Orange is the New Black

I've been working pretty hard lately which, as I'm sure I've harped on about a lot, leaves little time for things like sewing. Moreover, the weather just went supernova, bat shit, freakin' gorgeous. (No, one absolutely cannot count on it in May, but I'll take what I can get). The combo of delicious outdoor time and little other time has made for quite a shop-y Krissie.

In truth, I have a rationale. In truth, I always have a rationale, as should we all, so let's just pat ourselves on the back and get to the (regrettably mediocre) photos. Cuz I'm not spending time inside with a camera when I could be on every patio within a 3-block radius drinking Cava:

Fossil Preston Crossbody Monarch - $178 CDN

See this adorable expansion feature which I love on any bag? So good for when you need to put an umbrella in there...

Alas, this photo doesn't give you a true sense of the colour, but it shows the proportions.

The orange colour has been discontinued in this style, which shocks me because orange is the perfect neutral, in my books. Seriously, it goes with everything and it tells people that you have personality. Plus it's cheerful. I'm wearing this today with a pink/brown/orange tropical floral print dress (handmade years ago but I can't be bothered to link to it right now) and it looks terrific.

But back to the rationale... Y'all know I cannot carry around a large bag any longer. (Brief aside: You shouldn't be either. Eventually, it's bound to lead to pain, especially if you walk long distances...) But the mini-bag I purchased in the fall was just all kinds of "wrong shape" and slightly too small. I mean, you have to recognize that the bare minimum needs to come with you everyday. What I discovered, when I transferred all of the things I was carrying in my oddly rectangular Rudsak bag (and I must carry them), was that they all fit just beautifully in a square shape (10x10). Not to mention that the expandable zipper feature on the Preston is all kinds of genius, if not novel. I never seem to find a bag I like with this feature, however, so this is a lucky state of affairs.

What do I carry (in case you wonder)? Glasses case with either sun or regular glasses contained within. (Non-negotiable and my sunnies are absurdly large so this case is big.) Credit card holder. A bit of cash (not in wallet), subway token holder (size and shape of a business card), keys, work ID, wireless headphones and iPhone, lipstick, lipbalm. Yeah, that's it. You'd be amazed to find how difficult it is to fit this in a small bag.

I've never owned a Fossil bag before. I'd actually never heard of Fossil till I ran into the shop on Bloor Street the other day. I'm really not a "bag person" and I tend to stick to Roots, M0851 and Rudsak on the rare occasion when I do add to my little collection. But the brand seems to be of quality and the leather on this orange one is like butter. Totally gorgeous. Small complaint: I hate the name which, for some reason reminds me of Diesel (so not my scene). Could they not have come up with something prettier? As it happens, the store didn't have the orange colourway in stock, so I ended up buying it at the Bay (also so not my scene but if you've gone to the upgraded, Sak's-funded one on Queen Street it's looking pretty awesome-American). The Bay was having a Mother's Day sale and I convinced the SA to give me an extra 5% which saved me 20% in total. Not bad (and I wouldn't have got this discount at the flagship store).

So, that's my weekend treat - very practical AND affordable. Thoughts?

Clutching

If you need a gorgeous, lady, spring bag you must buy this one:

And then, please show us a photo of how terrific you look wearing it with your click-y stacked heel, Italian leather to-the-knee boots and lemon yellow sheath.

All Wrapped Up

In case you're in the market for a new bag - this one's on Laws of General Economy now...

Don't you deserve a lovely green bag for November??

On the Hunt

Thanks to fashionambition for introducing me to Susannah Hunter's insanely beautiful handiwork. If you happen to have £770 burning a hole in your pocket, pls. go purchase this bag and post about it to make me sick with jealousy...

Susannah Hunter Shopper, handmade leather bag, silver fittings, velvet lining, inside pocket

This One Seems to be Popular

For those of you who expressed a fondness for my Hobo grey clutch, here are a few details (and a pic which highlights the delicious lining)

• It's too small to fit much other than some money, a bit of makeup and a pair of sunglasses. I did carry a very small umbrella but the poor bag looked like an overstuffed boa constrictor.



• It was originally $200.00 at Girl Friday on College Street. I got it on final sale for $100.00.



• It manages to be rugged and rocker chic with an elegant kick at the back end.
  
  
• The handle folds in, by design, so the bag can be a streamlined classic clutch or a (sensible) handle bag.

In the Bag

I know, I've been promising to show you a few pieces in my (moving towards unwieldy) purse collection. In a recent post I spoke a little bit about my bag philosophy but here's the expanded rationale:

I'm very into vintage because I can find splendidly constructed pieces, which have obviously stood the test of time, for a fraction of the (seemingly ever increasing) average gorgeous bag price. I also appreciate the uniqueness of the vintage bag and that I'm possibly purchasing the original look and not the homage to the original look. Note: I do recognize that homages are often great modern riffs on tried and true design and that sometimes they even trump the first iteration (gasp).

I'm also into shopping in interesting - read: slightly grungy, colourful - neighbourhoods and boutiques (TO area readers, I'm referring to Kensington Market) for great deals on excellent, admittedly cheaply designed, merch that will not stand the test of time and will disintegrate hideously (but will garner lots of positive commentary until that time). Some of my happiest purchases have been on plastic-designed-to-look-like-leather bags in zany colours and shapes. The average pricepoint of these goods is $40.00 and I am delighted to say I can usually haggle the tax off, at very least. (For those of you horrified by or questioning of my propensity for the deal / bargain / haggle, pls. know that I am always respectful of vendors and I do it in the spirit of the thrill of the chase.)

I'm more inspired by shape than material, though beautiful leather or suede is always a thrill.

I carry around a crap-load of stuff and walk an average of 4 miles a day so the bag has to be a) big enough to carry everything I can't do without and b) small enough to be manageable while trekking through snow, beating hot sun, rain and the other elements that challenge the urban walker. Of course, different days warrant different sized/shaped bags.

I do enjoy buying Canadian goods, when possible, because I believe in supporting my own economy. (Don't worry, I believe in supporting everybody else's too.)

I'm not so comfortable spending more than $300.00 (and this would be at the very outside) because I don't have so much disposable income that this wouldn't eat into spending on all the other items I can't live without (not to mention the food, shelter, childcare part of the equation). On this topic, Enc has a great poll on bags happening right now (it's been amended to reflect additional pricepoint options) so definitely check it out...

For the lady who lunches:

Hobo Leather Clutch, Handle folds into the bag

For the Disco-era lady who lunches:
Vintage clutch with detachable strap

For the pseudo-academic, bulk-carrying hipster:

Vintage Leather/Skin Clutch

For the would-be Montrealer (oohlala chic plastique):

No name brand from Simons, rue Ste. Catherines

For the Torontonian:

Club Monaco

For the fearless wearer of unwearable colours:

Kensington Market Thrift Find (People, this is so far from leather...)

For the intrepid weekend errand-running girl (hands-free

M0851 - The strap lengthens enough to use across the body, over the shoulder or around the waist...