Been procrastinating about my bag posts. Was meant to write about my Balenciaga First bag which was purchased before my Yves Saint Laurent but since i have been using this more frequently (by that i meant a couple of times a month), i've decided to do this first.

So TADA! My baby textured YSL Easy bag in Ocean Blue. I got this as a Christmas/EOY bonus gift to myself last year but didn't get a chance to use it until recently (long story). I first saw this combination when i was looking for my Ametiste Bottega Veneta (read about it here). I was in a dilemma then because i love both colours. The Ametiste is a shocking pink while this is an iridescent turquoise blue (especially under sunlight). Lq said i should just get both then because that was what's gonna happen eventually and she was right. I got the YSL a month later. :P

 

The YSL is one of the most understated IT bag. The design is very simple, marked by a Y stitching on both sides of the bag which is so iconic of YSL. You will only see the logo on the zipper so it doesn't scream out loud unlike some monogrammed bags. Other details include rolled double handles, double zip fastening across the top, stud fastening panels on each side (you can expand the bag), feet on base and tonal canvas lining.

I love the thick chewy pebbled leather of my bag. It's absolutely squishy and huggable, I would carry this to bed. Reminded me of the Alexander Wang Rocco Bag which i wanted to get (read about it here). This is kinda like a lighter replacement but a smaller version. I like the medium size but my friends all seem to think that it's too big for me. I was originally eyeing this limited edition eyelet stud medium easy which is sold out all around the world and costs 3000bucks a pop here. Needless to say i didn't think it was worth shelling out the extra 1+k to get it here instead of overseas. 

RGB, primary colors that rock my world. <3<3<3

One of the few modeling pics of the bag. Notice how it's a bright blue as compared to a greyish blue under warm lighting? S thought i got 2 different bags and questioned me when he saw the pics. BOYS. I prefer the bag taller so i would make sure that it's not filled to the brim and there's some weight to hold the bag down. The leather is still not broken in because it's really new. This is quite the right size for me so you can imagine how big the medium would be on me. I look like a pin carrying that. 

Had some big problem with the bag at the start. After 2 use, i noticed cracks all around the lacquer of the handles. I immediately sent it to the store and the SA said that this is a common issue because the leather stretches and it could not be considered a defect?! She even asked if i have been carrying a lot of heavy stuff in them. Seriously wtf? A bag is meant for holding stuff, regardless of how heavy the stuff are or how expensive the bag. Needless to say i was really pissed and annoyed. Anyway they sent it for lacquering and i have been warned that the cracking is inevitable with use. I didn't even hear of such issues on the forum. So anyway, you have been warned. 

Anyway all is fine now, no extra cracks so far. It better stay that way. Nevertheless, a pretty bag and a pretty color to add on to my rainbow collection. My Blue family- Grape Mulberry Alexa, Canard Balenciaga First in RGGH and my Ocean Blue Yves Saint Laurent Easy. YUMS! 

More on my Balenciaga First soon. That would probably take another couple of months since the food posts take up most of my time. :))

The best presents are the ones we give ourselves. We know perfectly what we want and love so why not just get it for ourselves instead of wishing and hoping that someone else would get it for you? Trust me, surprises never work very well and more often that not it disappoints. 

So a new bag for my birthday! I know i haven't gotten down to revealing the other bags that i own. I intended to showcase my blue series in December but the traveling was kinda disruptive to the writing. In fact, I actually got myself another EOY present in Dec (obviously another bag). It's a ocean blue "something". Suspense! That post would be up soon.

Anyway.. thanks to my buddy BG, who happened to sneak off to London town in Dec, i managed to lay my hands on this lovely baby! He felt absolutely tortured stepping into Selfridges and swore never to buy another bag for me. :P 

Revealing the lovely lady inside..

