What 2 Wear When...: Longchamp

Showing posts with label Longchamp. Show all posts

Monday, September 22, 2014

...you want a fun and functional overnight bag.

Here's a great question we got from a reader this week:

"I'm looking for a new overnight bag - not a mini-suitcase but more of a duffel type bag - nice enough to bring on work trips."

Clearly, the L.L. Bean canvas bag is not going to do. When I travel, I have a bag for just about every contingency. For a long, 10-day European, souvenir-heavy trip, we bring what's affectionally called "the body bags" that would hold a small child. For a 5 days or under, out comes the large-wheeled Samonsite. For a 3 or so days in the New York when I might be traveling by train, enter the small-wheeled Tumi. For one or two days, when I travel exceedingly light - my husband would raise an eyebrow to "light" - I turn to my trusty Longchamp La Pliage. It's lightweight, folds up, and holds a bundle.

Reader, consider this when choosing a bag:

Nylon is lighter. If I'm not wheeling, then I want something that doesn't add weight. Nylon with leather trim fits the bill. If weight isn't a concern, then all leather is a luxurious choice.
Shoulder Strap. Preferably detachable so I can sling it over my shoulder or remove and carry as a satchel.
Outside pockets. Makes compartmentalizing so easy and keeps tickets, lip balm, etc. within easy reach. A huge plus if you're cramped in the window seat and your bag is under the seat.
Since the bag will be heavily used for business travel, I'd recommend sticking with trusted brands known for luggage and travel gear.

We are looking for something a littler more stylish and substantial for business trips. Tumi and travel are synonymous. The Tumi Dublin Weekender, Everett Essential Tote, and the Cortina Boarding Tote are all pretty spiffy. I'm loving the outside pockets and detachable shoulder strap. Black is expected but consider another neutral color, like Gray or Garnet, to add pop to what will certainly be a dark outfit.

Images from tumi.com.

From Longchamp, the Baxinyl is a true duffle with yummy leather trim.

Image from us.longchamp.com.

Come hither you gorgeous, all-leather Cavalier, also from Longchamp.

Image from us.longchamp.com.

Perhaps one of the best known and trusted brands known for luggage and travel gear is Hartman. Hartman's Winged Weekender is an elegant choice. The two-toned leather is a classic that will go with any outfit.

Image from bloomingdales.com.

Finally, Bric's Bojola Duffle is dreamy. It comes in a rainbow of colors and while the winter white is not the most practical, it is simply divine.

Image from bloomingdales.com.

We hope that helps! Now, time to plot the next weekend trip! ~ LB

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Holiday 2012: Gift Guide

One of my friends asked if we could share some ideas for gifts as the holiday season approaches. Gifts for ladies (sisters, aunts, cousins, friends) in the form of accessories and other fun finds. We love giving (and receiving!) and were happy to assemble this list. Maybe we can get a little holiday shopping done at the same time. :-) By price-point, these are some of our favorite finds this season! Happy shopping!

Under $50

I found this first gift item in J.Crew while standing in line to check out. I almost bought several just to have gifts 'in case'. My iPhone gets drained regularly, so what girl wouldn't LOVE to have a back-up battery in her purse/tote? Love the prints and colors, especially this cheetah. At $39.50, it's a great gift!

Image from jcrew.com.

This set of 3 gold bangles is another great find at J.Crew. For $39.50, it's totally useful gift which I have given before. Every girl needs these in their jewelry drawer.

Image from jcrew.com.

Another fun gift I've given to others (and to myself) are these fun Farmer's Market Baskets from Anthropologie, priced at $14.00. I have several on my counter holding shallots and garlic and a bigger one ($20 each) holding avocados. These are the smaller ones pictured below.

Image from anthropologie.com.

Pinkberry yogurt is one of my latest addictions. Seriously, sometimes we make late-night Pinkberry runs for small cups of chocolate hazelnut swirled with peanut butter (with dark chocolate crunchies on top). Yum. If you have a friend near or far with their own Pinkberry nearby, why not send a gift of swirly goodness?! From Pinkberry.com, you can both purchase e-gifts to be emailed, or have gift cards sent. Brilliant! In amounts as low as $5, send a friend a tasty treat.

Image from pinkberry.com.

One of my favorite online stops is The Stationery Studio. They have everything under the sun that's paper, from personalized cocktail napkins to party invitations. I was recently trolling for gifts, and clicked on their 'Colorful Notepads' section under stationery. For around $30, you can get sets of really lovely, personalized pads. And who can't use more fun paper for mundane things like grocery lists?!

Images from thestationerystudio.com.

Under $100

I have loved these earrings for a while and they are still on my mind. I'm not normally enamored with logo earrings, but these by Tory Burch are classically lovely while giving a little twist on a stud earring. They come in silver, gunmetal, or gold. At $68, they make a present that I would like to receive. (The smaller logo earrings are $58.)

