Happy Friday my blogger fam, I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! For today’s post we are going to do things a little differently and focus on one of my favourite things – accessories. And I get to introduce you to a new brand I have discovered! Sharing my new finds is one of my favourite things about blogging.
Those who know me know how much I love accessories. And I certainly don’t discriminate – shoes, bags, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, scarves, hats, belts etc. And if you let me loose around home decor, well that is a whole other story. And while I do have my standard spots that I get a lot of my accessories from, I am always on the hunt for new options. I like finding pieces that are unique and that not everyone is going to have.
So when I was contacted by The Shopping Bag, an online shopper like myself’ dream website, I immediately spent over an hour perusing their website and finding one too many things to put in my shopping cart. I really love working with brands that have a story and a purpose and are looking to provide their customer with an exceptional shopping experience. And I feel that they certainly meet this expectation.
The Shopping Bag was started with a vision of providing a one-stop, convenient source where shopping is always in style. Their handpicked collections offer a unique selection of clothing (straight and plus sizes), accessories, shoes, home décor, beauty products, and much more. They carry thousands of affordable pieces at many different price points and they add new arrivals every week.
And if that’s not enough, I think what really resonated with me was the story on their website from the company’s founder:
“Growing up, my grandmother always had a special deep closet that she called her gift closet. This was always filled with unique and hard to find items that when wrapped up and given, overjoyed her family and friends on their special occasions. She always seemed to have just the right item and found her treasures at just the right price point. Though my grandmother never lived to see her own boutique, I have a team now that carries on this passion for finding just the right items at just the right pricing and passing them on to bring joy to others.”
My grandmother and my mother are both the same way and I know that is where my love of accessories and giving gifts comes from.
One of the questions I get asked a lot is how do I put a look together, what inspires me? Sometimes it is the clothing that inspires the choices I make for my accessories and sometimes it is the other way around. It is hard to explain but it is like I hold this catalogue of everything I own in my head and when I am planning a look I start to pull things out in my head and put the puzzle pieces together.
So what was fun for this post was I gave them a list of many different items that I liked and they chose what they sent me and the challenge was to style a look around them. I was pretty excited when I got my package in the mail and it was a beautifully packaged box with everything wrapped in tissue and items sealed in nice storage bags. It was just like opening a present.
This baby blue pebble leather vegan bag is certainly going to be one of my new faves for spring. It is a combination of slouch and structure. The leather is very soft and the pebble effect helps prevent scratches and ages well. It has fun details like a lock charm on the front along with gold toned hardware, and a zipper closure.
And like any quality handbag, no detail is overlooked. There is numerous compartments inside to help keep you organized, a zipper pouch on the back to keep your keys or phone easy to access and an optional change purse that easily lets you pay for your morning coffee. But let’s not forget the added bonus of an adjustable shoulder strap that is perfect for those times where you need your hands free. This bag retails for $65 US which I thought was an affordable price point for this size and quality of bag. It also comes in beige.
The other item I pulled out of my box was this really cute leather bejewelled wrap bracelet. Being plus size, I like wrap bracelets because they will accommodate a larger wrist and they have certainly been a big trend for the last year. I loved the combination of the metallic pewter leather and the stones in shades of blue and green.
This bracelet retails for $25US which again is a good price point for what you are getting. It is a versatile piece as it can be dressed up or down and I appreciate the fact that it does up like a traditional belt buckle allowing you tailor it your wrist.
So when I put the two pieces side by side I love how the bag picked up on the colours of the stones and from that I knew I wanted to stick to a palette of blues. I then remembered that I had recently purchased this super cute crochet cold shoulder shift dress from Your Big Sister’s Closet in one of spring’s hottest colours, navy. And there you have it, I was inspired.
The dress has a high neckline so a bracelet and earrings was the way to go. I wanted the bracelet to make the statement so I stuck to a simple silver hoop. I then wanted to keep my shoe neutral so I added these grey wedges from JD Williams USA that played off the leather in the bracelet.
Keeping the dress and shoe neutral allowed the bag to be the piece that really popped in this look. For me personally if I purchase a bag in a statement colour or fun print that’s exactly what I want it to do. I really love this look overall, it has a boho chic vibe perfect for exploring the City, brunch or vacation. I guess I need to find somewhere to go now!
I got one other surprise in my box but you will have to stay tuned for a future post where I include it as part of my look. If you are looking for a unique shopping experience, I recommend you take a look at The Shopping Bag.
Thanks to Rob of Robert Skuja Photography for capturing this look.
Bag by THE SHOPPING BAG | Bracelet by THE SHOPPING BAG | Dress by YOUR BIG SISTER’S CLOSET | Shoes by JD WILLIAMS USA (sold out but alternative here) | Earrings from my collection (THE SHOPPING BAG alternative here) |
