Alexander Wang Addiction: Bags

I fell in love with the Marion a long time ago, but never quite made the plunge in purchasing it. Much to my dismay, the rose gold and pebbled leather combination I had coveted (and confidently put off, given its status as a classic in Alexander Wang's collection) became sold out and impossible to find. I scoured eBay for a long time before finding one and purchasing it, and it has since become one of my favorite bags. 

I recently got another (!!) Marion at the Alexander Wang sample sale in Soho at 151 Wooster Street. This little cutie is also black, albeit suede, and with silver hardware. At $225, I couldn't pass it up.

Another fantastic eBay find was this Prisma tote. I've been lusting after this one for ages, too, but didn't want to pay too much for it - I lucked out and found a brand new one on eBay for $400. The tote is sleek and cool - definitely one of my favorite bags! I also like the updated version, which has slightly different corners. 

Restaurant Reviews: Ladurée SoHo

Being the morning person that I am, there is nothing that I revel in more than a delicious brunch or breakfast. The opening of the Ladurée café in  SoHo had me excited for ages, and since then, I've been a fairly avid customer. This post shall be a review, featuring photos of some of my favorite breakfast dishes and pastries, as well as the incredibly ornate decor of the restaurant. 

“I design like an architect. It’s a beautiful, distinctive art, and shoes are like the foundations. If the foundations aren’t right, the building won’t stand upright, and if a woman’s balance isn’t right, nothing else is.” -Jimmy Choo

Autumn has me on the hunt for boots, sweaters, and coats, and I've slowly been crossing things off my wish list...expect to see lots of Helmut Lang, AllSaints, and Alexander Wang in the next couple of posts. ;) I finally purchased the Jimmy Choo Youth lizard embossed boots from eBay, my new favorite place to shop. I originally wanted the standard leather ones, which are lovely, but I think the simple nature of the boot practically mandates the textural enhancement.

WHERE TO BUY

The Youth boot is available in various colors, skins, and textures -  navy suede, camel suede, blue/gray suede, burgundy suede, pebbled light gray leather, leopard print, distressed leather, black crystal, brown leather, metallic gray, studded suede, and black waxed suede, to name a few. 

There is also a taller version and models with shearling or with rabbit fur on the inside.

The simple black ones are discounted at BlueFly and Farfetch but are available at full price from Bergdorf's, Jimmy Choo, Nordstrom, Neiman's, Saks, and Net-A-Porter.

"A woman carries her clothes. But the shoe carries the woman." -Christian Louboutin

I told myself I wouldn't get anymore shoes, and yet....

(Featured in this post: Tieks by Gavrieli flats, Chloe ballerinas, Balenciaga sandals, and Joie sandals)

"I love beautiful clothes." -Valentino Garavani

Care to take a gander at what's in the box? Unsurprisingly, yet another pair of Valentino shoes....hee hee hee.
These have been on my wish list for ages, but have been sold out in this particular style almost everywhere. Imagine my surprise when I found them during a random trip to Bergdorf's! I was in the neighborhood to pick up a scholarship check (hooray) and figured I'd stop in. I did a double take when I spotted these, as I've been trying to find them, with no luck. The best part? They were half-off. 

Trying to score this style? There are very budget-friendly versions available at Kohls, Choies,  Long Tall Sally, and Yes Style.

There are also similar styles from Jeffrey Campbell and Kaanas.
These Tory Burch lace espadrilles are sold out but they were adorable : (
Valentino has a few lace styles available at the moment - this neon green version , these adorable pink ones (half off! Also available here, but not on sale...wah), these dark green ones, animal print studded ones, camo ones, embroidered ones, striped ones...they have a ton of espadrille styles available now.
I almost purchased these, albeit in pink, but I held out for these black ones. 

Valentino has a version almost identical to mine available, however, the lace is darker. They're also available on BlueFly. 

"A woman with good shoes is never ugly." -Coco Chanel

shop the shoes: here, here, here, here and here
shop the sunnies: here, here, here, here, here, and here 

You would think I would have satiated my thirst for new shoes by now, but alas, that is never the case. My recent acquirements have been much more frugal than my past ones, however, costing me around $50 each. I found the Jeffrey Campbell Skulltini loafers on eBay, my new favorite haunt, and purchased the Kate Spade Keds on sale! 

vintage find: vintage louis vuitton monogram monceau

 I'm an avid vintage shopper, especially when it comes to bags. Many of my bags are vintage, including my beloved Chanel flap. I find that vintage bags often have a better quality to them - as well as an undeniable charm. I've also recently begun a foray into eBay with mild success. One of the fruits of my endless eBay searching labor (read: scrolling on my laptop) was this gorgeous vintage Louis Vuitton Monceau. 

