2019 resolution - shopping my own bag and wallet collection. Any one else?

[pdxhb]

Well, I'm a little bit behind on the convo, but these are my favorite shoes Saint Laurent block heel Mary Janes and Irregular Choice flats. My style is definitely LOUD!

My work environment is a creative and casual place, so most days I wear sneakers. Honestly, when I wear something even a little bit nice, without fail someone comments on it! One of my resolutions from 2018 was to not be embarrassed by my collection of luxury/fashiony items. I do feel a bit sheepish as a director flaunting expensive items, especially since I'm the youngest at my workplace and some of my co-workers are creatives living quite simply. Something about their attitude towards the material makes me question my love for fashion Does this ever happen to anyone?

I adore your shoes!!!!! What fabulous style. You have my enthusiastic support!

I work in an environment where there is definitely attention paid if I stand out. For the most part I try to let it roll off my shoulders, but occasionally I find myself not being quite as true to my own style as I could be. Do you have some of your workplace individuals espousing a different style and life philosophy toward you? Not to pry, strictly from a curious place.

 

[More bags]

Thanks, More bags! IDK what it is about the Reissues. I love seeing them styled casually, but maybe I do see them as too dressy for where I live. I think the chain strap is part of it. First, it looks dressier than a leather strap, and second, it’s just a bit too short for me to wear crossbody. I know everyone says you can wear a Reissue that way, but I always feel like the drop is just an inch or two too short on me. And even though the Reissue is much more under the radar than the classic flap, I always feel a little self conscious wearing them. I have to think more about this.

Ok, good points and I understand your point on the crossbody length not being right. I tried on a M/L in a great colour recently and I couldn’t get past the strap being too short for comfortable crossbody wear. Best wishes and good luck with your reflections on your Reissues!

 

[More bags]

Hey All!

We’re almost at the start of the new year. So it’s time for our first bag challenges! I’m reposting the ones we have cued up for January! I’ll do so again on 1/1.

(For those of you who are new to the thread, we do monthly challenges as a way of having fun with and focusing on our current collections. It helps us to remember, enjoy and appreciate what we have so that we aren’t as tempted to purchase new bags.

Participation is completely voluntary. Pick one, two, all or none. No peer pressure. This is just a fun thing to do as you see fit! If you do participate, we love to see photos as you go along but, again, even those aren’t required. We’re pretty flexible around here. Lol! )

*** January Challenges ***

• New Year, New Bag - Wear your three newest bags at least twice this month

• Love it or List it - Several people plan to sell bags. Pick one on the bubble and wear it a few times. If it’s not love by Jan 31, commit to selling or donating it.

• 10 in 31 Challenge - Wear at least 10 bags one time this month to help you rotate (we did 15 in the past but I’m lowering the number so more people can participate and to take into consideration extreme weather in some regions)

• Color Challenge - Pick a color and wear all the bags you have in their color at least once this month. (Starting in Feb, the color will be based on the birthstone for the month. But since Jan is garnet and we recently did red, I’m leaving the color up to you to chose this month.)

• Reverse Love it or List it - Pick a bag that you aren’t sure you want to sell. Place it in an inconvenient spot in your home where you don’t readily see it and can even have the opportunity to forget it. If after 4 months you haven’t reached for it, commit to selling it.

I am in for New Year, New Bag and 10 in 31!

 

[pdxhb]

Happy New Year everyone!
Looking forward to this year - so far it's been a great start and I am so happy to be along for this ride with you all!

 

[Sparkletastic]

I’ve started my new year’s cleaning & clearing. Yay!

One of the things I’m going through is a jewelry box of costume jewelry that has now travelled across 3 states with me without really being opened. I almost never wear costume jewelry but thought I may have forgotten some cute items.

Uh, no. LOL!

Most of the styles are a little dated (bib necklaces - remember those?) But, honestly, that isn’t the big issue for me. What I’m hating is the tarnish. I’m junking most of this because it just looks ratty.

This is one of the big reasons I don’t like costume jewelry. Fine jewelry doesn’t look ratty over time.

Am I missing something? Help me understand how costume jewelry can work in my wardrobe. If there is a way to be cute for fewer dollars, I’m in.

 

[dcooney4]

January 1 and I’m already having trouble keeping up!

I think I will do the New Year, New Bag challenge. As some of you know, I tracked my bag use for all of 2018, and I tallied up the totals today. I was very pleased to see that my three newest bags are all in my top 10 most worn bags, even though I got them all during the year so they had less than a year to accrue wears. That tells me I’m making better choices, and buying bags that I truly use.

