Banana Republic Haul

Hi girlies! Just sneaking in a little haul in the middle of all the review posts that I've been doing. The fiance is at work today on a Sunday so I decided to head out to some outlet stores near by. I literally am 10 minutes walk away from these shops! Most of the time I try to steer away, but I figured it might be a good idea to add some transitional pieces to my work wardrobe since the weather is expected to be cooler soon.

I picked up two pieces from Banana Republic - a pair of white stretchy pants in 4P and a lace skirt in 2.

I find that the pants in 4P from Banana Republic normally fits me pretty well. Whenever I see them at the clearance, I would take all of them to the changing room with me. This time, I found 3 pairs but ended up just picking up this white number since the other pair of white pants I own is a pair of distressed denim which I can't wear to work. The fit and the length are also lovely. It hits about 2 inches above my ankle so it's definitely more suitable for autumn than winter. My wardrobe currently lacks pants because I'm used to wearing skirts and dresses in the hot humid weather in Hong Kong. I'm sure when the cooler weather rolls around, I'll make a lot of use out of these. Oh I haven't mentioned prices yet - these were discounted from CAD 89.99 to 39.99. Not a bad deal at all!

The lace skirt wasn't from the clearance section but Banana Republic was having a 40% off all skirts sales. When I passed by this little number, I couldn't resist not taking it to the change room with me. I purposely picked a regular size instead of a petite because as I age, I now prefer skirts that are a tad bit longer. I normally wear a 4, but I had to size down to a 2 as this skirt fits really big. I love the fit and the delicate lace details. The black lining inside goes down to about 1 or 2 inches above the knee so my knees would peak through in the lace at the bottom. It's very pretty. This skirt was 40% off from CAD 89.99 so about $54.

Unfortunately I'm not able to find these items on the Banana Republic website for you all. I suspect this is because the store that I went is an outlet store so the styles might not be available anymore. Anyway hope y'all are enjoying the weekend :)

Much love.

Furla Stacy Bucket Bag Review

Hi girlies! Let's talk about bags! The Furla Stacy Bucket Bag has been one of my favourites for the past two years. Not only is it easy to pair with outfits, lightweight, fits a ton, the price point is also unbeatable. I bought this at Lafayette in Paris two years ago when I was visiting my friend after a road trip down in Bordeaux. At that time, I recall that the bucket bag trend was super popular. But up till this day, I still use it loads despite the trend has died down a bit. 

I believe this style is considered a classic at Furla as it's still available season after season although the colours offered in each season may be different. The one I have is a beige colour. I remember having a real hard time picking a colour since there were so many! A little disclaimer is that my version is from 2015 and Furla may have improved the design since then. I have not been to the store lately to assess the differences so I can't speak for newer versions.

I personally don't like bucket bags that have a circle bottom since it makes the bag look wider, and in turn, would make me look wider. This Furla one has a rectangular bottom which gives it a slimmer shape which I enjoy!

The interior is made of calfskin. When it was new, the feeling was extremely luxurious. However, after a couple of years, there has been major wear and tear as you may be able to see from the close-up picture. I don't use this bag as a daily bag, but it's definitely a go-to option during weekends or for casual dinners. It's very disappointing that the texture has become very rough especially towards the top where there is a lot of contact with items going in and out of the bag.

The overall shape of the bag held up pretty well I would say. Of course, it's not in perfect condition as when I first purchased it. And I don't tend to baby it too much. Given the situation, I think it's still quite acceptable.

The exterior is in textured leather which I personally love. I feel like it makes the bag a little more interesting and the textured leather makes it more durable being less prone to scratches. After two years, I'd say the exterior is still in great condition. I know Furla offers smooth leather finishes as well for this bag.

The bag also came with removable zipper pouch that I forgot the photograph. It's so practical that I was using it as a wallet for over a year when I was in Hong Kong. It was perfect for my lifestyle at that time where I needed a small pouch that was just big enough to store my cards, phone, office pass and some cash all in one, that I could just take with me during lunch without bringing my entire bag. 