♡ new valentino & some saks off fifth goodies ♡

As you can see, I'm desperately trying to bring more color into my summer wardrobe.

Just kidding. Clearly. Though I love color, lately I've been wanting everything in black. 

The first thing I purchased was the Valentino rockstud gladiator sandals in black with gold studs. I got them from Farfetch  on sale for 30 percent off. 

These are available from Montaigne Market, Harrods, Farfetch, StyleBop, Selfridges, MyTheresa, Net-A-Porter, Luisa Via Roma, and Nordstrom. 

☼ Sunset 45 ☀

Fashion is fickle, and new trends are constantly emerging. With Sunset 45, a new monthly service that sends you a box of customized little fashion luxuries, you can keep up with the latest trends at an affordable price. I was lucky enough to have a few items sent to me, and I was impressed - the boxes have full sized makeup products, tons of accessories, and lots of fun costume jewelry. In this post, I'm going to show you some of the things that came in my boxes, alongside a preview of some of my own new goodies :)

You can subscribe to The Little Luxuries Box program for $30 a month plus $5 shipping and get up to $100 worth of items in every box:

http://www.sunset45.com/

 When it comes to jewelry, I definitely prefer gold - especially for costume jewelry. I love pearls and pearl costume jewelry, and the pearl pieces from Sunset 45 complemented my new Chanel brooch. 

♡ celine tricolor nano ♡

I'm so excited to share my Celine tricolor nano with you! It's probably the most exciting addition to my bag collection. I have loved Celine luggage totes ever since they first came out, and I'm happy to finally own one! 

louis vuitton curieuse wallet in aurore empreinte ☮

I've been itching for a new wallet for a while. The wallet I've been using is the Louis Vuitton Eugenie wallet in black epi leather that I thrifted for $55, and though I like it, I have learned that it's not my ideal wallet. Previously, I thought I needed lots of room for cards. But I don't actually even have a credit card. I have one debit card and a lot of frozen yogurt rewards cards. 

I figured I didn't need quite so much card space, but rather a convenient wallet for throwing in cash and just having a few easy-to-access cards. The wallet I was originally eying was the zippy, but I'm not keen on zippers (too much of a hassle) and I wanted something a little less simple. The Curieuse wallet was perfect for me. It has eight credit card slots and comes with a removable zippered pouch (which is so useful when carrying a smaller bag). The color I purchased it in is aurore, in the empreinte leather. 

♡ new shoes of 2014: Charlotte Olympia, Valentino, Chloe, Frye, Lanvin, and Burberry ♡

Browsing Instagram has taught me one thing - people are willing to spend big bucks on high heels. The amount of red bottoms I can count (wistfully, I might add) dispersed throughout my feed is almost unseemly. For a long time, I wondered if people somehow managed to walk around in heels all day. But no - after further discussion, I have garnered that people find designer heels to be a worthier investment than designer flats, and would much rather purchase the former. Alas, through much painful trial and error, I have concluded that heels are not for me. Don't get me wrong - I love a manageable heel. My Rag & Bone Durham boots and Acne Pistols are perfectly comfortable. I just don't see the point of buying lots of pairs of heels when I know they won't get much wear (from me, that is). A good flat shoe, however, will serve me for many years! I purchased quite a few flats so far this year, so here they are.

♡ mcqueen madness ♡

I think it's safe to say I have a McQueen addiction... 

Pictured above: burgundy/oxblood Alexander McQueen skull flats

I love these McQueen skull ballerina flats in nude, red, olive green, light blue, pink, and, of course, classic black. If I had to pick another pair, the olive or nude ones would have to be my favorites! I think this style in olive with sequins has found its way on to my wish list....

Above: my collection of Alexander McQueen scarves - neon pink, blush nude pink, olive green (looks forest green sometimes because of the lighting, this scarf is interesting), and black and gray.