For those of you who are curious, here’s my Top 10 most worn bags in 2018:
1) Hermes Evelyne GM in Etoupe — 56 wears
2) Hermes Evelyne PM in Blue Sapphire — 45 wears
3) Bottega Veneta Chain Tote in Black — 26 wears
4) Chanel Timeless Classic Tote in Black — 22 wears (this was one of the new ones, purchased at the end of May).
5) Bottega Veneta Nodini in Atlantic — 20 wears (also new this year, bought at the end of August).
6) LV Speedy B25 in Empreinte Noir — 18 wears
7) a tie between my Tumi Hagen backpack (purchased in October, so this was clearly a gap that needed filling!) and my Longchamp le Pliage large long handle in Indigo — both with 16 wears
8) Hermes Barenia Kelly 35 — 15 wears
9) Longchamp Mademoiselle in Cognac — 14 wears
10) Hermes Kelly 35 in Indigo Box — 11 wears.

This was a really eye-opening exercise and I’m so glad I did it, that I’m going to do it again this year! I knew my Evelynes got a lot of wear, but I wouldn’t have guessed they’d rank 1 and 2. The Nodini was a pleasant surprise as well. I tend to shy away from small bags. This has been so functional, I may buy another one (or go for something similar by a different designer).

On the downside, I have bags I would have described as favorites, that I barely wore at all! My Chanel Reissues fall into this category. I love the aesthetic but something about them keeps me from reaching for them. I’ll have to figure out what’s going on with that. I don’t really have any desire to sell them, but if I’m not using them ....

It always surprises me as well at the end of the year to see which bags I wore the most.

 

[Rhl2987]

I’ve started my new year’s cleaning & clearing. Yay!

One of the things I’m going through is a jewelry box of costume jewelry that has now travelled across 3 states with me without really being opened. I almost never wear costume jewelry but thought I may have forgotten some cute items.

Uh, no. LOL!

Most of the styles are a little dated (bib necklaces - remember those?) But, honestly, that isn’t the big issue for me. What I’m hating is the tarnish. I’m junking most of this because it just looks ratty.

This is one of the big reasons I don’t like costume jewelry. Fine jewelry doesn’t look ratty over time.

Am I missing something? Help me understand how costume jewelry can work in my wardrobe. If there is a way to be cute for fewer dollars, I’m in.

I am incredibly simplistic with my jewelry and it’s to the point where I’m mostly not wearing any these days except my new Apple Watch. I wear “costume” earrings which are from JCrew, Dior, Chanel or other random stores but they are all newer (since I just got into an earring kick last year) and I do rotate through them pretty well. I’ve seen vintage pieces that my grandmother has but I’m mostly not interested in them because they are not my style. I just like to keep things streamlined, to the point where I never use any styling product in my hair. I just blow dry, put on a little makeup, and go. Adding accessories adds time for me and I usually don’t make that effort.

I wonder if there is a way to clean off the tarnish? I bet there is!!

 

[lynne_ross]

January 1 and I’m already having trouble keeping up!

I think I will do the New Year, New Bag challenge. As some of you know, I tracked my bag use for all of 2018, and I tallied up the totals today. I was very pleased to see that my three newest bags are all in my top 10 most worn bags, even though I got them all during the year so they had less than a year to accrue wears. That tells me I’m making better choices, and buying bags that I truly use.

For those of you who are curious, here’s my Top 10 most worn bags in 2018:
1) Hermes Evelyne GM in Etoupe — 56 wears
2) Hermes Evelyne PM in Blue Sapphire — 45 wears
3) Bottega Veneta Chain Tote in Black — 26 wears
4) Chanel Timeless Classic Tote in Black — 22 wears (this was one of the new ones, purchased at the end of May).
5) Bottega Veneta Nodini in Atlantic — 20 wears (also new this year, bought at the end of August).
6) LV Speedy B25 in Empreinte Noir — 18 wears
7) a tie between my Tumi Hagen backpack (purchased in October, so this was clearly a gap that needed filling!) and my Longchamp le Pliage large long handle in Indigo — both with 16 wears
8) Hermes Barenia Kelly 35 — 15 wears
9) Longchamp Mademoiselle in Cognac — 14 wears
10) Hermes Kelly 35 in Indigo Box — 11 wears.

This was a really eye-opening exercise and I’m so glad I did it, that I’m going to do it again this year! I knew my Evelynes got a lot of wear, but I wouldn’t have guessed they’d rank 1 and 2. The Nodini was a pleasant surprise as well. I tend to shy away from small bags. This has been so functional, I may buy another one (or go for something similar by a different designer).

On the downside, I have bags I would have described as favorites, that I barely wore at all! My Chanel Reissues fall into this category. I love the aesthetic but something about them keeps me from reaching for them. I’ll have to figure out what’s going on with that. I don’t really have any desire to sell them, but if I’m not using them ....

Thanks for sharing and for the reminder - tracking starts as of yesterday - though I did not use any bags since it was a lazy day home with family.
Interesting that you have favourites you barely use. I am sure we all do. Do you track what you use bag for to give I tell for whether you save bags for special occasions/events? I am planning on tracking type of use to give me a bit more info.

 

[dcooney4]

I’m doing new year new bag. But so far, no going out yet so it’s still sitting in my closet. How many days should I wear it to count as fulfilling the challenge?

