Tickled Pink

I am not a purse or bag person. I like don't covet the latest "it" bags and I don't have a huge amount of purses. I'm also pretty picky about what I look for in a bag. I like a classic shape in an interesting color.

I don't want it to be too huge and I usually prefer to carry it on my arm rather than over my shoulder. I don't like soft-sided bags; I actually want them to have some structure to them.

I have a few small bags and clutches but they rarely get used and are usually vintage. Most of the purses I own I keep for years and years and tend to be very lazy about changing them out. I carried my Emerald Alto bag for 2 years straight. The color range for my day-to-day purses includes emerald green, dark orange, sky blue, white and a croc brown. In the Fall I was thinking about a black patent but didn't findy anything I really wanted so that's by the wayside for now.

But for some reason I'm really considering pink.

I started out looking at this pink Emily Satchel from Coach.



It has a great shape, just the right amount of detailing, is the right size and gives the options of carrying on your arm or over your shoulder.



But I wanted to see what non-leather options were out there too. I don't really go purse shopping that much so I thought this would be a great opportunity to see what's out there.

I started out at Matt and Nat, purveyors of some of the best, most stylish vegan bags around. After searching by color I found this cutie - the Tundra-Stellar. It's also a good size and very cute. A bit more of an edge than the Emily but you could carry this to work and out afterwards.



If you are a bit more casual, I think the AstroSatchel's Cherry Blossom messenger is the cutest. This line has a ton of fun graphic designs.

I branched out into more vibrant pinks with this larger Verena satchel. I love the buckles on the end. Plus it comes in five equally eye-catching colors.

The Morgan has a bit of the "doctor-bag" shape to it, which I really like. It was tempting to show it in the gorgeous dandelion versus the raspberry, plus there are two other colors!

If I still want a patent bag in the Fall, I'm coming right back for this Mariah design. It's hard to choose between the amazing colors. The maroon and olive ones here are my favorites but there is also a stunning sapphire and a dark grey. Plus it's under $50, if you can believe that.

As I was searching for vegan options, I found these amazing Vegan Queen pieces. These are expensive but they are amazing. I first spotted the Eco It Bag, as bowling bag shaped piece with vintage hardware...

But then I was stunned by the City Bag. This piece is decadent and simply gorgeous. As I said, I'm not an purse girl but this almost makes me reconsider.

Well, we ended on a high (priced) note but most of these are very resonable, plus vegan, plus CUTE! Have you seen any I should add to the list?

Make me into a purse girl too.

; )

Near to my Heart

Reported by Vogue:

You may consider which designer your shoes are made by, but not which country produced the leather that composes them. Leather sourcing has been brought in to sharp focus this week by a Greenpeace study - and has motivated some of the world's top footwear brands; including Clarks, Adidas, Nike and Timberland, to demand an immediate moratorium on the destruction of the Amazon rainforest by their leather suppliers in Brazil.

Clearing tropical forests for agriculture, which supplies both the meat industry and the fashion industry, is estimated to produce 17 per cent of the world's carbon emissions - more than is produced by all modes of transport worldwide. A cease to leather sourced from areas of deforestation would dramatically reduce environmental impact - and would protect the area as a natural habitat.

"We can only get an agreement on climate change if it involves Brazil and it involves forestry," the British energy and climate change secretary Ed Milliband told the Guardian on an unrelated trip to Brazil yesterday. "The Amazon forest is such a beautiful place when it is untouched and then you see these scars on the landscape from the deforestation, bigger and bigger scars."

"It's great progress in a very short space of time," said Greenpeace's James Turner. "What this does now is really put pressure on the UK food companies. The shoe companies have realised there is a problem and taken action, now it's up to the supermarkets to follow that lead."

I hope that we will see more companies use their influence for these needed causes and also give us more options that help us to limit our impact on the earth and animal cruelty.

Back to Bespoke

Vintage Kimono Fabric from Hetty Rose

Almost a year ago I told you about my experience having a pair of bespoke Amalie heels made for me by the incomparable Henrietta of Hetty Rose.

At that time Hetty had done her first Kimono collection featuring twelve styles that could be custom made to your specifications from a selection of vintage kimono fabrics. Now Hetty is back with a second collection which has all new designs and includes adorable clutches as well. She's also received a ton of press coverage as well. Be warned, this post is very image heavy!

