Archive for March, 2008

Friday, March 14th, 2008

A SIGN OF STATUS?

Louie Vuitton, Prada, Chanel, Christian Dior, Dooney & Burke, RIONI. What do they all have in common?

I’m sure a lot of people have heard of these designer names—what comes to my mind first though: MONEY MONEY MONEY. But why are they so expensive in the first place?  I think it’s the quality and that’s why they have been successful with their name brands. We were told not to care too much about what others think of us, but we all know people notice people and with that, they notice the lifestyle you can afford.  Most who can afford the luxury of these designers are thought to be materialistic, but if they have the capital, why not flaunt it?  They must have a nice little income and are just a tad bit more successful than the average nine-to-five Joe (or Jane).  They’re not always snobs or Daddy’s little Princesses—they probably worked hard for there status and enjoy treating themselves with a nice handbag.  The name brands do, however, help with status sometimes, but it doesn’t necessarily get people to believe in their appropriate status.  It’s an accessory to their fashion but also to their lifestyle.  Besides, a little “OOh that’s pretty!” sure does help one get through the daily grind! 

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008

Complimentary Rather than Matching

Sometimes while I walk down the street, go shopping at the local mall, or just out for dinner, I noticed that some women just go overboard with this matching stuff. Everything needs to match! I think it’s at a point of overkill. Come on now ladies, is it really necessary to match your eye shadow with your blouse, with your handbag, and your nail polish? And that’s not the worse of it! Oh, there are ladies out there that need to match with their shoes and accessories as well.

I’m sure some of us out there might think its “cool” to have everything matching, well isn’t that the trend? No! I think it’s a good idea to have some limitations. I know we’re all of heard of the saying “Less is more.” Of course there are exceptions to all this matching stuff for special occasions such as weddings.

So what do I think is a good idea? Aim for complimentary colors rather than matching everything to be the same. It may sound like a hassle to do so, but if you think about it, isn’t matching everything to its exact color just as much of a hassle if not more so?

If you love to wear bright colors and nail polish, then some good advice is to wear bright color nail polish on your toes instead of on your hand. You can opt for a clear polish or a simple French manicure for your hand. This way if you wear a bright colored suit or dress to work it won’t be overwhelmed by your nails. Then if you go out for the weekend, simply wear a pair of open toed shoes to sport your flashy toes.

If you wear a bright color suit with the top and bottoms matching, then go for a more neutral colored shoes and handbag such as black, white, or beige with limited amounts of jewelry. If you wear a bright top you can match it with lighter bottoms such as white. If you wear a darker top you can match the bottoms with black or grey.

If you have fabulous shoes and or a bag that just stands out, then you want to wear something that is more toned down to draw attention to your shoes or bag.

Exceptions

The reasonable exceptions I can think of are matching designer wear and special occasions such as weddings. Designers tend to make things that really complement each other rather than create overkill. The reason for this is placement of logo and color. Take example Coach. Coach makes shoes, however the “C”s are not that distinctively visible for some of their shoes and their sunglasses. This way if you’re carrying a Coach bag and wearing shoes and glasses that are Coach that may match in color, it may not seem like it at first glance. This creates more of a classic elegance in daily wear. However there are some designers  that this exception doesn’t work for like Burberry.

                                                                                                                                             

Wedding are also an exception, cuz let’s face it, we’re not going to pick a fight with the bride. If she wants us to go dye our shoes to match the exact color of our bridesmaid dress, then off we go. It is after all only for a couple of hours.

This is just what I think - afterall, it is a free country to match to the max if you will but AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Saturday, March 8th, 2008

How to: Steal Cheesecake from a Buffet

Most people know that you are not supposed to takeout any food at a buffet. But then there are people believe what is the harm in taking just an apple, an ice cream cone, or even a cookie. One woman however took this belief to a whole new level. The other day some friends and I went to a buffet for lunch.  I noticed a woman sitting in the corner of buffet smiling a lot. Out of curiosity I wanted to know why she was so happy. So I began to watch the woman intermittently. Apparently, this woman was stealing cheesecake! And she definitely knew what she was doing! She had a couple pieces of Tupperware stashed inside her purse and was carefully placing each slice into the Tupperware when no one was looking. And just when I thought she wasn’t able to carry anymore in her purse, she got a Styrofoam cup and put a slice in there too. She placed a lid on the cup and a straw through the lid. At this point I felt like giving her a standing ovation. This woman should definitely win an award for resourcefulness.

Saturday, March 8th, 2008

The Different Ways She Holds a Handbag

On Her Arms - The Classic way to hold a handbag is on your arm. Just try not to put too much in your bag, for you may possibly bruise your arm. 

On Her Shoulders - Another traditional means of holding purses are on your shoulders. This is good because your hands are free and now you’re able to multi-task and get moving with your fast-paced life. 