And does it mean for the newest bag in the closet only? Or like the last 2-3 bags I bought? I think I’m getting confused with the rules. [emoji28]

You wear three of your newest bags two times each.

 

[lynne_ross]

Well, I'm a little bit behind on the convo, but these are my favorite shoes Saint Laurent block heel Mary Janes and Irregular Choice flats. My style is definitely LOUD!

My work environment is a creative and casual place, so most days I wear sneakers. Honestly, when I wear something even a little bit nice, without fail someone comments on it! One of my resolutions from 2018 was to not be embarrassed by my collection of luxury/fashiony items. I do feel a bit sheepish as a director flaunting expensive items, especially since I'm the youngest at my workplace and some of my co-workers are creatives living quite simply. Something about their attitude towards the material makes me question my love for fashion Does this ever happen to anyone?

I work in a corporate finance environment and split my time between 2 offices and working from home. At home I wear sweats lol. At the city office I dress up since everyone else is dressed up (suits, or dresses with jackets). In the other office about 75% of people are wearing jeans, sweaters and sneakers daily. I still dress up most days since I feel it is part of my image, but I do get lots of comments on my stuff. I feel the comments are positive and people get use to my look. However, my environment is all people that can afford luxury items they just don’t buy them. I think if they could not afford I would at least not wear obvious luxury items - like loose the VCA earrings.

 

[lynne_ross]

I am doing love it or list it in January with one bag and a few bracelets I have been considering selling.

 

[lynne_ross]

What kind of comments are you getting? Do you think they’re intended to make you uncomfortable?

I love your shoes! Those sneakers are crazy! If this is your style, then own it. Years ago when I worked in corporate, there was a woman who worked in IT who I’ll never forget. The company was very conservative and the culture was trapped in the 1950s (ugh), but this woman wore super fitted suits with micro mini skirts, four inch heels, and had a diamond the size of the Ritz on her perfectly manicured hand. She’d walk in a room and everyone’s eyes would bug out, but she was smart and competent and friendly, so people got over it. And no one ever commented on her outfits or style, other than to say something benign like, “You look nice today.” I think everyone was a little intimidated, but she was just being herself. She wasn’t “flaunting,” as you put it. I doubt you are “flaunting” either, so what makes you feel like you are?

Your experience reminds me of a former senior executive at my company. She would wear mostly Chanel suits, designer heels, hermes bags (she brought her bags to every meeting), perfectly done hair, make up, nails, etc. In a male dominated world she stood out. But she was smart, empathetic and a born leader. She was a female champion and voiced that woman should not feel they need to damper their looks or style to fit in with a male dominated workforce and instead should own their own style and image and be judged on their output. I never saw anyone comment in her looks or saw her comment on others. The topics kept to the work at hand. I really admire her and feel she changed our culture in a positive way.

 

[lynne_ross]

I’ve started my new year’s cleaning & clearing. Yay!

One of the things I’m going through is a jewelry box of costume jewelry that has now travelled across 3 states with me without really being opened. I almost never wear costume jewelry but thought I may have forgotten some cute items.

Uh, no. LOL!

Most of the styles are a little dated (bib necklaces - remember those?) But, honestly, that isn’t the big issue for me. What I’m hating is the tarnish. I’m junking most of this because it just looks ratty.

This is one of the big reasons I don’t like costume jewelry. Fine jewelry doesn’t look ratty over time.

Am I missing something? Help me understand how costume jewelry can work in my wardrobe. If there is a way to be cute for fewer dollars, I’m in.

I personally am not a fan of costume jewelry. To me it’s place is if you need something specific for an event and are willing to throw it out afterwards since I always find it tarnishes quickly. I would rather buy fewer fine jewelry pieces that I can wear daily and allow me to always look put together. I am also lazy and hate changing jewelry daily!

 

[dcooney4]

Day one on 10 out of 31. I need to be hands free today . Mz Wallace Small leopard metro backpack for the ease of use.

 

[Sparkletastic]

It always surprises me as well at the end of the year to see which bags I wore the most.

What were they for you this year?

I personally am not a fan of costume jewelry. To me it’s place is if you need something specific for an event and are willing to throw it out afterwards since I always find it tarnishes quickly. I would rather buy fewer fine jewelry pieces that I can wear daily and allow me to always look put together. I am also lazy and hate changing jewelry daily!

The only time I’m ok with costume jewelry is when I need a look that would be too expensive in fine jewelry. For example, I have a nice set of sparkly rhinestone jewelry that I can wear at forms occasions. But, even then, I still have some fine jewelry I can wear so I don’t trade out. It’s less bling because I can’t afford a $2million diamond necklace LOL! but, it works.

Daily, I only wear fine jewelry. Mostly white gold with or without diamonds but some yellow gold too that accents certain outfits. I keep it simple.

But, I do like it sometimes when I see others in costume. So, that’s why I was curious how others incorporate it.