I think this bag is great value for money and I highly recommend it! Since the calfskin interior requires more delicate care, you may want to consider if that would work for your lifestyle.

Here are some colours options that are available on Furla's site currently:

Moonstone in smooth leather / Kaki in smooth leather / Black Onyx in textured leather

Much love.

Chanel Pouch Review

Hi girlies! Today I want to share a purchase I made in summer last year at Chanel. It's the Chanel pouch. I bought this because I was lacking a dark coloured purse that I could take on night outs, isn't too bulky, and still within a reasonable price. After some online browsing on Chanel's website, I decided to hit up the Chanel store in Times Square in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. During that visit, I saw a few choices, but I wasn't ready to make the purchase yet. On the next day, my friend and I decided to pop by the store in Harbour City in TST as we were around that area. We were paired with a very friendly sales associate who provided a large selection of pouches for us to choose from after asking us what we were interested in. 

I believe that Chanel pouches usually come in two different sizes. Mine is the smaller one and it's the perfect size for me. It fits a lot of stuff especially due to its zipper closure at the top. It came in black and dark blue. Even though it might be difficult to tell from the pictures, mine is actually the dark blue. The difference between the two colours is very subtle. I chose the blue since blue is my favourite colour and the subtle difference from black makes it a bit more interesting. Unfortunately, I couldn't capture a good picture of the inside. It's a maroon colour and the texture is as if it's made out of foam suitable for carrying an iPad. I love this since it feels durable.

I've used it numerous times since getting it last year. I'd say maybe even more than my Chanel East West flap since I got it 6 years ago. If you're interested, I did a blog post about it here! I feel like the pouch gives off a more effortless look. Not only is it suitable for formal events like attending a wedding, it's also great for casual nights out like going out for dinner.

Other options that I've tried on the shopping day was one in an envelope style. Not only was it more expensive as it was one of the travel collections, the leather was more delicate (which would not be a good idea for clumsy people like me), the envelope style has a v shape design so it couldn't fit as much and I would need to be more careful with holding it.

In terms of price, I paid about HKD7k which I think it's a total steal considering that it's Chanel and the number of times I've used it. I recall that the sales associate mentioned that there is a more basic design that sold for around HKD5k. However, that one is not as special and it's really hard to get due to its low price, and especially for popular colours such as black. 

If you're interested in getting one, I recommend stalking Chanel's website for all the new designs. When there's one that sparks your interest, then go in to the store to see if it's available. I'll share a few below as alternative options.

Left / Right

Aren't the tassel details to die for? Both would be such timeless pieces!

Hope you all enjoyed today's sharing. Much love.

Kate Spade Tassel Earrings

Hi girlies! Happy long weekend Monday :) I'm so glad that there's no work today and I can just sit around and blog in this beautiful weather.

One fashion trend that I'm loving lately is the tassel earrings trend. I love seeing these lovely and classy styles everywhere from both high end and high street brands. Even though I'm not a big earrings wearer, I couldn't resist jumping on this bandwagon a few weeks ago during a shopping trip when my girlfriend came to visit Vancouver. I'm sure I can find an occasion to wear them - I'm thinking the upcoming wedding that I need to attend or girly dinners during my visit to Hong Kong in Sept. We stopped by the NcArthurGlen Outlet mall in Richmond and there was a huge sale at Kate Spade where I picked up these lovely white tassel earrings. I believe after the discount, I paid around CAD20 for them. What a steal right?

I did also purchased a couple of other items at Kate Spade during that shopping trip. Perhaps I will share those in another post in the future.

Another earrings trend that I've been eyeing is the ball drop trend (I think that's what it's called, but it does sound weird after saying it a few times :P). Here are a few that I want to share from browsing online way too much!

Kate Spade - golden girl bauble drop earrings $58 / Moda Operandi Rebecca - De Ravenel

Classic Silk Corded Clip Earrings $298

Let me know if you're liking these statement earrings trends or not, or if so, have you picked up anything lately? :D

Much love.