What I love about the whole process is getting to interact with the creator on a personal level. When I got back in touch with Henrietta she was on a buying trip in Japan, searching out new fabrics. She was also in country for the cherry blossom festival and sent me some surreally beautiful shots from there.

One of the first shoes in the new collection which caught my eye was the adorable Ella mary jane. It's just super cute and has a great chunky heel with front stitching down the toe. If you go to the press page you can see if has already been featured in several magazines.



Well I had to have it. As was done the previous time, Henrietta sent me a variety of fabrics to choose from and I decided on this very intricate and metallic phoenix pattern.













I like the way each shoe is individual. And, of course, the riot of colors!











They are just so cute on that I can't get over them!

As I was reading through all of the new press coverage Hetty Rose had received I came upon these articles: one, two, three. It seems Henrietta paired with theatrical wig designer Yuki Saito to create a special display for Valentine's Day and created these amazing "Love" shoes for the pairing.



Well, I fell for them. Hard. I especially love the platform element. And although they were not a part of her regular line, she agreed to make them for me.



I was lucky enough that Henrietta still had some of the same fabric that she used to create the original pair. I did make one change to the design. Knowing that I'm not going to get many opportunities to wear these with the ties wrapped up above my knee, I asked for them to be just long enough to tie around my ankle.







Oh, yes, they are super tall, but given the platform and that they are made to measure, they are very easy to wear.







I like the heart-shaped peep-toes too!





What's also cool is that the straps are not attached to the shoes. So I can wear these with and with out the leather ties. The beaded hearts just clip on, so I can adjust where they go, either on the shoes or on the ties.



A-dor-a-ble!









I know I've said this before, but she does amazing work. If you have the opportunity, drop Henrietta an email and work with her on a pair of shoes. She is a true artist. Not only will you be supporting her art, but you will be avoiding the the huge manufacturing machine and preserving a small piece of history.

Store Focus: Spiegel

I get a lot of catalogs. And I mean A LOT. When Christmas time rolls around, it becomes truly disgusting the amount of stuff that comes in the mail. Most of the time, however, I love catalogs and online ordering. With my crazy schedule, and my low patience for crowds, I prefer not to schlep around to the stores.

One catalog that I have always looked at but never really purchased from is Spiegel. They are a pretty comprehensive book with clothes, shoes, purses, accessories and even some home goods. I think part of the reason I've never really considered them is because I have this perception in my mind that they are full of clothes that are too Garanimal matchy-matchy, too crazily designed or too full of outfits like this:



Ugh! Or just as bad, something like this:



How wide are those friggin' pants? Anyway, even though those are actual pieces from Spiegel and they are hideous, I believe that, if you search and are selective, any store can yield a few gems that can enhance your wardrobe. A few of the pieces that rose to the top were this chiffon color-block dress. I love the colors and the style, but I think I would have done this in a less wrinkly fabric.



I do love a red suit and this has a great shape, especially the neckline and seaming of this jacket. It's sexy and professional.



I also really like this leather croc-embossed skirt. Really versatile with a great shape. I think it look much more expensive than it is. Good find there.



One thing I did notice as I was going though the book was a very strange trend in the shoe styles. Now overall the shoes in the catalog were not good. And to me, there were a great number that looked like orthotic shoes.

I have several friends who, for various reasons, have to wear orthotic shoes and/or inserts. And I know that it must be a major challenge to find shoes that are stylish but can also accommodate their needs. So, I'm sure these are some great options. However, I don't think this is what Spiegel intended and that is what has me confused. Take a look at these and tell me what you think.


Cheetah print wedge - $55


Slip-on wedge skimmer - $49


Wedge ankle boot - $59

I can't even recommend them for this purpose because they don't position them as good for orthotics, but if you get them and find they help you expand your shoe wardrobe and you like the styles, let me know.

There are some other options that do bring a more affordable price tag to some classic and even designer styles. I like the metallic (hopefully not plastic) look of these brogues that would be right at home with the menswear styles I featured earlier.


Platform Oxford - $59

I also think these chunky Mary Janes would get a lot of wear paired up with jeans and skirts.


Mary Jane pump - $49

So, overall I'd give Spiegel a 50%. There are some shudder-inducing clothes but there are some fun options too. And the prices aren't too bad. Worth checking out and picking a few key items. I think if I do place an order, I'm going to grab this hoodie here. It's my favorite thing out of the whole book - Sequin hoodie $59.




Happy Shopping!