Tag Archives: Handbags

The Red Versatile Marc Jacobs Tote Bag for Spring

04/02/2024 Shirley

Red is my all-time favorite color for accessories and nails. When it comes to purchasing red handbags and shoes, I prefer a bright red color. In recent years, I’ve been looking for a new red handbag, but I couldn’t find the exact red color I wanted.

The other day I came across Marc Jacobs’ Small Leather Tote bag in True Red color online. The red color known in the retail site seemed a little bit darker than I usually prefer, but I love the size and the design. I decided to give it a try.

When the handbag arrived at my home, I was very happy with the bag and the red color. It’s a perfect handbag for everyday use. And the bag is perfect for vacation too.

Below are some of the reasons I liked my new Marc Jacobs’ leather tote bag.

The Marc Jacobs’ Small Leather Tote bag has a perfect size (8″H x 10.25″W x 5.25″D). It gives me just enough room for everything I need, without looking like I am going grocery shopping. The bag stays in shape. I can easily find my wallet, cell phone, sunglasses, lipstick and hand lotion.

The Marc Jacob’s Small Leather tote bag is versatile. It comes with a removable strap. I can hold the bag in my hand, put in on my shoulder, or wear it as a cross-body bag

The price of this Marc Jacobs leather tote is more affordable than the other designer brands I looked at.

If there’s anything I wished I could have changed on this bag, it would be adding four studs on the button of the tote bag. Without the studs to protect the button of the tote bag, I’d need to be a bit mindful on where I lay the bag down. I have several pet peeves when it comes to using any of my handbags. I never ever put them directly on the ground, no matter where I go.

This Marc Jacobs Leather Tote bag came in several sizes and colors. If you like a summer color, you could consider getting the bag in pink, light purple, or white.

All Posts, Beauty, Fashion, Top Five

5 Things to Try This Month – October 2018

10/25/2018 Shirley

When I think of October, I think about the colorful tree leaves in the Pacific Northwest. Many of the trees that are green in Spring and Summer will slowly turn into different shades of brown, red, and yellow. And as we get close to the end of October, you will see the leaves falling like dripping rain throughout the day.

This beautiful natural scenery reminds me that a year has gone by and it’s time to get ready for a new season. There are many things I am doing this month, including getting new fashion accessories and getting a new bold gel nail color.

See below for my monthly column for October, 5 Things to Try This Month.

Reminiscent Classical Design

Many of the fashion designer houses are reinventing their classic logo and signature designs. I’ve been looking for a small cross body bag in silver. What could be better than a Gucci quilted leather crossbody bag with its signature red and green webbed stripe!

Shirley Style in Rag and Bone Overalls And Gucci Cross Body Bag

Winter Boots

October is the perfect time to update your wardrobe and purchase new boots for Fall. I am really into suede boots this season. Because the rainy season will begin in Seattle, soon, right now it’s the perfect time to break in my new Stuart Weitzman suede boots without worrying about any puddles of water on the ground.

New Gel Nail Color

I love red gel nails so much that I’ve been getting mine done in red two months in a row. For the month of October, I had the urge of being bold and pick a new nail color. I just got it done yesterday in neon orange color with white glitters and crystals. This will be perfect for the Halloween and my upcoming Palm Springs trip.

New Eyeshadow

I love glitter eye shadows. Pat McGrath is one of my favorite makeup artists and she just released some new eye shadow palettes, including her signature Mothership (V: Bronze Seduction Palette). I can’t wait to put them on for my next dinner event.

Piano Concert

Richard Clayderman is one of my favorite piano artists. I learned how to play many of his songs when I was a child. I am looking forward to his concert in Seattle, at the Benaroya Hall. Listening to him playing in-person is one of the items on my bucket list!

Shirley Style Monthly Column – 5 Things to Try This Month – October 2018

All Posts, Fashion, Travel

Personalize The Iconic Louis Vuitton Leather Goods

11/27/2017 Shirley

When you buy a fashion accessory, nothing is more thrilling than being able to personalize your item to suit your style and make it a unique piece.

I am a long-time fan of Louis Vuitton’s leather goods. For years, the only kind of personalization I have done for my handbags was hot stamping them with my initials. But on my most recent trip to Las Vegas, I did something I’ve never done before; which was to customize a new handbag with colorful patches of my choices.

What do I mean by customizing a handbag with colorful patches? This is actually a new personalization service Louis Vuitton offers recently (Summer 2017), called “My LV World Tour”. This personalization service is available on Louis Vuitton’s iconic Monogram Canvas items and can only be ordered in some designated Louis Vuitton stores.

