CartArchive for December, 2007
Friday, December 28th, 2007
Petite Ladies Fear Not
I admit that sometimes when looking at the RIONI lines and collections, I feel as if there is not much variety or choice for petite women (like me for instance) or women who prefer to carry smaller bags in general. I always prefer a bag that will fit my stature and not overwhelm me in general. I remember an instance when I was carry a very large tote just because I needed a lot of things that day, and I would always get comments like, “man, that bag is bigger than you!” or “that bag looks like you can fit inside it.”
So, all petite ladies out there, and those who just love RIONI and what small bags have to offer, I have done the research for you and here are my top picks.
5. RIONI Aristo Mocha The Sweetheart Satchel
This is one of the smartest looking bags that I’ve seen. It’s available in three colors: Mocha, Aristo Brown, and Signature Brown. I prefer the mocha for this trendy bag because it gives you that unique touch to an already smart bag. However, if you want to aim for the sophisticated business woman then I recommend getting it in Signature brown. This bag has double handles with a front magnetic opening. The inside is separated into three compartments for easy organization. This bag in mocha retails for $156.
4. RIONI Heritage Shoulder Tote
I highly recommend this bag for those who love totes. I think this is a great size, and everyone can agree that the tote is one of the most useful and classic type of bags. I promise this tote won’t attract those snide comments about your bag about to eat you. This bag fits a lot of your everyday necessities plus more. It has double straps with a top zip closure that opens to a center zipper divider that creates two separate compartments. This is the one line that is made of 100% woven jacquard. This tote retails for $150.
3. RIONI Aristo Brown Top Zip Shoulder Bag
Another favorite of mine is this top zip shoulder bag. I’m just in love with its size! This bag comes in three colors: Aristo Brown, Aristo Signature, and Aristo Black. I think they’re all fabulous! This is actually one of the lighter bags, with a simple top zip opening and leather trimmed. This bag retails for $96.
2. RIONI Signature Shoulder Fender
This is definitely one of the smallest out of the six, but you can still fit all your everyday necessities into it and still have a cute little bag to show for it. This is a classic bag that is perfect for a special occasion or for the practical business woman. It comes in Signature brown and Aristo brown. It has a detachable handle with a top zip opening. This bag retails for $78.
1. RIONI Amour Small Hobo
This bag ties with another for number one. I absolutely love this bag! It is the softest leather I have ever felt, and on top it’s a hobo, which means it fits plenty in a great and comfortable shape. It has a braided leather strap supported by a gold ring on both sides. The top zip opens to a gorgeous black interior that feels just as soft as the outside. Ladies I cannot say enough great things about this bag! It retails for $186.
1. RIONI Signature Small Boston Bag
This bag is the one I’m carrying now, and it’s a great fit. I’m able to fit plenty of things, plus room to spare. The biggest plus is that it doesn’t look like I’m overwhelmed by my own bag. It is a timeless bag, so years from now, it can still be considered an “in” bag. It’s a handle bag with a top zip opening and magnetic side pockets. It comes in Aristo Brown and Aristo Black as well as in a larger size if this specific bag is YOUR perfect fit. This bag retails for $153.
Wednesday, December 26th, 2007
“Get my uh… Get my… umm… Nevermind I’ll get it!”
If you’re like most people you probably don’t know what your handbag is called. So which is it? A clutch, a hobo, or a tote? Many people do not know the difference and end up just saying something along the lines of “that bag” or “my purse”. If you are guilty of this, don’t worry. Here is the unspoken handbag naming guide:
First off, it depends what part of the English speaking world you are from. In American English, a purse is usually a small bag, also called a handbag or a pocketbook.
In British English, a purse is usually a small money container similar to a wallet, but typically used by women and including a compartment for coins, with a handbag being considerably larger.
A Coin purse is usually a small purses, just large enough to hold money and cards.
A clutch is usually a medium-to-small-sized purse with a short handle, designed to be carried (clutched) in one’s hand. However in British English it usually means a small evening bag without a handle.
A Tote is usually a medium-to-large-sized purse with two handles or straps.
A pocketbook is similar to a purse (in the British English sense), but allows the carrying of sheets of paper as well.
A Satchel is usually a large bag with small handle that is carried on the arm rather than on the shoulder.
A Duffle is usally a large bag usually used for travel or sports.
A Messenger bag is usually A bag with a long strap to be worn across the body.
A Hobo is usually a single short handle or strap bag.
