Shanghai Shichang

Hello my loves,

So today, as promised, I went bag shopping! I went to a relatively good fake (oxymoron?) bag market. Here is one of the storefronts

The stores look pretty much identical, and carry pretty much the same bags,
such as these Balenciagas:
and these Chloes:
Other popular brands were D&G and randomly (to me) Tod's. But what I walked away with instead is this Bottega wallet:

for which they originally quoted 600 RMB, but for which I bargained down to 120 RMB (or ~17 USD). I'm not sure if I actually paid too much... but I like it!

Beautiful Blues

Are you blue? Cheer up! Feast your eyes on a pair of beautiful blue bags available this season. Blue can be a tough color to wear, for sure, because there's always a chance your bag will match your denim and you'll end up looking like a blueberry. But these bags are vibrant enough that you should be able to avoid looking fruit-y.

First we have this gorgeous blue Chloe tote. A tote is an extremely practical day bag - you can fit everything but the kitchen sink and look stylish at the same time. Great for carrying files back and forth from the office, this bag is sure to be a winner for both work and play. The diamond patent leather trim makes this bag stand out and lets everyone know that you're a diamond in the rough. The bag has a magnetic closure at the top and is lined beautifully with black canvas.

$1,790 at net-a-porter.

Now this is what I call electric! Spice up your life with this gorgeous leather Mabel bag by Mulberry. I already covered a red Mabel bag in one of my first Bags for Bitches posts - but I think this blue may be my favorite of them all! Pair with black pants and a white top, and you'll look smashing.

Grab this baby up for $1,195 at net-a-porter.

Don't Eat it With Cheese

I try to give credit where credit is due. Here's some credit, Chloe: your latest creation is the first example of what I'm sure is going to be the next new thing in handbag design - kitchen pantry items as Muse.

This macaroni clutch serves two purposes: 1) it will carry around all your nearest and dearest possessions, and 2) you can munch on some of the decorative noodles throughout the day if you get peckish. Brizzzzilliant.

Here's how I think it went down.

A Chloe designer went to the grocery store for a routine shopping trip. "What should I have for dinner?" he thought to himself. The designer decided to indulge in some comfort food and picked up a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

As the designer opened up the box of Macaroni, he pulled too hard on the blue cardboard tab and little pieces of noodle went flying allllll over his apartment. Oh my, how did those pieces of macaroni fly! They littered the floor, landing in every nook and cranny, some dropping into open cannisters of brown, grey, and beige paint.

Not wanting to pick up the pieces of macaroni one by one, said designer reached for the nearest item and began collecting the noodles in clumps, the paint acting as a sort of glue and attaching the macaroni to the item.

By now I'm sure you've guessed how the rest of the story goes. The item, of course, was a perfectly reasonable looking white and beige clutch. The designer gazed upon the now multi-colored-macaroni-covered clutch, and Voila! the Beatrix "Beaded" Clutch was born.

$2,500 at net-a-porter. Or $2.50 at your local Piggly Wiggly. Your choice.

haiku for chloe

delicate lambskin
a shock of colored padlock
essence of chloe





Paddington, $1,600