretty Nylon" Ipad Case in Bauhaus Blue - both are from the Workwear collection :


Perfect for my 13" laptop


Perfect for bringing around my ipad 


I always prefer the bigger size / reguler ipad than the ipad mini because I'm more of a visual person so I love bigger screen which I can enjoy bigger pictures from. Hence the bigger ipad case from MbMJ. I really love the blue color and picked it up right away.

I also love the pink color of the computer case so I also snagged it up. Both of these were 50% off so I actually had a pretty good deal back then. If I'm not mistaken I only got them both for a total of $50 😀


I still use both of 'em until now but I don't really use the computer case that often because I don't really bring my laptop anywhere anymore. I mostly use my laptop at home nowadays so I don't really use the computer case that much. But I still love it and would use it if I need to lug around my macbook outside because it's the only computer case I have ;)

I love the design of MBMJ Workwear collection. It's modern yet a bit sporty and casual, perfect for the milennial generation, Lol. After 3 years they still look new and they don't show any tear or scratch whatsoever. The colors are still as vibrant as when they are still new. The inside of the cases are made of really soft fluffy fabric so it won't scratch your gadget. They're also slightly padded and made of very good thick material with a gorgeous MBMJ logo at the front.


Here they are on action :



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Sunday, February 7, 2016

First Preloved SLG : Coach Legacy Motif Wristlet

I needed a pouch to store my phone inside my bags so that I won't scratch the surface of my phone. I thought this would fit my iphone 6 but turns out that I was wrong. When I received it my phone wouldn't fit in it. In fact this pouch has a small opening so I guess there won't be much items that would fit inside it.



This Coach purple Legacy motif Wristlet was my first "preloved" SLG (small leather goods). I saw it in one of the usual consignment store I always went while I was looking for something else. The cheap price caught my eye. I wasn't very fond of it when I first saw it because : (a) I don't really dig the deep purple color, and (b) I don't really need it because I wasn't sure that it would fit my phone.

But the price offer was intriguing (I got it for $27.5 while the retail price is $68) and it was in excellent condition. And I kinda like the tassel motif design (though I don't fancy the color). Also I thought it would be cute with my purple Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac bag. So I bought it anyway. But it turns out that the purple is a different shade with my RM Mini Mac, and my phone didn't fit in it too :(

But I thought it would still be useful for an extra pouch. So now I used it as my cosmetic bag although it can only fit my Mac compact powder and lipstick, or I'd also use it as a small wristlet to store money and important cards when I don't want to bring a bag with me (i.e : just a quick run to the atm / mini market).

Here is the color comparison of the Coach Tassel pouch and the RM Mini Mac ( the purple shade is so different they don't go well together ) :

 
The RM Mini Mac looks more like a magenta (or is it fuchsia?) color while the Coach one is a deeper darker purple. 


Below are two of my Coach SLGs. Starting small :)
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First Vintage Bag : Fendi Zucca Purse

My first ever vintage designer bag was a Fendi Zucca bag that I got from a private seller. It was so cheap (and I did my research to make sure that it was not a fake) and it is still in good condition (although a bag spa would liven it up a bit). It didn't come with its original dust bag or box as most of vintage items do, so that's part of the reason why it's so cheap. I also think that the seller doesn't really know or care about designer bags so she had no clue that her bag could actually worth more (psstt, don't tell her, LOL).




Anyway, this was my first ever vintage item and I got it for $30 - which I considered cheap compared to other vintage Fendi items. The condition wasn't excellent but it was pretty good with no scratch or scuffs. The leather handle was still in good condition, the canvas was still very good albeit a little dirty, and the hardware were still looking nice although it has lost its shine (but a bag spa could easily bring some shine and life to the bag!). So I snagged it right away because I thought it was an offer I couldn't resist.

Usually I would only go for preloved bags that comes with its original dustbag / box / certificate to make sure it's authentic and to retain its value when I decided to re-sell it again in the future. But for vintage items I understand that most of them don't come with original dustbag or boxes so as long as they are authentic and in overall good condition I'd take it ! (*wink*).
After a further research I think this bag was from circa the 80's. And I'm glad I got this one before it got popular again, so I was able to get it at an unbeatable price. Nowadays ever since Fendi logo bags have risen up again in the fashion world the price of a vintage one is about 8-10 times the price I paid for my bag! So I was very lucky (again) I guess... I just can't believe my luck. And I'm so thankful because of that.

Back to this bag's story, when I first got it I didn’t really wear it as much as I want to. The size wasn’t big enough for me to carry my usual stuffs so it just wasn’t practical for me as a daily bag. It also has a dainty little shoulder bag shape (which I think is a little bit outdated at the time) so maybe that's why I didn't really wear it that much. 

 So I only wore it to wedding parties or to small events where I don’t have to bring a lot of stuffs with me. Plus I was also a little bit shy wearing designer logos back then, so that’s why I didn’t get to wear it that often.

But now this bag has slowly getting its way back into my daily wardrobe. Nowadays I prefer to bring less items, so I tend to wear smaller bags these days. And I’m a bit more comfortable wearing logos now because it’s actually "on trend". And Fendi logo bags and accessories were also in a "hype" right now because lots of celebrities wore them now, especially by rappers and kylie jenner and the likes. So yay for scoring this Fendi bag waysss earlier :))


Can't wait to style this purse with my other outfit.
Hoping for a much more wear to this cute little classic bag now that it's on-trend ;)

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Monday, February 1, 2016

First Preloved Bag : Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac

The Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac has long been on my wish list and I finally purchased it last year (preloved) from a private seller. This was my second preloved designer bag, but I consider it as my first "Real" preloved-buying experience. The reason was because my first ever preloved designer bag was the Fendi Zucca purse that I got as a vintage item. Because it's vintage so of course it's automatically also a "preloved", but I always categorized that Fendi bag as a "vintage" - so this Rebecca Minkoff bag is what I consider as my First Preloved instead.  