Saturday, December 22nd, 2007
Handbag History 101
Interestingly enough, handbags were first made and worn by males as early as 480 BC. So the next time you decide to go window shopping with your man, try dressing him up with a bag and as he begins to lecture you about his masculinity, impress him with your newfound knowledge. This probably won’t convince him to go with you to Saks for a handbag shopping spree, but it might make him a tad bit more open-minded. Anyhow, I’m going to start talking about the history of handbags; beginning with the ancient times and concluding with modern handbags.
Handbag making started as early as the 16th century. At the time, handbags were made out of cloth and leather. During this era, travelers usually carried large cloth handbags which were worn across the body (today this type of bag is called a messenger bag). It was not until a whole century later that handbags became a fashionable necessity. Both men and women wore purses which were eloquently stitched and embroidered. As a matter of fact, women that were able to embroider and stitch were considered to have a higher social marital value (in this day and age it’s more about how much Botox we can inject into our cheeks). Then came the 1900s; handbags began developing a personality!
By the 18th century, handbags became extremely fashionable items to wear. Women started to carry different handbags (known as reticules at the time being) depending on their outfits or the occasion. Ladies would carry their face powder, fan, rogue, scent bottle, visiting cards, a card case, and smelling salts in their stylish reticules. What about the men? Actually, the term, “handbag,” was used for the large luggage bags men carried while travelling. Before we knew it, reticules were upgraded and transformed with internal compartments, complicated fasteners, and locks giving birth to women’s handbags. This era’s handbag revolution continued to succeed on to yet another century in our world of popular fashion.
Till this day, handbag fashion continues to be a luxurious necessity. While some ladies leave their bags in its proper storage pouches, others replace their week-old bags for more freshly designed purses. So what if your man doesn’t appreciate your handbag fetish? Let me let you in on a little secret, within the next two years, your man will probably be asking for your opinion–“Does this Jimmy Choo handbag make me look fat?”
Tuesday, December 18th, 2007
Looking for the Perfect Travel Companion?
One of the most common questions I hear everyone ask (especially during the holiday season) is “Which luggage should I take?” Everyone is faced with the question, which piece should I check in at the airport, which piece will they allow me as a carry on, which one is easy to carry?
Many times I just say to people a lot of your traveling necessities are based on everyone’s own preference. Some like the larger luggages so that they can take most of their house with them, and others like my friends like to travel light…one check in luggage, or just a simple carry on piece for the weekend away.
Having seen many different inventions in the travel luggage department, I would say one of my favorite that gets a five out of five for convenience, easy to use, and durability would be the small RIONI Duffel Roller in the Signature Collection. It’s small enough to take on as a carry on, yet big enough to hold my clothes for at least a weekend. This way, when I take a weekend trip to Santa Barbara, whether it be by train, airplane, or car, I know I won’t have to worry about lugging around a big travel piece. The best thing of all is that it’s a duffel roller. Come on ladies…we all know we like to carry pairs and pairs of shoes with us (and I’m no exception…I love my shoes!) and they can get heavy. Being able to roll everything where we need to go just makes life a little easier.
The great thing about this RIONI duffel roller is that in comes in a larger size (unfortunately that one can’t be taken on some airlines as a carry-on) both in the Signature Collection and in the Aristo Brown Collection. The small duffel in the Signature Collection retails for $300.
Let me know what you think about this duffel roller or any travel piece that you think is perfect for the holidays.
Saturday, December 15th, 2007
Top 10 ways to recognize a quality handbag
Hey everybody, it’s Jen again! I know I left my viewers in anticipation in my last post. But, today is a new day and a new day comes for a new topic. Today I am going to talk about quality handbags…
Many handbag companies inform their consumers that their handbags are finely constructed. The word, “quality,” is commonly used to describe this marketing schematic to the point where it has now become a cliché. But, what is the true definition of a “well constructed” handbag? With my experience and knowledge in handbag making throughout the years, I have to admit that Rioni handbags are well constructed (please note that this is not a bias interpretation). Viewers behold, the top ten ways to distinguish a great handbag from a not so great bag purchased at your local swap meet.
10 – Smell. I repeat, please do not smell a handbag to determine whether a handbag is made using genuine leather. A true leather enthusiast understands that there are many classes of leathers (ranging from very cheap leathers to extremely pricey leathers). The first thing we learn in “Leather 101” is that it is quite easy for manufactures to spray their handbags with an artificial leather fragrance. So, after a long day of sniffing leather, don’t be surprised that you may feel a bit wheezy.
