Style File - ZARA leather bag with gold metal detail

ZARA Leather bag with metal tab

The fall pieces are coming into stores slowly slowly and there are a few things which have caught my eye. Knitwear, blazers, flats and this gorgeous bag pictured above. 

The design and gold detail reminds me of  the YSL Cabas Chyc Cross body  tote bags. ZARA is really becoming a contender when it comes to affordable and fashionable handbags.  Of course the ZARA Braided Shopper holds a special place in my heart. However the sleek design, the gold detailing, the material  (100% cow Leather) and price (£109) of the Leather bag with metal tab (work on these names ZARA) are appealing to me. The dimensions of this bag are 15in x14in 7in, it is a fairly decent size, not too big or small. 

I would recommend this bag for any young professional or recent graduate who is in need of a well made, sturdy (the ZARA bags are very well made) bag for every day use. As always please waterproof the leather (at least 3 times with 6 hour intervals between each time, before use), to protect the leather from water damage. 

I see this bag being a best seller, so girlies if you like it, spend on it. 

As for me I will be counting the sheckles, because I want one of these bag boys. 

Happy Sunday my lovelies.

Style File - Jack Wills Wyndham Large Shopper

The Zara Plaited shopper is my first love, however I know that is not to everyone's taste. The Jack Wills Wyndham Large shopper is another great item up for picking up in the Jack Wills summer sales, a tote bag for when you just want to throw in all your stuff and go. The Wyndham Large Shopper is available in everyone's favorite neutral tan, a bright pink and a brilliant blue.

Jack Wills: carry it all in the Wyndham Tote Bag. This large leather bag is perfect for books, shopping trips and it looks great too. Unlined. Jack Wills patch on one side.

100% leather

Brill Pink 

Bluebell

Tan

Photos: Jack Wills 

What to Wear to Work: Hand bags

This is going to be a fairly short post. A hand bag for work should be in a neutral colour if one thinks Black is too boring then try (Navy/Tan/Grey/Cognac/Camel) it is my own personal belief as well as that of my mentor. Your first hand bag for work should definitely be an investment piece, therefore you should be willing to spend a bit more. That extra cash that you are spending enables you to go for quantity over quality. It is better to have 1 good bag that lasts a long time, than 20 cheaper bags which do not stand up to the wear and tear of your every day life. 

      When it comes to handbags for work there is only 1 bag which I would recommend to anyone, especially my recent graduates. The Zara Braided shopper 3 years going and still a best seller!!!! Yes I own one of these and I love it more and more with every use. The one I own is blue however it comes in Black and Tan as well, which makes it suitable for a work day hand bag. I am soon to invest in the Black as well as the Tan, hey a good thing is a good thing. 

Zara Braided shopper 

     This bag is made from 100% Buffalo Leather. It is  fairly large (I won't lie) quite roomy and spacious inside, it fits a 15.3 inch laptop inside with a lot of room to spare. The dimensions are 16.2 x 20.4 x 9 inches. If you like the shape of the bag but prefer something a bit smaller. Zara also offers the Mini Leather Tote bag which has the same shape as the Braided shopper but smaller dimensions 16 x 16 x 5 inches. I would be the first to admit it is not the most fancy bag in the world, but when you are going to work, your bag should be functional and not fashionable. Sometimes less is more, dressing for work is one of those times. 

                   Zara Braided Shopper A/W 2011

Notes 

Please be advised that upon further research (I went to the store and tested out the mini shopper, aka I packed it up with some of the stuff I normally carried in my Braided shopper after putting in my purse/coin purse/makeup bag/water bottle the mini shopper was full and looking very bulky.) I can inform you that the Zara Mini Tote is for those among us who TRAVEL VERY LIGHTLY. If you are the type of person who likes a handbag which can carry your whole house and the kitchen sink, the Braided shopper is the way to go. 

I have found a few other bags which I can suggest as handbags for work, if one was not too inclined towards the Zara shopper.