Tada! And it is the Contenitori Piatti Soft Matelasse Clutch in Cammeo. It's a lovely nude shade with some pink/lilac undertone. Perfect casual clutch for me, though my friends think it is suitable for evenings/dinner dates and partying?? Not sure about the latter because i surely don't want spills on this baby. It measures about 24cm x 16cm with a maximum width of about 3cm and has a detachable handle (not shown in the picture). Roomy enough for my daily essentials- phone, cards, wristlet, keys, gloss. I suppose i can fit my sunnies in as well.

Makes a really good CNY bag for all my red packets! Whee!

Fell in love the colour while bag shopping at MM prior to S's Munich trip. I was all set on getting the mini Coffer in Cammeo but it was OOS. That was when i bought my Ametiste BV as a replacement. I had other opportunities after to get the coffer but i didn't. I chose the ocean blue "something" over it again in Dec. I guess that meant something, i wasn't really into the Coffer afterall. 

The coffer is a nice bag to have. Very ladylike. The mini size is perfect for me and it is rather versatile (i was trying hard to convince myself) but somehow Miu Miu seems too common a brand to have? It doesn't really have a style of it's own and somehow the feminine look doesn't sit well with me. I like bags with a little edge to it, hence Balenciaga, Alexander Wang, Alexander McQueen are my all time favorites. I saw a number of people toting it but it was the Vitello shiny calfskin which i abhor, the finishing makes the bag look so cheap. However, the matte lambskin one is so luxe i just wanna hug it to sleep. Lambskin ftw! So yea.. that was my main struggle when i told S to go ahead with searching for this bag. 

But honestly, look at how cute this is. They had a turqoise/teal one as well which would make a good casual bag for the weekends but it looks like something from Marc Jacobs. For something that costs S$2.5-2.6k, it should not look like MJ. That's the reason why i said MM doesn't really have a style of its own.

I guess the main reason why i wanted the coffer was because of the colour. Cammeo is such a lovely nude and every girl needs a nude bag of some sort in her bag collection (i'm also implying that every girl should have a bag collection. Haha). So when i saw the clutch i was wondering if they would come in Cammeo and i asked B to check out the London stores and they do! It's not even available online then. So yay me! 

Can't wait to take her out soon. Some problems with the hook because you obviously can't trust boys to get something right. The handle is at the Sg store for repairs (great after care service!) but it's fine because i wouldn't really be using it. 

Loving my birthday week! Which is gonna end tomorrow! :( 1 more post to conclude the birthday week and then it's back to growing up. :(( 

This time a year ago, i was searching for my perfect blue bag (kinda.. i just thought it would be nice to have a blue bag). I just started on my rainbow bag collection then- my aim was to have a piece in each shade of the rainbow. Ambitious much. It was a small idea that stuck with me ever since i got my Pourpre Twiggy. A little colour always spices an outfit up. So why not right? Anyway since then i have added a green (ok canard is quite an in between colour), a yellow, a pink (yes i know rainbow doesn't have pink but mine does ok), and then an ocean blue. 

Ok back to the story. I happened to browse the Mulberry site and saw that they have a blue Alexa (or at least i thought it is a blue). Somehow the name 'Grape' felt pretty blue to me. So i headed down to the Hilton store to check it out and found out it was actually purple. Even in the picture you can't really tell the true colour of the bag. Seriously bag stores should have white light so that customers can be sure of the colour of the bag that they are getting. 

Anyway, i fell in love. I was worried that i couldn't carry off the colour, purple is after all an unusual colour. The classic colours for Alexa would be oak and black but they didn't appeal to me. Why would i pay so much for something normal right? Besides, i was in a pop colour mood then (if you look carefully my hair was bright red with even brighter red highlights). 

I love the Alexa because it is casual and fun. It goes well with jeans, jumpsuits, shorts, dresses... practically everything i wear (not one to love formal dresses and events). She is always perfect with my Toms, which made things so much easier because i wear them everywhere. If you want a more girly look, carry her in the crook of your arm. 