I love this blue one (on sale for $197!!), this nude one, this green one,  this red one, this blue and fuschia one, this brown/olive one, and this light gray/green one. I tend to order my scarves from Farfetch - for me, they are priced lower when ordering internationally, and they have a huge selection.
Harrod's has a huge variety, as well, and they are available at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Net-A-Porter, Saks Fifth Avenue, Savannahs, and Zappos.

Gray and white canvas Alexander McQueen flats - found these for $65 (they were $430)!
Warning: huge amount of photos behind the cut!

♕ [yves] saint laurent arty ring ♕

I'm crazy for YSL Arty rings, so when I saw this cream and gold one on sale at Net-A-Porter for $150, I naturally had to have it. I find it's the most neutral and therefore the easiest to wear of my five arty rings. The rings, though largely discontinued, are still available here, here, and here. 

♡ louis vuitton damier ebene neverfull mm ♡

Way back in April of 2013, I purchased my perhaps most useful bag to date - the Louis Vuitton Neverfull. Settling for the medium size, I opted for the durable damier ebene canvas. This bag is a workhorse. I carry it to school, to work, for traveling - it's perfect for everything, incredibly chic, and super convenient. I love this bag so much that I want to purchase it in damier azur, as well. Bonus feature: it fits cats comfortably.

♡ marc jacobs stam ♡

I purchased this bag in January. Of last year. Which gives you an idea of how desperately my blog is need of an update. I got the Marc Jacobs Stam in marine blue from Fashionphile. There are many available secondhand for great prices!

Miu Miu card case vs. Louis Vuitton Cles

Over the past few months, I've purchased two coin/card holders. The first one I ordered was St. Cocco Patent Crocodile-Embossed Leather Card Case in the cammello (camel) color. I got it for a really great price, too, only $30. Alas, I kept losing it within my bag and wished I had something to chain it to. The leather began to peel after only a couple of months of use and I swiftly became disillusioned with the card case. I looked into the Louis Vuitton Cles and purchased it from LV in January, and I'm very satisfied with it. It clips on to my Neverfull (which I shall post soon) and is very useful. I keep my ID, Metrocard, and random little things in it. 

rag & bone bootie obsession ♡

Rag & Bone is one of my favorite contemporary brands. I really loved their booties this past year, so I picked up the Astor Moto boot and the Durham booties. Both are well-made and sturdy. Despite their heel, the Durham booties are very comfortable. They are available here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. The Astor Moto booties are no longer available, though Rag & Bone makes a similar boot. 

More photos behind the cut :)

Balenciaga x Ladurée

Balenciaga's iconic City handbag was introduced by Nicolas Ghesquière in 2000, and it has since become a cult classic, oft spotted on celebs like Kate Moss, Nicole Richie,  Gisele Bundchen, Nicky Hilton, Vanessa Hudgens, Lindsay Lohan, the Olsens, and Rooney Mara. Ghesquière's slouchy design was originally rejected by the company for its lack of structure, but the bags were used in the runway show so the models would have something to carry. The models, most notably Kate Moss, adored the bags, and thus, the Balenciaga bags we love today were born. 

"Iconic style is timeless...whether it's a black-and-white photograph, the most incredible Christian Dior blazer, a Ferragamo dress. It's something that last a lifetime. Vara is iconic because it's timeless and incredibly elegant for any generation." -Olivia Palermo

I've long admired Salvatore Ferragamo's Varina ballerina flat - chic, understated, and classic, it offers everything a good shoe should. I took advantage of a Friends & Family sale at Shopbop to order these turquoise, Tiffany-blue colored Varinas...and later, at the Ferragamo store on Fifth Avenue, I snatched up the last Vara bow bracelet in the same color. The Vara bow bracelet can be purchased from Bloomingdales, Zappos, and LuisaViaRoma. If you like the Varinas, you can see more colors here. 

Launched in 2007, the Varina flat is a spin on the iconic Vara - a mid-heel pump with the same instantaneously-recognizable bow and plaque. The shoe has been around for a whopping thirty five years - since 1978! Ferragamo recently celebrated the anniversary of the shoe by offering a customizable version. The bow on the shoe was originally meant to be leather, not grosgrain, but the maker misunderstood and made it grosgrain as with the prototype. The Vara was designed by Ferragamo's daughter Fiamma.