Style Shakeup

Every now and then we need a style shakeup.  Seasons change and fashion is always progressing.  It doesn't feel good to be in a rut; especially a fashion rut.  The thought seems daunting to have to revamp your wardrobe, but it doesn't have to be complicated.  Truly.  When I hear that someone wants a style shakeup, I tell them to take it slowly and make only a few changes at a time.  A style shakeup is a long distance run, not a sprint.  And it doesn't mean you have to rush out and purchase all new clothes, shoes, and accessories.  Often even a small change will result in a whole different look in the way you put together outfits.  Style is based on what what and how we perceive it and what we think we need.  Style has many different layers.  Personal style varies greatly from person to person and it should.  Wouldn't it be boring if we all work the same outfits?  For some personal style is fast and one knows exactly what she likes and wants to wear.  There are others, like myself, who had to experiment with different looks in order to arrive at a personal style.

Once I began experimenting with different looks, I easily knew what sort of style I favored.  My style is minimal and then when I want to shake it up, I add little pops of color.  Once you have a base style established, that's when I say you can experiment more.  Is most of your closet filled with monochromatic colors?  If so, then you can always add a bright accent color into the mix.  On a snowy winter day if you are dressed in head to toe grey and black, think about an accent color in winter white.  The light accent color will really make your look stand out.  In the summer, I tend to favor a bit more color for my personal style.  On a hot July day at home, you can find me in a pair of cutoff shorts and a colorful cotton blouse.  I find blouses the perfect way to add color to your wardrobe.  I'm very particular about my tops in the summer.  Just because a design is short sleeved doesn't mean it is cool.  I'm also choosy about the sort of cotton I like.  It's so cheap when you can see through a cotton blouse.  You shouldn't have to wear a camisole under a shirt.

For a good style shakeup, I recommend adding a new handbag to your arsenal.  With just one new purchase you can add a lot of spice to your wardrobe.  Handbags I consider a neutral territory.  You may choose a new handbag made of colorful leather and it's the perfect accent color, but it's not overbearing the way maybe a bright pink blazer would be.  There are so many different options when shopping designer luxury bags.  And now designers are creating bags in various sizes.  From micro to large, there is a handbag size for everyone. Don't ignore famous designer handbags during a style shakeup, they are invaluable because they are smaller than clothing, but they provide just enough change to make a difference.

Leather Handbags

I recently started thinking about the difference between fabric and leather handbags.  What started this brainstorm is I wondered how a fabric bag would fit into my life.  I’ve always owned mostly leather handbags because they seem the most practical.  You can’t lug your laptop and various essentials to work everyday in a fabric creation.  One, it wouldn’t protect your electronics.  Two, fabric handbags are usually lightweight and lose their shape easily.  The same with thin leather.  When you put things into a fabric bag or one made of thin leather you can see the outline of everything from the outside.  This doesn’t bother some people, but I don’t like it.  It looks saggy and sloppy from my perspective.

I do think a fabric handbag could make its way into my wardrobe as a clutch.  A small clutch bag in a heavy weight fabric would fit in well with many of my outfits and jewelry.  On a smaller scale, a fabric handbag can be a great fit.  And with clutches, you don’t really need a lot of interior room.  That’s the beauty of a clutch.  It’s small enough to hold in the palm of your hand or clutch under your arm, and it holds only a few select items.  Clutch bags are normally used for evenings such as dinner and cocktail parties.  However, I’m very partial to clutch bags during the day while I’m on holiday.  When I vacation in the Caribbean, I often use a clutch during the day.  I put a clutch in my large beach bag.  When I’m on the beach, I use the clutch to go back to my room or to go to the hotel and purchase drinks.  It perfectly holds my ID, money, and room key.  So if someone steals my beach bag, I have everything valuable with me in the clutch.  I plan to purchase a few fabric clutches in colorful prints.  They will be well used on my upcoming holiday by the sea.

For larger work bags, however, I do believe one should stick to leather.  I own several designer handbags and they are all crafted of the most amazing leather.  What’s great about leather handbags is they retain their shape much better than their fabric counterparts.  Leather handbags also look more polished and sophisticated.  If you are debating what sort of new handbag to buy, I would definitely lean more towards a leather bag.  I’ve owned several of my leather handbags for over twenty years.  They accompany me to work, shopping trips during the weekend, and even to multi-task as carry-on bags whilst traveling.  When I’m caught in the rain, I always know my leather handbags will hold up well.  Larger fabric handbags are not suitable for outdoor elements such as rain and snow.  Believe me, you do not want to be carrying a large fabric handbag while be pelted with rain.  Talk about a saggy mess.  And if you don’t use leather, there are many faux leather handbag options as well.  If you are starting to add more ultra-luxe designer handbags to your wardrobe, I high suggest you lean towards leather.  