 The plus point of the Alexa is that it is a great travel bag. It's roomy enough for essentials (passport, waterbottle, umbrella, guidebook, maps, wallet, phone, cam...). You can easily sling it on your shoulder or crossbody. The strap is really long, i usually double loop it so that it is easier too carry it, feels lighter that way too. 

So this is Alexa on her first trip. It was a short weekender to HK just for some food and shopping and meeting up with my gf! :)

Bestie in the world world! Us at Peninsula Hotel after our afternoon tea, me with my alexa and she with her chanel. Anyway the bag goes well with skirts too. Bestie approves of the bag, loves it in fact. :)) We have such great taste in bags. Headed off for more bag shopping and i went home with something new. :P

Here is S trying to model the bag. He claims that he can carry it off perfectly. Pardon the terrible picture, he is really bad at this. And that's me outside Mulberry. The bag earned many envious looks from the hk shoppers. Bet they were all wondering where i got this lovely purple. :)

A couple of months after the hk trip, i brought her with me to UK. She weathered the horrible London weather and the really depressing one in Edinburgh. This is the best part about calf leather, they can hold so well. The leather is really lovely; very thick and hardy. However, this is the case for this particular bag. Friends with the oak Alexa have complained about the leather, one even developed little holes in them over time. I don't know how that happened. Maybe the leather for oak is thinner or something but just make sure the quality is alright before you purchase. 

Lunch at the Hibiscus

And another couple of months later, she accompanied me to South Korea! I have really been utilizing this bag. Somehow the colour just goes well with almost everything. 

Know what the best part is? It was during the Club21 sale when i got the bag and it was a 20+ 10% discount and i only paid S$1.3k! Real steal right?! And guess what my dear readers, the sale is on right now. Yes you heard me. My friend just bought a Mulberry mini bayswater just a couple of days back. So head on right down, maybe you will still be able to get something you like this season. I love the eggplant colour on the bayswater satchel. It is a very similar style to the alexa and the eggplant is deep reddish purple. Very rich colour. That comes highly recommended, if it is still available :)))

Store Locations

Hilton Hotel

581 Orchard Road

Tel: +65 6304 1357

Raffles Hotel Shopping Arcade 

#01-26, 328 North Bridge Road 

Tel: +65 6336 6977

Takashimaya Dept Store

#02-206, 391 Orchard Road

Tel: +65 6304 1372

I have a bag problem. It has come to my attention that i am lacking a big sized carryall for gym. Since i started going for yoga classes, i realized that i've been in a small bag phase for a very long time (my definition of very long is actually 2 years). How is a girl supposed to look fashionable after yoga if she has to lug around a huge ass sports duffel like that from Nike, Puma or the other sports brand. Those bags are only appropriate IF you are lazy and do not bother changing out of your gym attire. I however do not advise that. Gym wear is not attractive, unless you are showing off your washboard abs but even i don't do that.  

I've been making do with my Longchamp Le Pliage tote in graphite. This is my brainless day to day bag. Perfect for throwing it all around, rain or shine, dust or grime. It's quite small too but manageable since my pieces of clothing aren't that big.

My other option is to use my Limited Edition Eiffel Tower Le Pliage Tote. I seldom use this because the bag gobbles everything up! It's amazing how a bag that small (or big) can make things disappear once you put them in. I usually take a minute or two just to find something that i need. Yes i need a bag organizer and i do have them, it's just really troublesome still. 

I was in a terrible rush for class today because I couldn't find a bag BIG enough to throw all the things i need. Plus i had to send another bag in for servicing at the shop (story for another time. Was quite pissed at the bag/brand). I had no choice but to carry S's Graphite Medallion Luggage which i borrowed it for my upcoming Vietnam trip.   

I love that the bag is so roomy and perfect for traveling. It is also a really good gym bag! Though it looks ridiculously big on me. I think i can sit in it. 

I seriously need an alternative. I think the YSL medium Easy would be perfect. I was so close to getting one in June but i couldn't get hold of a particular limited edition that i wanted. OOS in Europe and i wouldn't pay that 1k extra for the same bag in SG.