(Front of My New Monogram Neverfull Noir)

The process of ordering the “My LV World Tour” leather goods is all done electronically in the designated Louis Vuitton stores. The SA (Sales Associate) will bring an electronic pad and ask you to pick a Monogram Canvas item you’d like to get. Then, you can decide on which of the “My LV World Tour” patches you’d like to put on your product.

There are five different patch groups: Cities, LV Heritage, Grand Hotels, Make It Your Own, and LV Pop. Each patch group has twelve patches. (See the patch sample in the bottom of this blog post.)

You can choose up to ten patches to put on your Monogram Canvas product: five patches on the front and five patches on the back. Each patch you choose can only be used once. If you already choose a patch on the front of your product, you can’t use it again on the back.

After you finish designing your personalized “My LV World Tour” leather goods, the SA will show you the markups of your product. Once you finalize the order, it may take up to six weeks for the product to be completed. The finished product will be sent to the Louis Vuitton store you order the item from, and the SA will contact you for pick-up or shipping.

(Back of My New Monogram Neverfull Noir)

For “My LV World Tour” personalization service I chose a Monogram Neverfull Noir. This Monogram Neverfull Noir design is kind of like a hybrid of the Neverfull in the classic Monogram and the Neverfull in the Damier Ebene. The classic Neverfull Monogram comes with natural color leather handles and trim, but the Neverful Damier Ebene comes with brown leather handles and trim. Based on my years of experience using the Neverful Damier Ebene in the past, a brown leather handle and trim is essential.

(Interior of My New Monogram Neverfull Noir)

The only thing I have to do now is to wait for my personalized Monogram Neverfull Noir bag to be done!

My LV World Tour Patches

Cities

LV Heritage

Grand Hotels

Make It Your Own

LV Pop

Check out my open box video on my personalized LV World Tour Neverfull Bag

All Posts, Fashion

Dolce & Gabbana Polka Dot Floral Textured Leather Shoulder Bag

04/07/2015 Shirley

Are you a big fan of polka dots? If you love polka dots as much as I do, you are in luck. There are many clothing items and accessories with polka dots for Spring 2015.

When it comes to polka dots, I usually prefer them on cloth (such as a blouse or a dress) or accessories (such as scarves or jewelry). But this season Dolce & Gabbana launched the Polka Dot Floral Textured Leather should bag. This totally caught my attention when I shopped recently at the Saks Fifth Avenue in Las Vegas.

Dolce & Gabbana’s Polka Dot Floral Textured Leader shoulder bag is not just an ordinary handbag with polka dots. I love the prints and the mini-trunk-like design. The black dots over the red carnations on the white background leather makes it a classic and stylish bag for Spring.

Dolce & Gabbana Polka Dot Floral Textured Leather Shoulder Bag

I think it would look great to pair this bag with strappy leather sandals, such as Manolo Blahnik’s Beaded Leather Sandals. The red stone beads on the shoes will complement the red carnations perfectly.

If you are looking for a unique bag to add to you Spring wardrobe, this Dolce & Gabbana Polka Dot Floral Textured Leader should bag is the ideal one!

Dolce & Gabbana Polka Dot Floral Textured Leather Shoulder Bag - Back View — Dolce & Gabbana Polka Dot Floral Textured Leather Shoulder Bag – Back View

Dolce & Gabbana Polka Dot Floral Textured Leader should bag – $2,895 via Saks Fifth Avenue

All Posts, Fashion

The New Burberry Versatile Handbag

05/11/2014 Shirley

What do you think about Burberry? Some of my friends like Burberry a lot, but some are not fans of Burberry at all, and think it’s all fashioned. To be honest, until recently I only like Burberry’s trench coats and cashmere scarves.

For Spring 2014 Burberry debuts a new Petal in Deerskin with Transparent Flowers handbag. It can be used as a clutch or a small crossbody handbag if you wear it with the strap. What is unique about it is the 3-D flower design on the upper part of the bag.

The bag comes in four interesting colors: light green, light yellow (Dandelian), light purple, and white. My favorite out of all the colors is the light green. I can see myself wearing it as a crossbody handbag during the day, with a white sleeveless top and my True Religion jeans, with a nude Manolo BB pump. This outfit would be perfect for a leave-work-early-Friday afternoon happy hour.

So, if you are a person who thinks Burberry is old fashioned, I suggest you give their new 3-D Transparent Flowers handbag a close look.

Burberry – The Petal Crossbody Bag – $1,495 via Nordstrom.com

(Click the link above or the images below to buy the bag.)