Rebecca Minkoff is a contemporary designer (maybe middle-end of the spectrum?) and not many people actually knows about it here in my country unless you're a bag frenzy or know your fashion and/or brands. So that's one of the reason why I scoured for this bag in the preloved market. Wearing something that not many people know of unless you're in-the-know feels like I'm a part of something exclusive hahaha .. 😛

Anyway, back to this RM bag, it was a little bit harder to get this bag here in my country because we don't have a Rebecca Minkoff store here, so the brand is not too popular with the masses here, but as I told you above, it's still very popular among "bag lovers".


Having never bought a preloved bag (that wasn't "vintage") before, I was hesitant at first because with vintage items you are accustomed to a little bit "signs of wear" here and there, while for the newer generation bags they are more coveted if they are still in great condition. So when I first thinking of buying this bag it was a first experience for me. I'm afraid the bag won't look good as it is not brand new, or what if it has stains and not worth its price? (Because although it's "preloved" the price is still higher than regular high-street brand). 

But I finally convinced myself after seeing this RM Mini Mac in mint condition. I asked for more pictures and the seller provided me with lots of them including all the details. After seeing how mint it is from the pictures and after a little haggling I finally bought the bag! And when it came it is so perfect and still looks new! I'm glad that my first experience buying preloved designer bag is a success, and that makes me more confident in buying my next preloved purchases. 

My method is : 
  1. Do your research first (to see whether or not it is a fake one or a real deal), 
  2. Always ask for more detailed pictures to see whether it is still in mint / excellent condition,
  3. Check out the seller too (if your gut tells you there's something fishy, don't go with it),
  4. For vintage / older years items it is normal to have a little "wear & tear" signs and sometimes they don't come with original dustbag or boxes (because they're so old).

NOTE : I prefer preloved bags in mint or "like new" condition, although they cost a bit more but that's just how I prefer. Unless for vintage items where it's normal to have a little bit "wear & tear" signs as long as they have generally good condition it would be okay for me.

For SLGs (small leather goods / accessories) I don't really mind if it shows a little bit wear and tear. And one more thing, I also would only opt for bags that comes with its original dustbag / box / certificate so it would retain its resell value if one day I decided to re-sell it again. Unless for vintage (older years) items then I would be okay with "no dustbag / box". ALSO if I found a bag with unbelievably cheap price (and not fake) I would also make an exception about the dustbag / box (I'm okay with it not having original dust bag/box).

 

Anyway, I really love this bag. This is the Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC bag in purple with gold hardware. The M.A.C stands for Morning After Clutch. Rebecca Minkoff has 3 different sizes of the M.A.C bags which are: 

- the mini mac
- the regular mac,
- and the mac daddy (the biggest of all three). 

They are all crossbody type and they are very very popular amongst the fashionista. Mine is the smallest one (mini mac).

I love how bright the color is and I always prefer a fun color in smaller purses because it will add a pop of color to any outfit without being loud. I would love to add more of these mini macs because of the fun color choices, but I have hesitation because the chain is actually a bit too long for my petite figure - but it's still wearable though..

I wore this bag yesterday along with my abstract print Joe Fresh pants and black simple t-shirt. I love wearing this purse with simple monochrome or solid colored outfit because (like I told you above) this purse gave a pop of color to a simple outfit. Actually you don't need a complicated outfit to feature this colorful purse because it is already awesome on it's own. But I do paired it with busy prints sometimes, such as with floral print skirt or with a blouse/dress in complimentary bright color such as pinks and pastels.
The mini mac is the smallest size from all the MAC (Morning After Clutch) purses from Rebecca Minkoff. Although it's the smallest size but it's still a nice size and it can fit a bunch of things. As you can see from above photo I can fit all my necessities in this bag :
  • I use my Louis Vuitton Mini Pochette Accesoires to store money and my id card - because I haven't own a small wallet yet. All my wallets are continental long wallets that doesn't fit in this purse.
  • Coach key pouch where I store all my keys and elevator card.
  • My iPhone 6.
  • Tissue.
  • Bath & Body Works Anti Bacterial Hand Gel.
  • My London-themed Mint box.
  • My Starbucks card.


Matching interior and dustbag
There is also a hidden pocket at the front of the bag right beneath the flap but I usually don't fill it with anything because it's a bit of a hassle to open and close the hook at the front. So I usually left it empty, or I might put small candies and/or earphone in it (but rarely).

I'm the type of person that change her bags according to her outfit, so depending on what I wore I might change bags every other day. Yesterday I wore this RM Mini Mac and today I plan to wear my Longchamp Le Pliage. Either way, I love having bright fun-colored bags like this and I'm planning to add more to my collection (if my budget permits, of course..).


Here's how I style the bag :

With my Zara striped top, Laura Ashley floral scarf, and Uniqlo jeggings 

With my H&M lace top and dark denim, a Boho wrap from Bali, and Payless booties.

My favorite pairing : fuchsia, gold, and black !


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