Lovely right? Black eyelet studs. S thinks that they look like little evil eyes. Love the toned down rocker look. Same reasons why i love the Alexander Wang Rocco (Read about it here). Too bad, no luck with the bag.. :(

I shall continue searching for a suitable gym bag for all you ladies out there. We definitely need a nice bag to match an after-gym hot bod! Updates soon!

If you have any suggestions, do share it with everything by leaving a comment. :))

While randomly browsing sites on bags, (haha who do i kid? What are the chances of it being random? :P), i chanced upon the Alexander Wang Rocco Mini Duffel bag. I was delightfully surprised that i haven't noticed this before. The bag has been on the market for a while but it didn't catch on in Singapore (reason for that in a bit). I haven't seen any one carry this and of course that appeals even more to me. Honestly who would want to be carrying something everyone else is carrying right? Yes Balenciaga, i'm referring to you. 


Chewy and thick black pebbled leather (can't remember if it's lamb or calf), it's so squishy i would hug it to sleep, use it as a pillow or sth. This is extremely hardy. If you are wondering how i knew that from doing research online, well i went down to the nearest On Pedder to check if they carry the bag shortly after. Haha :P

This beauty is also a celeb favorite! Kristen Cavallari, Mary Kate Olsen, Dakota Fanning, Rosie Huntington, Nicki Hilton, Jennifer Love Hewitt have been spotted carrying it around. 

Kristen looks especially amazing with it. She goes everywhere with the Rocco. It's casual, it's cool, it has that rocker glam factor as well. The studs are absolutely gorgeous. I don't own any black bag (not a casual one that is. My classic Chanel flap is not counted) because let's face it, it's a boring colour though highly flexible. I would choose grey over black anytime. However, the studs add on a bling factor to black pebbled skin without being too ostentatious. I was absolutely in lurrrvvvveeee... 

Mary Kate also looks fantabulous with hers. This is just the perfect bag for me. Suits me to a T. 

A bit more on the style- I would liken it to a love child of Balenciaga (the studs) and YSL (the pebbled skin), both features i love. The size is very similar to the Louis Vuitton Speedy 30. It also kinda resembles the Givenchy Nightingale (W highlighted that to me). I was first attracted to the bag because of the pebbling- was also looking at the YSL Easy at the same time and they have a black pebbled one as well though a little dull. 

I almost bought the bag immediately online but i'm glad my sanity prevailed. While trying the bag and On Pedder, i realized that the bag has inherited the negative trait of Balenciaga and multiplied it by 10 times at least- the weight KILLS. According to the SA, the bag weighs a whooping 1.5kg. However, the SA at the AW pop up store says it's 3kg. I didn't ask for a weighing machine but it is obviously too much to handle. That said, i was still blinded by love and lust. It was not only until the 2nd time i went down to the store that i realized it is way too heavy for me. I sometimes complain that my Mulberry Alexa is heavy and this is an overkill. I could use this as weights. 

This is the biggest problem of the bag. It's such a pity really. If made lighter, the bag with 105 studs would look so lovely on my arms. Sigh. Please make some tweaks to it Mr Wang, this would really be perfect in my bag collection.  

If you have the arm power to lift this baby, you can get it at On Pedder for about 1.4- 1.5k sgd. I can't remember the exact price. Alternatively, Shopbop sells it for 895USD. How awesome is that right?! For now, i can only admire it. Pity pity pity. Hopefully someone knocks some sense into the team at AW soon. 

In the end, I got something much lighter though. Reveal due soon!  

My love for Bottega first started in 2008 when i was first stepped into the BV store in NYC. I immediately fell in love with the soft buttery and smooth leather I could hug the bags to sleep. And unlike most luxury brands who don't give a hoot about the interior lining (most use cotton), BV insists on a suede leather interior. YUMS! I was fearful about scratching the interior but as my bag family expanded, i stopped caring. :P

Anyway, i didn't get my BV on that fateful day. it was my first day in NYC and the boy convinced me that I'd see that cute red handbag again during our 3 week break so i shouldn't make an impulse buy. It NEVER happened. Till this day i still blame him. Since that day, I have amassed 3 items from the brand. 