All Posts, Fashion

Pink is the New Neutral for Spring 2014

05/07/2014 Shirley

What’s your favorite color for Spring 2014? Pastel color is in for the season. The colors in the category include light green, light yellow, light blue, light pink, and light orange. But pink is special, because it goes well with more colors than the other pastels.

For the Spring season, we are seeing a lot of pink from top to bottom. Eye shadow, lipstick and lip gloss, tops, skirts, handbags, and shoes are all making appearances this season. Every year I read about what the “in color” is. This season it looks like pink is the “in color”.

Some people think the color pink is too girly. But in my opinion pink can be classic and elegant, or can be too close to Hello Kitty. For example, a pink lace dress like Adrianna Papell Lace Sheath Dress can be worn to a Spring wedding or Sunday brunch.

Adrianna Papell Lace Sheath Dress – $158 via Nordstrom.com

Dolce & Gabbana Pink Silk Embroidered Dress – $1,892 via Farfetch

Nicole Miller Lace Fitted Cap Sleeve Lace Sheath Dress – $294 (originally $420) via Nordstrom.com

Another example of “good pink” would be a pink Valentino Small Rockstud Double Handle Tote. This is the small version of Valentino’s famous Rockstud tote in the new pink color. This bag would be perfect from afternoon to evening.

Valentino Small Rockstud Double Handle Tote – $2,145 via Nordstrom.com

Saint Laurent Baby Duffle Shoulder Bag – $1,278 via Farfetch

In short, if you have been avoiding pink because you think it’s too young or immature, I advise you to give pink another look this Spring season.

Valentino Lace Couture Bow Open Toe Pump – $1,045 via Nordstrom.com

Saint Laurent Petite Ligne Y Leather Tote – $2,490 via Nordstrom.com

All Posts, Fashion

SJP Shoes and Handbags by Sarah Jessica Parker

02/09/2014 Shirley

One of the latest news items in the fashion accessory world is the upcoming debut of the new SJP, by Sarah Jessica Parker (the famous “Sex and The City” actress). Her success in starring as the fashionable shoe-loving character Carrie Bradshaw in the show brought many high-end accessories to the spotlight, including Manolo Blahnik.

SJP is the new shoe and handbag line Sarah Jessica Parker designed by partnering up with George Mulkemus, the Manolo Blanik’s president. The line will launch exclusively with Nordstrom on Feb. 28, 2014.

I was not surprised when I heard about this news. Sarah Jessica Parker has been one of the icons in the fashion world over the past fifteen years. I have always admired the bags she used when she was spotted in fashion magazines while she was photographed while running her errands. And I like her effortless fashionable style. I can’t think of anyone else better suited than SJP to launch a new accessory line.

The shoes from SJP look simple and yet elegant. They actually remind me of Manolo Blanik shoes. However, I think the SJP prices, a new line launched by a celebrity instead of an existing famous shoe designer, are a bit high.

For example, a pair of Manolo’s iconic BB cost about $595, whereas a pair of SJPs is around $350. My initial hunch for the price of a pair of SJPs was around $250, since it’s a new “non-designer” line.

I hope the SJP shoes will live up to my expectations as a made-in- Italy celebrity line. Based on the pictures, they look very classic and are available in several unique colors. If that’s the case, when the SJP line launches on February 28, I will definitely give the line a serious look. I am betting on the fact that someone who wears designer shoes, like Sarah Jessica Parker, will make high quality products that resemble some of the uniquene features of the designer lines.

All Posts, Fashion

Louis Vuitton Alma BB in Rose Angelique

01/29/2014 Shirley

The Louis Vuitton Alma BB has been very popular since it was introduced in several lines (such as Vernis and Epi) and colors (from yellow, red, to blue) more than a year ago. My latest favorite is the new Alma BB in Vernis in a new shade, Rose Angelique. Rose Angelique is a light pink color; it’s almost like something in between a subtle pink and beige. The hue looks different based on the light in the environment. The first time I saw it in the Louis Vuitton store, it totally caught my attention. It’s petite and shinning, especially when placed next to my other favorite Vernis color, Pomme D’Amour (red).

The Vernis in Rose Angelique reminds me of the Rose Florentin that Louis Vuitton debuted in the Winter of 2010. Both colors are light pink (lighter than the Rose Velours that came out a while ago). Without looking at the color of Rose Florentin, one might mistakenly think that Louis Vuitton has brought back its discontinued Vernis color.

Luckily, I have a French Wallet in Rose FLorentin Vernis I bought in 2010. I compared it with my new Zippy Coin in Rose Florentin. It turned out that both colors are very similar. Rose Florentin is just slightly darker than Rose Angelique. (See the comparison pictures I took below for the color difference.)

