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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Friday, January 29, 2016

First Purchased Designer Bag : Michael by Michael Kors Jet Set East West Tote.

My second designer bag was this Michael Kors Jet Set Tote Bag which style was on trend when I purchased it. This was my 2nd designer bag I owned BUT TECHNICALLY this was the first designer bag ever purchased with our own money (because the first designer bag I owned was Free from a giveaway I won - SEE HERE : Kate Spade Georgina Bag 😙).

This MK bag was a birthday gift from my husband, and it also started a new customary between me and my husband, where my husband would gift me something from designer brand for my birthday every year (I'm the one who chose the style/model of course hehe, but it doesn't have to be a big ticket item such as bags, it could also be shoes, accessories, watch, etc - depending on our budget that month 😝).





Anyway, this bag was purchased from an online designer outlet website called Reebonz, because I just learned about the website a few months earlier and have had an awesome experience with it after getting my Longhcamp Le Pliage bag a few months before from that site. So here in South East Asia we have Reebonz, which is a trusted online shopping platform for buying luxury products. It sells new and pre-owned luxury bags, accessories, watches, jewellery and shoes from coveted designer labels. It's like an online outlet store which also sells preloved from their members. 

For me which was still a newbie to designer world at that time it feels like a designer outlet heaven. On top of their outlet prices they also have promo discount code almost every day so it's really exciting (but bad news for my wallet ;p). It was a membership-only platform at first and you had to have an invite from someone else who is already a member (if I recall correctly, CMIIW).

So anyway I purchased this bag as a birthday gift from my husband and it was my first Reebonz purchase. Before I purchased this bag from Reebonz I actually went to MK retail store to check the price, and it was cheaper at Reebonz. So of course I went and bought the bag from Reebonz instead of the retail store hehe.

(styled here with my vintage Fendi scarf)


The full name of the bag is the MICHAEL Michael Kors Jet Set East West Tote in the color "Luggage". I like the color and how it has extra pockets on the outer side. And it's made of Saffiano leather which I also been curious about. The saffiano leather is a very durable and scratch-resistant material, it is used in many designer bags such as Prada, Michael Kors, etc.

I chose the luggage color (which is a tan shade) because it's one of the "neutral" color, and Even Michael Kors himself once said that every girl should have a "luggage" colored handbag in her wardrobe. It's a very elegant shade with just a little hint of glint which makes it look more expensive than it's actual price (hehe), and it goes with many of my wardrobe too.

The bag is very structured so it does feel "very office-wear" to me (who used to slouchy bags and never had a structured bag like this before), but the Saffiano material is really beautiful and durable I always like looking at it, LOL. It took me quite a while to adjust myself before I got used to it and then found myself wearing it a lot after that.


It is a medium sized bag, perfect for my petite built, and the lining is elegant with all the subtle MK logo inside the bag. You can find a D-ring to attach your keys or your coin purse or your hand sanitizer, maybe? There are 1 zipper compartment inside, 2 medium slip pockets, and 2 smaller pockets inside the bag. And don't forget the extra outer side pockets! This bag has many pockets and compartments, and that's what I like about this bag! So because of the many compartments I think this is suitable for school, office, and even as a diaper bag. If it's time for me to have children this would be my diaper bag ;)

The bag has "legs" at the bottom but I never put it down on the floor anyway, I took really good care of my designer bags because who knows I might sell them again later ;)

This bag doesn't have a long strap but it's not a heavy bag anyway. And I think a long strap wouldn't be suitable for this type of bag anyway.


Fast forward to now, although I really like this bag but I don't find myself wearing this so much. I'm not sure why I rarely worn this, because I do love the look of it, and it is still in perfect mint condition as the day we purchased it. Maybe because of the structured style that reminds me of "office-wear" or too professional looking for my super casual daily activities, so that's why I rarely picked this up as my bag of the day. Or Maybe I'm keeping it for my future diaper bag 💁 ? But nonetheless I still love it and still wear it sometimes (although not as frequent as my other bags). 


Here's some outfit photo with my MK Jet Set East West Tote :

Styled with my Next jeans, Zara white tee,
Laura Ashley scarf, and some jewellery.

Styled with my Calvin Klein Blouse, Pleat Pants,
Natural stones Necklace, and a matching Michael Kors Wallet.



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Thursday, January 21, 2016

First Designer Clothing : Stella McCartney Kimono Dress

Actually I'm not sure what the name of this particular dress from Stella McCartney is, but I just call it the Kimono dress because of the Obi belt and the overall design resemble a kimono. I think this was from circa 2013.



 Anyway, I think this was actually my Second designer clothing because the First one was a thrifted Christian Dior dress that I found at a local thrift store. It was a vintage Christian Dior dress in two-tone colors with a line of buttons at the front, it reminds me of a stewardess uniform. But sadly it was too big for me so I gave it to my mom. So that Dior dress didn't count as my 1st designer dress because I didn't use it and gave it to my mom instead. Therefore this Stella McCartney one is what I considered as my first designer clothing :)

As I told you before, back to my early days of collecting designer items I was lucky enough to actually got some of them for free, including this dress. I had a cousin who lived in the UK for some time, who all of a sudden messaged me out of the blue, and asked whether I want this dress of hers that she never wore because she feels it doesn't look good on her (we are the same size). 

 Then I looked at the picture she sent me and it was a photo of a grey dress on a mannequin in her room. At first glance I liked the dress, so I say yes (without knowing the brand). The next day she shipped me the dress, and when I finally get the dress I was really surprised that it was a Stella McCartney piece! I even asked her again "are you sure you want to give me this dress?" And she said yes. So it was literally the happiest day for me! It was my first runway designer clothes so of course I was so happy because I got it for free!


 
The dress fitted me perfectly and I always got compliments (even from strangers) whenever I wear the dress. I thought to myself : "Hmm...So that's how it feels to wear designer on your body".. Lol. I'm just kidding of course 😛

Anyway, I love the unique cut of the dress and the attached leather obi belt, and how it falls really nicely on my petite posture. The fabric material feels so lush and really really nice. I aso love the obi belt that gives the unique touch as well as giving a nice silhouette of the bodice. The shoulders and arm have a subtle ruched / gathered design which lends a modern sophistication to the dress. I rarely worn this piece because I'm afraid of ruining it so this dress is only reserved for special occasions or for wedding parties.

One of the prized possesion in my wardrobe. I need to add more runway designer dresses !
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