2023 Resolution: Shopping my Own Bags and SLG Collection

[Vintage Leather]

A long standing tradition in this thread is to remind ourselves of how wonderful our own collections are by showcasing them. We can see how far we have come, collection wise, and we reminded that we have all (or most of) what we need making it easier to shop our own closets.



• New theme weeks start each Sunday

• Don’t jump ahead but, if you miss a week, please do show your bags “late”.

• Show bags individually or in a group

• You do NOT have to wear the bags that week

• For added fun, show old pictures from previous years to demonstrate how you have curated it over time.

• This is completely voluntary. There is no pressure to post at any time.





So what are the showcases? In the Fall, we group our bags by makers! Feel free to show bags, small leather goods, or however it is easiest to organize!

August 13 - Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta

August 20 - Burberry, Celine

August 27 - Coach, Chanel

September 3 - Chloe, Dior

September 10 - Dooney & Bourke, Fendi

September 17 - Ferragamo, Givenchy

September 24 - Goyard, Gucci

October 1 - Hermes, Kate Spade

October 8 - Loewe, Longchamp

October 15 - Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs

October 22 - Michael Kors, Miu Miu

October 29 - Mulberry, Prada

November 5 - Proenza Schouler, Rebecca Minkoff

November 12 - Saint Laurent, Tods

November 19 - Tory Burch, Valentino

November 26 - Bags by Jewelers: Bulgari, Cartier, Tiffany Co, Van Cleef & Arpels. Alternatively, the pillboxes, compacts and other lovelies made by jewelers that fit in your bag.

December 3 - independent artisans and custom bags.

 

[BowieFan1971]

Sounds great. Went straight to Amazon and ordered.

I have Style Statement and it has not resonated with me after two separate tries.

I found that when Tim got to the chapter on style mentors, it was good to get additional feedback from someone close to me. One, because we tend to see ourselves in relation to how we want to be seen or think we are seen instead of how we are seen by the world. Two, because we focus on characteristics that fit that vision, not necessarily the things about us that also define us but don’t fit that vision. For me, that person was my husband. He agreed with me on one style mentor category but added a second one I never would have considered. When I asked him why he chose it, his answer made sense and fit, though it ran counter to how I perceive myself. Many would think that style is all about wearing what you love and that will bring authenticity, but that’s not always true. Style is internal, but it is also a way to let the world see who you are, to control your own visual narrative. So for your style identity to resonate as authentic to who you are, to have the outside match the inside, sometimes you need a trusted person who knows who you are inside to look at who you are projecting to see if it matches up. Without that feedback, your outside may not be giving as accurate of a picture of you as you might think.

 

[Purses & Perfumes]

If you could express your style in 3 words, which would they be?

This was actually hard for me -- not sure why! A lot of times, my dressing is intuitive. I will look in the mirror and play around until it looks right to me. I haven't followed any styling or color systems.
Off the top of my head I would say:
Comfort: It has to be flattering, but the garment also has to be comfortable or I won't wear it. So no scratchy wool, tight jeans (high rise cotton jeans and I have parted ways), skirts and pants sweeping the floor, and so on.
Casual elegance: Well, most of the time, my outfits are casual, but I like them to have a certain quality to them, whether that be an interesting detail at the sleeves, beautiful linings in coats and blazers, a lovely texture to the material, or even a print that appeals to me.
Clean lines with feminine touches: I like the silhouette to be clean, but I like feminine touches like some eyelet or embroidery at the collar or details at the sleeves.
I think I'm over the three-word limit. I might need to edit this down a bit!

It has really been transformative for me to schedule silence into my days.

Glad to hear this. The practice of guided meditation has really helped me. I would like to incorporate journaling as well, but somehow haven't been able to get it into the daily routine. It took me a long time to get started on meditation, so maybe I will eventually get around to journaling too.

an embellished bag: dior around the world embroidery LD

Love the Dior embroidery bag and your Duret bag (the charm definitely counts as embellishment.)

Agreed on us having similar bag tastes!

The ‘slight hobo’ phrasing I used is 100% something I completely made up, for sure. It’s just what sticks in my own mind for a certain kind of bag.