Now, we know that the new Venis color is similar to the one-time offering Rose Florentin Louis Vuitton had in the past, but how does it benefit you? Well, if you missed the chance to buy the Alma PM bag (bigger than petite Alma BB) in the fancy Rose Florentin three years ago, here is your opportunity now. Rose Angelique is available in both Alma BB and Alma PM. Also, in 2010, Alma BB wasn’t available in Rose Florentin. If you really liked the Alma BB and Rose FLorentin back then, you were out of luck! Now, you are in luck. You can have the combination of both Alma BB and Rose Angelique. Who says that you can’t have your cake and eat it, too!

Louis Vuitton Vernis in Rose Angelique and Rose Florentin — Louis Vuitton Vernis in Rose Angelique (left) and Rose Florentin (right) – picture taken in natural day light

All Posts, Fashion

How will the Departure of Marc Jacobs from Louis Vuitton Affect Me?

12/18/2013 Shirley

One of the biggest news in the fashion world recently is the departure of Marc Jacobs (Creative Director from 1997 to 2014) from my favorite luxury line, Louis Vuitton. Marc Jacobs is leaving the fashion house, so he can focus on expanding his own lines. This doesn’t comes as a surprise, since he recently added a new makeup line under his Marc Jacobs brand. However, I am not so sure if his departure from Louis Vuitton is a good thing for me.

The fact that Marc Jacobs will no longer be the creative director for Louis Vuitton is not surprising but is disappointing. For the past seven years I’ve been completely fascinated with the Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer runway collections that Marc Jacobs designed. Each year I looked forward to getting their limited-edition handbags for my own personal collection. Marc Jacobs had the ability to transform the classical LV designs into trendy seasonal items, without losing their traditional elements. The best examples would be the “Lockit” from Fall/Winter 2011, and the “Speedy” from Fall/Winter 2012.

The “Lockit” was a reinvention of the design from the classic Louis Vuitton style, when women used to zip up their handbag and lock it up. The “Speedy” is one of the iconic designs that Marc Jacobs reinvented into many runway collections. Although it was released numerous times, it always looked refreshingly stylish and eye-catching. For example, the Speedy from Fall/Winter 2012, which has sparkling sequins Monogram over wool texture, and the Speedy from Pre-Fall 2013 that has sequins on the Damier canvas.

I can’t image what I am going to do after Marc Jacobs’ last season (Spring/Summer 2014) with Louis Vuitton. In my personal opinion, Marc Jacobs’ success in leading Louis Vuitton wasn’t only beneficial to the fashion house, it was a big gain for handbag lovers like me. I get to own the unique items he designed for the runway shows. And the joy of collecting those bags and holding them in my hand is priceless.

Marc Jacobs will be replaced by the former Balenciaga designer, Nicolas Ghesquière.

All Posts, Fashion, Top Five

5 Friday Favorites

09/05/2013 Shirley

Happy Friday! You will notice that this week’s 5 Friday Favorites are mixed with both warm and cold weather elements. I am not quite ready to accept that Summer is almost over, but wearing the Petaluma Peep Hem dress will allow me to enjoy that last bit of warm weather. The good thing is that I love Fall season. I get to wear my wool coats and boots. I can’t wait to put on my new Frye Melissa Harness boots soon.

Polka Dot for Fun

I love polka dot and I love dresses with side pockets. This Petaluma Peep Hem dress combines both elements I want for a fun feel.

Anthropologie Petaluma Peep Hem dress

Yummy Cake for Weekend

It has been a while since I baked any goods. This Apricot-Ginger Pound Cake with Rum Glaze (William Sonoma’s recipe) really makes me craving for one. Can’t wait to bake one myself this weekend!

Apricot-Ginger Pound Cake with Rum Glaze

Fabulous Boots for Fall

The Summer is over soon. It’s a perfect time to transition to cold weather boots. I got a Frye Melissa Harness boots during Nordstrom’s anniversary sale. I am excited to wear them soon!

Buy Fry Melissa Harness boots from Nordstrom

Intrigue Décor for Home

These Florence de Dampierre “Trellis Geometry Flowers” prints have intrigue geometry patter in the background really make the flowers stand out. I feel delight just by looking at them hanging on the wall.

Buy Florence de Dampierre "Trellis Geometry Flowers" Prints from Neiman Marcus

Classic Handbag for Upgrade

The new Louis Vuitton Capucines bag already got a lot of attention since it launched recently. Unlike LV’s iconic lines, this new handbag is simple with one “LV” logo on the front and still projects a classic and elegant image.

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Shirley Style Monthly Column – 5 Things to Try This Month – October 2018

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