Image from nordstrom.com.

Every girl/lady needs updated cosmetic bags. Lisa and I have always loved the cosmetic bags by Henri Bendel; they come in several sizes and keep going and going regardless of the abuse. Between $48 and $132, they make great gifts, either one large one or a couple smaller ones. In my purse right now, I am using 2 of them. You can go with the classic brown and white stripe, or the current print, which is entitled 'NY Minute'.

Images from henribendel.com.

Who doesn't love a personalized gift? If you have the time (20 day production time plus shipping time, so order soon!), iomoi.com has the best iPhone covers for $68. Personalize using either a monogram or name (depending on the design) and impress your girlfriends or sister-in-law. There are 60 different designs from which to choose! Be sure to know which iPhone version your recipient has before ordering.

Image from iomoi.com.

A friend convinced me that I needed one of these and after I bought one, I had no idea how I lived with out it. Every lady should have a substantial wrap in their closet and this one by Nordstrom is $98 and comes in 9 colors. While mine is a basic black, you can flirt with 'sandshell' or 'pine bark', as pictured below.

Lisa mentioned these jackets a few posts back. Uniqlo puffer jackets are on trend, lightweight, and completely affordable at $69.90. They arrive in little carry pouches, so the gift recipient will never know what's inside until they open it. So fun!

Images from uniqlo.com.

Under $200

I have been searching around for a golf cuff bracelet for myself, but one that's a little less 'Wonder Woman'. I found this Kendra Scott one at Neiman Marcus. For $150, it's a good price-point and lovely, timeless piece. I can see this on any lady wearing a sleeveless sheath dress or silk top.

Image from neimanmarcus.com.

If you know your recipient well, why not customize a Longchamp Le Pliage bag for her? With a 3 week lead time, you can choose the bag size you want, the handle length (hand or shoulder), the colors (endless combinations), hardware color (golden, nickel or bronze) and any monogramming you want. Lisa and I travel with the largest bag as our 'carry on' bag all the time. I tried designing the largest bag and added initial embossing on the leather; my total bill was $192.50.

Image from longchamp.com.

For a great evening bag (or day shopping!), the Rebecca Minkoff Mini M.A.C. Shoulder bag would be a welcome addition under my tree! The $195 price puts you right under the $200 mark, and on Nordstrom.com, it comes in about 8 colors. I love how you can wear it cross-body, keeping your hands free at holiday parties in the future. (I kind of love the grey!)

Images from nordstrom.com.

Fantasy gifts

Lisa's top gift desire this year is a (HINT HINT) Vitamix blender. Lisa 'juices' regularly and would love the treat of this blender which apparently purees anything in it to pure liquid - no lumps and bumps. Honestly, it would be a great gift for anyone that blends regularly. The Classic starts at $449, with the professional at $529. Not a gift for your friend down the street, but one that you might want to leave clues for about the house. Just saying.

Images from vitamix.com.

If a very serious gift is to be given, then a classic Chanel Reissue 2.55 bag is at the top of my list of fantasy gifts. Oh, wait, is this about giving and not receiving?! Any lady would love to have one of these in her closet. I'm a fan of the 2.55, but in the original, Reissue, version. Coming in 3 sizes, the Reissue has the original Chanel clasp (no CC lock), chain shoulder strap (no leather entwined), and all the lovely details that Coco put into this bag (like the zippered compartment on the inside of the front flap where Coco put her love letters). A classic now and forever; a forever gift. Priceless (but really in the thousands, depending on size).

Image from myfashionjuice.com.

Whatever your holiday gift-giving needs, we hope this has helped! Happy elf-ing! ~ LB & JH

Monday, June 25, 2012

...you want a hands-free bag for summer.

One of our readers asked us this question:

"I headed to the Museum of Science today - the perfect escape from the heat and the summer crowds weren't there yet! I grabbed a trusty Coach backpack I've had for years and realized I didn't like the styling or size at all anymore. For one, now that my kids are older, I don't need to carry as much. I ended up grabbing my pre-teen's cross-body purse (or mini-messenger bag, not quite sure what to call it). Although the size and wear of the purse was great I knew it looked lousy. Any advise for small, hands-free bags/purses when running around with a family this summer?"

We always love a hunt! Here are a couple of things we gravitate towards when looking for a hands-free bag.

I think number one on the list has to be the Longchamp Pliage backpack. Lightweight, not too big, folds into a square for packing, and somewhat water-proof, comes in a rainbow of colors (visit a Longchamp store for the largest selection; in Boston, it's on Newbury Street) it's a great option for summer museum trips or mini-golf. It's a classic that will never go out of style, and at $118, not a huge investment. (Hint! Summer colors are on sale at $97 at Longchamp stores and online right now!)