Basically, to me this is a ‘pure’ hobo, i.e. when the bag itself tapers and eventually transitions into the strap.
View attachment 5768684

So - again at least for me - the ‘slight hobo’ is any bag where the ends of the bag curve up, even slightly, ala:
View attachment 5768685

View attachment 5768686

^I used to despise this kind of bag. Not sure why. Probably because they tend to be ‘armpit’ bags which I definitely don’t like.

I even consider it a ‘slight hobo’ when the curving is super subtle:
View attachment 5768687

But at any rate, as with many things I’m eating my words because now I own both these two and am LOVING them, lol.
View attachment 5768694

View attachment 5768695

It's a good name for it! And your slight hobo bags are beautiful!

 

[papertiger]

This was actually hard for me -- not sure why! A lot of times, my dressing is intuitive. I will look in the mirror and play around until it looks right to me. I haven't followed any styling or color systems.
Off the top of my head I would say:
Comfort: It has to be flattering, but the garment also has to be comfortable or I won't wear it. So no scratchy wool, tight jeans (high rise cotton jeans and I have parted ways), skirts and pants sweeping the floor, and so on.
Casual elegance: Well, most of the time, my outfits are casual, but I like them to have a certain quality to them, whether that be an interesting detail at the sleeves, beautiful linings in coats and blazers, a lovely texture to the material, or even a print that appeals to me.
Clean lines with feminine touches: I like the silhouette to be clean, but I like feminine touches like some eyelet or embroidery at the collar or details at the sleeves.
I think I'm over the three-word limit. I might need to edit this down a bit!

Glad to hear this. The practice of guided meditation has really helped me. I would like to incorporate journaling as well, but somehow haven't been able to get it into the daily routine. It took me a long time to get started on meditation, so maybe I will eventually get around to journaling too.

Love the Dior embroidery bag and your Duret bag (the charm definitely counts as embellishment.)

It's a good name for it! And your slight hobo bags are beautiful!

Comfort and casual often fit together (not always)

Casual and elegance, although not usually put together, work together well. Not too 'try-hard' and 'effortless' style is elegant

'Clean lines with feminine touches' echoes 'elegance' too since it's harder to do simple, clean lines, and the touches show thought and care.

Every word is loaded and can mean a million different things. Sometimes, I'm careful not to call senior ladies 'elegant' because it becomes a euphemism for 'age appropriate', just like 'fresh' is a euphemism for younger or more fashionable.

I am glad people are owning the word elegant again.

When I think someone is elegant, I mean intelligent, studied, thoughtful, knowing (oneself, which often means experience) but then taking all that knowledge and using it very freely and unselfconsciously. The late Tina Chow was elegant in her way, she created an unmistakable image for herself that worked for her, you could also say she had 'clean lines' but you couldn't say she was 'casual'. And just the change of one word completely alters the entire word picture.

 

[papertiger]

I found that when Tim got to the chapter on style mentors, it was good to get additional feedback from someone close to me. One, because we tend to see ourselves in relation to how we want to be seen or think we are seen instead of how we are seen by the world. Two, because we focus on characteristics that fit that vision, not necessarily the things about us that also define us but don’t fit that vision. For me, that person was my husband. He agreed with me on one style mentor category but added a second one I never would have considered. When I asked him why he chose it, his answer made sense and fit, though it ran counter to how I perceive myself. Many would think that style is all about wearing what you love and that will bring authenticity, but that’s not always true. Style is internal, but it is also a way to let the world see who you are, to control your own visual narrative. So for your style identity to resonate as authentic to who you are, to have the outside match the inside, sometimes you need a trusted person who knows who you are inside to look at who you are projecting to see if it matches up. Without that feedback, your outside may not be giving as accurate of a picture of you as you might think.

I'm wouldn't ask DH, he thinks the point of dressing is desirability. As I've written before, he likes me in corset and bias slip dresses and heels. He does not get anti-fashion or anything loose on the body at all.

What we want to wear in the moment may sometimes get in the way of what we want to project longterm, which is why - from experience, I will never wear everyday, ordinary, casual to a meeting again (however blah I feel getting dressed in the morning). It's always good to get feedback from trusted friends, family or other - but you also have to take what they say with a pinch of salt too unless the same view crops up again and again, which is how I get 'quirky' (and probably equates most closely to Chameleon form a few years ago). I would never call myself quirky, makes me sound like a pixie

 

[Purses & Perfumes]

Comfort and casual often fit together (not always)

Casual and elegance, although not usually put together, work together well. Not too 'try-hard' and 'effortless' style is elegant

'Clean lines with feminine touches' echoes 'elegance' too since it's harder to do simple, clean lines, and the touches show thought and care.