The Long Haul: Youtube Handbag Reviews and Reveals

My latest addiction online is watching Youtube haul videos.  I've explained in a previous article all about haul videos.  If you didn't read it, a haul video is basically where a consumer talks about what they recently bought.  Many of these videos give you an insiders view into products such as handbags and makeup.  Most of these videos give you a close up look of the products and you can see details that often websites do not show.  For example, the vlogger will show an extreme close-up of a handbag's interior and small things such as pockets and the leather.  Vloggers often review their new products giving both positive and negative thoughts.  For instance if a sales clerk was rude to them during their shopping spree, vloggers will let you know.  Hopefully boutiques and department stores watch these videos to gain better knowledge of their products and how to treat customers.  Not only are these videos fun to watch, but they provide a wealth of insider information.  Usually vloggers review popular brands and products that everyone is dying to get their hands on.  Beauty and fashion vloggers are especially popular and their videos are often watched hundreds of thousands of times.

Why have these Youtube videos become so popular?  My theory is that consumers relate better to an honest review from someone they identify with.  For example if an editor at a famous fashion magazine talks about a product, chances are they receive a kick back.  However, that is changing in the online world as well.  Popular vloggers now receive a hefty payment for "reviewing" a product.  They receive the product and they also accept payment to discuss it with their followers.  But if you click around enough, you can still find vloggers that are honest in their reveals and reviews and many of them our normal consumers like ourselves and they do not receive payment for making their videos.  These are the Youtubers I prefer, the ones that do not receive any sort of compensation from companies.  They give really honest reviews and I thoroughly enjoy watching what they bought.  And I think other consumers are like me as well, they want to hear honestly what someone thinks of a product, because let's face it, who gives a negative review when they receive payment for said product?

Some of my favorite haul videos include handbags.  I'm a handbag addict and I love watching all of the many videos related to them.  The haul reveals really give you an insiders view about a new handbag on your wish list.  I've had one of the most amazing designer handbags on my radar for a while and yesterday I watched a handbag reveal video on Youtube.  It looked even better than I'd imagined.  The vlogger showed several close ups of the exterior, bottom, and interior.  I sort of wish I hadn't watched it as I now want this handbag even more.  In fact, I now want more than one of this brands designer handbags.  I can think this vlogger for fueling my handbag addiction.  Do you like to watch Youtube reviews?  Which ones are your favorites?

Moderate Luxury

The term luxury is thrown around quite a bit. Open any fashion glossy or business magazine and you can spot ‘luxury’ literally hundreds of times.  And not to take away the importance of the word, but it’s been used so much that it’s very watered down.  What does luxury even mean anymore?  Is it tangible or intangible?  For the sake of my industry and this particular article, we relate luxury to fashion in terms of tangible, lust worthy products.  Over the past few years especially, luxury has changed in the world of fashion.  But it still means something different to different people.

Many consumers believe luxury is all about a price tag.  The higher the price, then the product must be more luxurious.  However, that is not necessarily the case.  We have seen several examples of expensive handbags that cost over $2,000 are not well made and have shoddy craftsmanship.  Consumers from all generations are increasingly starting examine to see if a product is well made or if it’s cheap.  Not all shoppers are fooled by a high price tag.  They know that just because it’s expensive, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily worth it.  Because we live in the digital age, people can buy nearly anything they want from the comfort of their own home.  This equals the playing field for many so-called luxury brands.  It used to be that the shopper had to go to the brands boutique to buy the product, now they can simply view it with the click of a mouse.  The Internet in some ways is a great equalizer.   Products in every price range are available to purchase online.  You no longer have to worry about looking as if you fit in when you go to a store or boutique to buy something.

I believe luxury is a well crafted product that will last for many years to come.  I also believe that not all luxury products need to be priced astronomical amounts.  There is a term I do approve of called ‘moderate luxury.’  What is moderate luxury?  Moderate luxury are products that are very high quality, but don’t cost an arm and a leg.  It’s not budget luxury by any means; rather it’s fairly priced products that are luxurious.  One of the best brands that does moderate luxury is PLIA Designs.  PLIA Designs creates a range of luxury designer handbags and carryalls.  Their handbags are absolutely amazing and there is great craftsmanship that backs them up.  What’s best about a PLIA Designs handbag is that they are well priced below the $1,000 mark.  Also, not everyone is carrying them because they are constantly sold out.  It’s an exclusive range, but moderately priced for a luxury design firm.  When I carry one of my PLIA Designs handbags, I’m often stopped and asked its origins.  I love pointing them to their website.  These are luxury handbags that are beautifully created and will be a part of my wardrobe for a very long time.  I can get behind moderate luxury if its products look like this.