Image from bloomingdales.com.

If you are looking for leather, I really like the look of the Marketplace Day Bag from Madewell. The english tan color is so versatile and the cross-body look is in. It's $168, but it's something I'd watch to go on sale. And, it has a TASSEL! (You know how we go nuts for tassels!)

Images from madewell.com.

If you want more of an investment bag, the Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q - Hillier Hobo bag is it. At $428, it's one you'll have to fall in love with, but the super soft leather and hidden magnetic closure make it stylish and easy to carry. Comes in several colors (and sold in many places), so you can go neutral or get that pop of color you might be looking for.

Images from nordstrom.com.

Let's go back in time to the late 70s and early 80s to LeSportsac! They are still around, and some of their designs are fun, affordable, and completely wearable for summer. (Lisa has one that she uses on serious shopping trips.) I found a large selection on Zappos (free shipping!) and some of their neutral cross-body bags are just what we're looking for! This Shellie Crossbody is $42.

Image from zappos.com.

If you are looking for more of a tote, Lisa found this neat one on Piperlime. By KDNY by Kelsi Dagger, the Jaycee Dome Tote can be both hand-held and over the shoulder. At $95, it looks like a good deal.

Image from piperlime.com.

Finally, one more cross-body bag from Lisa. Love the lines of this 'saddlebag' by Lauren by Ralph Lauren. Hands free, and neutral to go with everything!

Images from piperlime.com.

Hope that helps solve the hands-free problem. You are now free to move around the museum! ~ LB & JH

Thursday, June 7, 2012

...you have a dinner right after attending kids' sports games.

This is a problem that was brought up to me at a 3rd grade girls' softball game. One of the moms was saying how she was heading directly to a dinner from the game, and had a tough time coming up with what to wear for both sitting in a field AND dining at a nice restaurant immediately after. (Personally, I thought she did a fine job in picking her outfit.) If you are like me, you want to look cute for both occasions but also appropriately dressed.

If you have the right items in your closet, this shouldn't be too difficult. Here are a couple of key ingredients you should have to pull this off.

Ingredient number 1, a chair. Whatever you choose to wear, you shouldn't be dependent on a picnic table or bench. It might be wet, covered in pollen, and you should sit on something clean. Please invest $11.99 in one of these.

Image from dickssporttinggoods.com.

Ingredient number 2, pants. I think it's important to have long pants on for this scenario, either jeans or trousers, if the weather permits. They will protect you from bugs and therefore you can avoid the 'eau de Off' smell later at dinner. Jeans are fine if appropriate at the restaurant. If you need to be dressier, I recommend looking into a darker-colored ponte knit pant. This type of pant will not wrinkle and is completely comfortable to hang around in. Either my $75 pair of Michael Kors pants will do, or these Tibi ones look great.

Image from tibi.com.

I like the idea of the pants being a little cropped too and here's why - you shouldn't wear your 'dinner shoes' to the field. Stick on a pair of ballet flats, sneakers, or rain shoes if you need to for trekking across a field, and have your 'dinner shoes' in the car for after the game. A pant that is hemmed for heels is too tricky to wear for the game, so pass on those.

Ingredient number 3, layers. On top, you'll have to layer a bit, again depending on the weather. Start off with a top that doesn't wrinkle too much. Silk jersey is good for this, and a poly/cotton blend will be the most resistant to wrinkles. Something that you are excited to wear for dinner. Diane von Furstenberg makes great tops for dining out, and this would look great with cropped, black pants.

Image from bloomingdales.com.

If it's cooler out, layer on a cute jacket or trench. Again, this jacket doesn't have to be for dinner; you can ditch it in the car (along with your 'game shoes') on the way to the restaurant. Jackets can range from cute 'activewear' jackets like this North Face one...

Image from nordstrom.com.

...to a classic shortertrench, like this one from Comptoir des Cotonniers.

Image from comptoirdescotonniers.com.

Ingredient number 4, the secret weapons in your car. In addition to your shoes and jacket that will need to be changed, these items should be in your car for the 'transformation' en route to dinner:

Change of shoes.
Change of outerwear to a blazer, if needed.
Clutch - move essentials from purse to clutch.
Change of jewelry - add necklace, stacked bracelets, and/or earrings.
Perfume sample - a spritz will do wonders
Lipstick or gloss, and any other makeup you'd want to apply to freshen up. I usually just powder my face to get rid of shine and reapply lip gloss.

And voila, you are ready to see and be seen. I put together another 'set' on Polyvore (yes, I'm addicted, can you tell?!) showing both 'at game' and 'at dinner' looks using the same base items. Hope it inspires, and please keep the questions coming. We love it. ~ JH