09 – Price. Many times the price of a handbag may be misleading. Many popular designer name brand handbags are marked up for marketing purposes. I have seen replica Gucci handbags that were crafted better than authentic Gucci handbags. But, the majority of pricey handbags are pretty well constructed.
08 – Feet. Having feet on a handbag, a common misconception, can be recognized as a subtle sign of quality. The feet are usually metal pieces on the bottom of a handbag. They are used to ensure that the handbag rests on the metal pieces rather than on the bottom surface of the bag itself. Not all handbags are meant to have feet, but most handbags should have them.
07 – Compartments. A lot of handbag manufactures try to save on costs by removing useful compartments and pockets. The more pockets, zippers, pouches, or compartments a handbag has, the more troublesome and costly it is for handbag manufactures to produce.
06 – Edges. The edges of a handbag may seem minute; however, it is a definite sign of quality. The edges of the leather or canvas on many handbags are lined with special glue. The special glue is usually darker in color compared to the leather or canvas itself. Companies such as Dooney and Bourke, Coach, Gucci, and Christian Dior usually use a darker brown colored glue to seal the edges of their handbags. On the other hand, many Louis Vuitton and Rioni handbags use a special red adhesive. The difference is the red adhesive will not peel or rip over time; simply meaning that Louis Vuitton and Rioni handbags usually hold up for longer periods of time.
05 – Lining. The lining in many quality designer handbags consist of their company’s monogram print. You may check this by simply opening a handbag and looking at the fabric lining. Don’t get me wrong, some extremely expensive handbags are not lined with a monogrammed fabric. However, it is likely that if a handbag has a monogram print lining, it may be at least considered a decent handbag.
04 – Stitching. The stitching on a handbag is a pretty important detail for distinguishing a great handbag from a mediocre handbag. When dealing with leather handbags, it is important that you do not see double stitching along the contours of any leather handbags. The reason being, double-stitching can cause the leather to weaken; therefore, shortening the life of the handbag.
03 – Hardware. The hardware on a handbag is usually constructed using metal. By simply analyzing the hardware on a handbag one can tell whether a handbag is of top quality or should be donated to your local Salvation Army. Top Designer Handbag companies have better machinery in their factories; therefore, their hardware molds are more frequently replaced or newly purchased. One may ask; how would I know if the handbag I just bought at Saks Fifth Avenue was constructed using an antique machine? Well, one way to tell is by looking at the clarity of the cuts in the hardware. The edges of the metal buckles, the print on the metals, the engraving of the company’s logo are all basic indications of whether the company used newer machinery to produce the handbag.
02 – Leather Color. There are so many classes of leathers—ranging from rare exotic leathers costing thousands to cheap leathers found at the dollar store. There is a type of leather known as “white vegetable tanning leather” (an expensive and rare find) that will actually change color over time. This type of leather has natural dyes embedded in its surface and over time will actually richen in color. Don’t believe me? Try going to your nearest Rioni or Louis Vuitton store and checkout their Signature collections.
01 – Warranty. The bag will hold up for years to come. Many designer handbag companies have a quality warranty and guarantee associated with their products. Well known brands such as: Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dooney and Bourke, Rioni, Coach, Prada are all considered reputable quality handbag brands.
Well, that sums it up; let me know if you have any questions regarding my post. I hope I have educated our viewers to become better handbag shoppers.
Friday, December 7th, 2007
My Top 5 Leather Care products for Handbags
Top 5 Leather Care Products
5. Pinnacle Leather and Vinyl Cleaner
4. Connolly Hide Care Leather Kit
3. Wolfgang Leather Care
2. Lexol Leather Cleaner & Conditioner
1. Apple Polishes Leather Cleaner
Pinnacle Leather and Viynl Cleaner has made a great name in Automotive leather care, they provide excellent results with and like all of the cleaners i listed it does not contain any oils that may be damaging when exposed to UV rays.
Connolly Hide Care Leather Kit has been used by many professionals in either the automotive industry and shoe industry. “It just works!” plain and simple.
Wolfgang Leather Care comes neatly packaged, If you can get past the fact that it is not from the same makers of the Pizza. Your bag will definitely not smell like pizza.
Lexol which is actually my favorite because i can readily find it at most stores even Wal-Mart. It uses a clear solution so it does not discolor or stain the leather in anyway.
If you can get your hands on some Apple Polishes i believe it to be the best cleaner there is, it’s a very light and non abrasive cleaner that will not damage any leather. Well known in the shoe industry.