Every word is loaded and can mean a million different things. Sometimes, I'm careful not to call senior ladies 'elegant' because it becomes a euphemism for 'age appropriate', just like 'fresh' is a euphemism for younger or more fashionable.

I am glad people are owning the word elegant again.

When I think someone is elegant, I mean intelligent, studied, thoughtful, knowing (oneself, which often means experience) but then taking all that knowledge and using it very freely and unselfconsciously. The late Tina Chow was elegant in her way, she created an unmistakable image for herself that worked for her, you could also say she had 'clean lines' but you couldn't say she was 'casual'. And just the change of one word completely alters the entire word picture.

As I typed it, I did wonder if casual and elegant work together. Perhaps in my mind I was thinking elevated casual. But I see how not too "try-hard" and effortless is elegant. And I like the effortless look.
It's funny how some words can get all these loaded meanings over time. Sometimes, I think I live under a rock, but it's hard to keep up with the way language evolves. To me, when an outfit is elegant, it simply means it all flows together nicely, that there's a certain harmony, even sophistication, stylishness and balance to the outfit and accessories. I like your description of elegance! Elegance is a quality I appreciate and admire.
ETA: Perhaps I need to ask DH or one of my friends for their input on how they would describe my style.
Also, lifestyle, as in how we spend the majority of our days/weeks does dictate style, and our choice of descriptive style words. My life is more casual now, but when I worked in an office, I would have described my clothing choices as mostly classic, since those were the kinds of outfits I had to wear in the work setting. Thank you for this interesting and thought-provoking topic. I am still mulling over it.

 

[880]

three words: structured; eclectic; layered

ETA: by layered, I mean I build from the inside out: top; pants, skirt or dress; sweater, jacket, coat. All in interchangeable capsules, so you can vary your look. Since I mix large and small scale patterns, I somewhat limit my color palette. I think that’s why ultimately, scarf, shoes, bag, are ancillary accessories, not the main event for me.

structured; layered; edited more than eclectic That’s because I edit a lot, and the eclectic pieces don’t tend to make the Final Cut lol

The point of dressing, desirability or otherwise, is a whole other discussion, depending on context and situation

 

[BowieFan1971]

I'm wouldn't ask DH, he thinks the point of dressing is desirability. As I've written before, he likes me in corset and bias slip dresses and heels. He does not get anti-fashion or anything loose on the body at all.

What we want to wear in the moment may sometimes get in the way of what we want to project longterm, which is why - from experience, I will never wear everyday, ordinary, casual to a meeting again (however blah I feel getting dressed in the morning). It's always good to get feedback from trusted friends, family or other - but you also have to take what they say with a pinch of salt too unless the same view crops up again and again, which is how I get 'quirky' (and probably equates most closely to Chameleon form a few years ago). I would never call myself quirky, makes me sound like a pixie

One of the style categories in Tim’s book is Siren. For each category, he offers 2-3 “inspirations,” all possessing different aspects of the style category. For Siren, one was food writer Nigella Lawson. TG called her a Siren not just because she is a curvaceous woman, but she takes obvious pleasure in what she does and has a mischievous twinkle in her eye when she does. He also says a Siren is as interested as she is interesting. Those were the qualities my husband saw in me that I didn’t, but when he mentioned them, I saw the truth in it. I never would have ever considered myself a Siren in any way, but I guess I was wrong. We both agreed on the main style category…Les Francaises.

 

[DME]

Which brings me to a question:

If you could express your style in 3 words, which would they be?