My BV family (clockwise from left)- Regular Veneta in Ametiste, Mini Veneta in Red, Intrecciato Wallet 

My BV collection is kinda weird. 2 out of 3 pieces are wrong buys. Absolutely not what i wanted. But i grew to accept them. The first was the Mini Veneta. Long story behind it. Boy went in search of THE bag in NYC to redeem himself. He saw it in a different colour (a dull turquoise blue) and he thought that it was hard to match. Honestly, what do boys know about colours right? Somehow he thought that a mini red veneta is cuter, and that's how i ended up with my first BV, which is practically useless. 

                               

The mini Veneta measures 8.5"x 8.25". Holds almost nothing. It holds an iPhone, keys, cards and cash. Notice that i didn't mention a wallet? Because it doesn't fit! Not even my coach coin purse. I used it a couple of times. Once for a dinner at il Lido and for brunch and another time for supper at a prata place. BV makes really casual bags and this is not the Knot so i can't use it for dinners as well. So yea.. if anyone is interested in buying this, drop me a message. 

My second was the intrecciato wallet which i got a friend to get for me. Long story short, I wanted a deep purple (Opera) in a different style (slightly shorter and smaller). Provided the product code and all and the order was still wrong. My friend is a guy. There you go, it's almost proven that guys can't get a proper bag right. 

My 3rd purchase from BV was very recent. Oct 2011. Regular Veneta in Ametiste. I was hunting for another bag from Miu Miu but it wasn't available in Sg. S was overseas again, this time in Munich, so he offered to get it for me but it was OOS as well. Randomly popped by BV and waaala.. the popping Ametiste stood out and beckoned to me.

I was already looking out for a hot pink bag. Was eyeing Balenciaga's cyclamen but i thought it would be too much pink on the bigger styles like City and Part time. Plus i didn't want an overlap with my twiggy or first. So i immediately texted the boy and he finally got the right bag (for once).

I never thought that i would get a Veneta or any of their bigger bags because they look too dull. Let's face it, the bag is not particularly eye-catching and this style in a classic or neutral colour would be what i'd say boring but make it in a pop colour like Ametiste, Shock or Fire , you get a younger looking and much more lively bag.

I wouldn't say that this is the last piece i'd get from BV. I would love a classic knot in leather or some funky design for evening dinners. But right now, this would suffice. :)

I'm a self confessed bagaholic. I don't know when it begun. I think it is a genetic thing that was passed on to me from my mum. I've been buying bags for her on my travels since 6years back.

It all started with Prada, a gift from S's aunt for my 21st. Then when before the Burberry Blue craze hit our sunny island, i was already a proud owner of 2 BB bags. My bagaholic nature probably escalated during my grad trip when i went to the States and went crazy with all the Coach and Kate Spade bags (a HUGE mistake i must say. Never ever will i do it again). That was also when i became aware of Bottega Veneta and i almost got a handbag from there. Long story so read more about my bottega family here.

That same year (or was it the year after), i went to Paris and got my first Chanel. <3 Best decision i've made in my life. S's mum was goading me to get one after she got her cavier classic flap. That winter, i came back with a Chanel and an LV Tivoli (another mistake, more on that later).

Thereafter, it was just bags after bags after bags. Balenciaga, Mulberry, another Balenciaga, another Bottega Veneta and another...

W and i did a count of all the bags i own, criteria being more than 100 bucks (not really fair) and the figure was quite astronomical. Moral of the story is, be careful what you give someone a gift, it may change their lives forever. Case in point.

I'll share my bags with you in due course. Each of them has a little story of their own. Have fun reading! Do tell me what is your favorite or most coveted bag! Would love to hear about them.

Till then..