Clarks Trade Point - "A classic Tan lather shoppper style bag which can be work on the shoulder and goes with everything." Clarks --> Trade Point by Clarks

Clarks Tora Hill - "This fashionably chic womens bag features subtle tailoring and soft leathers. Painted edges and Clarks branding to finish the look, and its versatile styling means it can be carried with grab handles  or work on the shoulder or across the body." Clarks   --> Tora Hill by Clarks

River Island has few offerings as well the three bags below are my top picks  

River Island Black Leather Bowling bag - "Black is always in style and in the form of this bowler, you've got your everyday bag sorted! with chic structured design and two strap lengths, this bag is super functional." River Island  -->  check it out

River Island Cream Metal Edge Leather Bag - "Every girl needs a luxe leather bag in her collection so try this Cream metal edge leather bag with zip front detail, two handles and zip fastening." River Island   --> check it out

River Island Grey Structured Leather Bowling Bag - "Polish off you look with the Grey structured leather bowler bag. In super functional size without sacrificing on style - this features gold tone hardware and two short straps." River Island  --> check it out

For the really good stuff aka designer look, leather bags without the designer price tag, my search took me to Marks and Spencers. Yup this Institution is still bringing fashion and quality to the masses. These bags were my top picks 

Marks & Spencers Autograph Leather Faux Snakeskin Design Shopper Bag  ---> here

Marks & Spencers Leather Crocodile Skin Tote Bag --> here

Marks & Spencers Autograph Leather Capston Stud Bowler Bag --> here

Marks & Spencers Autograph Leather Faux Snakeskin Design Tote Bag --> here

Marks & Spencers Leather Crocodile Skin Print Bowler Bag --> here

"Fashion fades by Style remains eternal." - Yves Saint Laurent          

Thanks for reading my lovelies.

xx      

Are you waterproofing your Leathers?

     Yes that is the title of this blog post.  Bewteen reality tv, youtube, blogs, fashion magazines and just general development of my style I have become a bag lover. I LOVE the look of  a nice handbag. I have quite conservative tastes so most of the bags I like tend to be of a simple design and made from leather.

      I ventured into the realm of luxury bags with help from my roomate in 2009 and purchased a leather day bag from Dune named the Mission bag, it was the hot bag for the season and with some help I only paid 50% of the cost price for it. Since it was leather and I come from an old fashioned "polish your school shoes every Sunday night kinda family." I went looking for something to polish my bag with and I was introduced to "Tarrago shoe cream". Shoe creams cleanse, protect, nourish and condition fine leathers of any kind or colour including smooth, grained or delicate finishes. Helps leather to resist stains.  

     Fast forward to 2012 and after inquiring about leather bag care at one of my fave shops Zara. I was informed that 1. they wouldn't get the bag in question wet, 2. The do not sell products to care for leather bags EVEN though they sell such ITEMS and 3. just go to the shoemaker and they would give me something to use. After a failed trip to Timpson, I went to Jones the Boot maker where I was given a thorough education about leathers leather care and how important it is not only to keep fine leathers covered from dust, but It is also imperative that we waterproof them. "Leather is a skin and just like our skin it is important to keep it nourished and moisturized in order to prolong its life. It is also important to keep it waterproofed so that the material becomes resistant to rain, reason being if the material gets wet and dried constantly eventually that will cause the leather to become hard and dry." He did his do, but he was trying to sell me 3 products and I am not that dedicated especially after using my one stop shop shoe cream for these past few years. I was on the Mulberry website browsing and saw that they had some care products. Enter Collonil Classic Leather Gel. 

 "Collonil Classic Leather Gl is a solvent free gentle gel to improve the water resistance of certain leathers. It can help leather to resist dirt and moisture. This leather gel can be used on Natural leather, Printed leather, Pebbled leather, Soft spongy leather, Glazed goat leather, Soft Buffalo leather, Glossy buffalo leather," *taken from the Mulberry Website*

Picture of this item here http://www.mulberry.com/#/storefront/c5745/4706/category/

The product itself says

- Highly effective waterproofing gel.

- Suitable for any product made from leathers, nubuck, suede and textiles. 

- Provides long lasting waterproofing to all materials

Directions

- Wipe area with a damp cloth to remove surface dirt.

- Apply gel evenly

- Once dry polish the leather with a cloth

- Use as often as necessary. 

So there I have it my 1 stop shop product. We all like nice things, but in order for them to remain nice we must take care of them. Leather bags are items that should last a really long time as ling as they are provided with adequate care. the leather needs to be cleaned, polished and nourished. So I will waterproof my leathers, will you?


For my American readers you can purchase this product here on Amazon and it is quite a substantial amount of product at a great price. #envious 
http://www.amazon.com/Collonil-Leather-Gel-200ml/dp/B000SQU44S/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1327365517&sr=8-3

Hands up if you didn't know that Goat leather existed?

Have a great day my lovelies.