On Her Shoulders (pushed back) - This is yet another way to hold a handbag on your shoulders. This method is usually used when you are in motion. The drawback is this position is not good in tight spaces. 

Wrapped Around Her Wrist - This method are for those ladies who are tired of holding their handbags on their shoulders. Instead you wrap the shoulder strap around your wrist and hold onto the remaining portion of the handbag strap.

On Her Wrist – Now you don’t need to wrap your shoulder bag strap on your wrist! With a wristlet, it simply fits onto your wrist with ease. A wristlet is used commonly for a girl’s night out. Girls usually put fill their wristlet with a cell phone, a camera, a few credit cards, an ID card, and some bills. 

In Her Hand - This method is good for smaller handbags. Let’s say you aren’t too tall, holding a large handbag in your hands may cause the bag to drag on the dirty floor. 

Across Her Body - This is known as the “body bag” or “messenger bag” style. Wearing a bag with a long shoulder strap across the body is great for travelling. Not only is it convenient, it prevents purse thieves from easily snatching your belongings. 

On Her Back - This reminds us of those days we were in school. The advantages of using a backpack are that you feel young again, your hands are free, and the weight of your load is evenly distributed across your back allowing you to carry heavier amounts. However, the disadvantages are that you become an easy target for pickpockets. 

Carry In Her Hands – This method is only used when your bag is stuffed and your arms and shoulders are sore. Carrying your handbag in your hands is considered a last resort issue. 

On Her Waist – These bags are also known as pouches, fanny packs, or waist bags. They are extremely convenient and great for casual outings. 

Friday, March 7th, 2008

Be My Guest…

Hi all, my name is Belle and I will be joining the RIONI Handbag Blog team of writers.

Let me first start off with a brief introduction of my personality.

- I’m very picky especially when it comes to foods.
- I love the outdoors and enjoy strolls down the beach.
- I am currently taking a Pilates class, for I am somewhat adventurous.
- The majority of the time, I am sensual and full of positive energy.
- However, when you get on my bad side, I can be a real b*tch!
- I love collecting handbags for different occasions.
- I enjoy things at the moment and I forget them afterwards.
- I’m patient and diligent when facing challenges.
- I plan to entertain my readers with my criticism and ideas.

Wednesday, March 5th, 2008

Across the Board with Ugliest Handbags

I was thinking to myself one day, I wonder what the ugliest handbag in the world right now looks like. I thought to myself, could there be such a thing? Naw…but could there? Well it couldn’t hurt to Google “ugliest bag in the world” to see what popped up.

This is what I saw:

            

To my surprise, it’s actually anonymous what the answer is. It’s Louis Vuitton and his tribute to patchwork.   Blog after blog, opinion after opinion the answers were the same. I was kind of surprised. I didn’t expect people to agree in such vast quantities. Most of the time, especially when opinion is concern, no one agrees. I was looking at the bag for a while. I was kind of swayed by others opinions, but at the same time was thinking. “It’s Louis Vuitton.” My first initial reaction was, “yeah this bag is pretty ugly” and then I saw the price- $52,000. What the..!!?? Well the fact that there is only FIVE for sale in North America and 24 in total in the world would explain the price tag- but man the bag is ugly for the price.

I was still looking at the bag for a while and thinking…is this bag really that ugly? Well I definitely would not be carrying it…then I saw this picture:

                   

 …and my only reaction to this bag was LOL (laughing out loud). I couldn’t stop LOL. This bag is gigantic! When you see someone like Beyonce caring it, it really puts the bag into proportion.

The more I looked at the bag, the more I began to laugh. I couldn’t totally see some woman carrying this bag and pull it off. While most of us can’t afford the real thing, I’m sure copies are already out and there are women walking around with the bag. So the conclusion I came to about the most expensive and voted ugliest bag in the world is that- it’s more of the funniest looking bag in the world, instead of the ugliest, because come on ladies, we know those crazy designers- there’s always uglier, we just haven’t found it yet.

Sunday, March 2nd, 2008

Fur: for Him or for Her?

Last year fur was IN wheather it be real fur or faux fur it was hot! Not to be out done, matching fur handbags and accessories soon followed. Seems as if this year the trend hasn’t lost any steam either. Everywhere I looked there would be someone with fur. No biggie right? Well that depends, you have to draw a line somewhere (I mean come on? Fur Sunglasses?). Right around this time last year I started seeing men wearing the infamous “UGG” boots (Sheepskin Boots with Fur Lining). I didn’t think much about it at the time but this time around it has gotten me thinking. If this catches on for men, fur briefcases and suits won’t be far behind. I love UGG’s don’t get me wrong but I thinking men wearing them is a bit de-masculating (might have made up that word). Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that just a bit too much hair *erhm* I mean fur?