Super interesting question! I’m not really sure how I would define my style in three words, since I feel like a different person depending on the season. In spring and summer, I tend to be more playful and bright (think color and patterns), while remaining effortless and casual. In fall and winter, I’m much more monochromatic, but would still say I am effortless and casual. If I have to put too much thought and effort into dressing, then that’s just not me and I feel uncomfortable all day. I do embrace athleisure, but it’s taken me awhile to get to that point. I’m probably too old and not slim enough for this look, but I just don’t care. I love me some lululemon! I can also do casual in skinny jeans and a tailored top, or athletic wear-type pants with a tailored top. In terms of all the accessories, I would consider myself luxe year-round. I try to tailor my jewelry, scarves and bags to my outfit, but they’re almost always something luxurious (and often designer). Often understated and classic, rather than trendy, but luxe nonetheless. Accessories is the area where I put all of my money. Because handbags don’t care what the scale says!

 

[BowieFan1971]

My DH surprised me with a just because/thank you for doing such a great job designing and overseeing the bathroom renovations gift. My first robins egg blue box! I had eyed one (preloved of course) for myself but did not get it. Sometimes he gets it very right!

 

[baghabitz34]

My DH surprised me with a just because/thank you for doing such a great job designing and overseeing the bathroom renovations gift. My first robins egg blue box! I had eyed one (preloved of course) for myself but did not get it. Sometimes he gets it very right!

View attachment 5769000

Beautiful, good job husband!

 

[Bag peace]

I was trying to think of a way to capture my style, and you just said it for me. Thanks!
I don’t know that I’d call it masculine tailoring for myself, but more girly tomboy. I will wear a skirt or dress. But with a boot or sneakers.

A lot of times, my dressing is intuitive. I will look in the mirror and play around until it looks right to me. I haven't followed any styling or color systems.

I found my style the same way. @BowieFan1971 introduced me to the Tim Gunn book as well, and I enjoyed it, but it basically confirmed what I'd already discovered from my own experimenting over the years.

I also think when people dress intuitively, you can clearly sense their style. I would have described the people in this discussion exactly as they did themselves, based on just a few posts I happen to have seen over the years. In the same way that I can tell the owner of the bag from the style of bag (like to me, @baghabitz34 has embellished/quilted/embroidered/studded bags more often than not- it's her twist). It feels like the style choices made are intuitive and authentic to each person, so their style is communicated to everyone else consistently and easily. It's almost a signature and it's awesome!
Whereas, when people are following rigid style 'rules', it is often just a cookie-cutter look that doesn't tell me anything about their personality.

The practice of guided meditation has really helped me.

Oh, if you have any recommendations of videos or sites here, please do share them. It was suggested to me by a therapist but I got angsty when I tried to follow along. Impatient and squirmy, somehow. Quite the opposite effect than the one we were hoping for. I'd love to try again but can't figure out where to start!

My first robins egg blue box!

Incredibly thoughtful of him! It's gorgeous and very much deserved!

 

[BowieFan1971]

I found my style the same way. @BowieFan1971 introduced me to the Tim Gunn book as well, and I enjoyed it, but it basically confirmed what I'd already discovered from my own experimenting over the years.

I also think when people dress intuitively, you can clearly sense their style. I would have described the people in this discussion exactly as they did themselves, based on just a few posts I happen to have seen over the years. In the same way that I can tell the owner of the bag from the style of bag (like to me, @baghabitz34 has embellished/quilted/embroidered/studded bags more often than not- it's her twist). It feels like the style choices made are intuitive and authentic to each person, so their style is communicated to everyone else consistently and easily. It's almost a signature and it's awesome!
Whereas, when people are following rigid style 'rules', it is often just a cookie-cutter look that doesn't tell me anything about their personality.

Oh, if you have any recommendations of videos or sites here, please do share them. It was suggested to me by a therapist but I got angsty when I tried to follow along. Impatient and squirmy, somehow. Quite the opposite effect than the one we were hoping for. I'd love to try again but can't figure out where to start!


Incredibly thoughtful of him! It's gorgeous and very much deserved!

Thank you! My ER band is infinity symbols, so he had inspiration.

 

[papertiger]

My DH surprised me with a just because/thank you for doing such a great job designing and overseeing the bathroom renovations gift. My first robins egg blue box! I had eyed one (preloved of course) for myself but did not get it. Sometimes he gets it very right!

View attachment 5769000

Beautiful, forever and ever

Your DH has such a keen eye for detail (like you). Great teamwork!

 

[baghabitz34]

For embellished week, I have rivets:

 

[baghabitz34]

And I have roses: