A Chic Critique

Source: Marion Parizot Let's forget what Gabriela Hearst is doing to the brand and focus on currently available Chloé styles... I've seen a lot of luxury YouTubers pass on Chloé for making trendy bags that get oversaturated and "out of style" quickly ( example 1 , example 2 , example 3 ). The same influencers will sing the praises of Saint Laurent and claim it is better value for money than Chanel or Dior due to price increases. Now luxury influencers aren't always the best authority on fashion or finances as they often have sponsorships with Farfetch, Luisa Via Roma, etc. (who conveniently exclude Saint Laurent from all coupon codes). However, they do influence what people will think is good value for money and oftentimes what they ultimately purchase. Don't get me wrong, I love Saint Laurent but I disagree with the idea that Chloé is not a brand worth investing in. In fact, I think they're the most underrated brand right now in price, quality and design...

Chanel, Louis Vuitton and countless other luxury brands are constantly raising the prices of their bags, sometimes multiple times a year. Luxury enthusiasts may find themselves turning to eBay, Poshmark or a consignment store to buy a secondhand or "pre-loved" bag in hopes of scoring a deal. It makes a lot of financial sense when Chanel is charging $8,000 for a bag - after all, you can find a lot of great discounts out there, sometimes for less than half of the original retail price. It's also a great way to get access to seasonal colours or discontinued styles. Generally, quality was better in the past, so you can often find thicker canvas or thicker leather in older bags. What also makes a lot of financial sense is for luxury replica manufacturers to improve the accuracy and quality of their replica bags - stitch for stitch, piece for piece. The more popular and expensive a design is, the better the rationale for investing resources to copy it. In fact, fakes are so goo...

  I first discovered Céline (emphasis on the é) while browsing various fashion blogs, specifically when I spotted the Céline Trapeze on Chriselle Lim in 2012. While my opinion on Old Céline bag styles changed over the years, I found myself continually coming back to the Classic Bag.  In 2019, I was on a trip to France and finally took the plunge on a black Medium Classic Bag. I purchased it from the Paris flagship store on 53 Avenue Montaigne right when the store opened and had a wonderful experience. After two years of using this bag, I feel I can give a thorough and comprehensive review. The Bag Specs Name: Celine Classic Bag Colour: Black Size: Medium Price: $4,950 CAD / $3,400 USD Measurements: W 24 cm x H 18 cm x D 7 cm (W 9 in X H 7 in X D 3 in) Material: Box Calfskin, Lambskin lining, Brass hardware Weight: 0.81 kg or 1.8 pounds empty History of the Bag      Left: Vintage Celine Bag ( Source ). Right: Céline C...

The Chloé Small Tess Bag melted my heart when it debuted in 2018, and has lived rent-free in my head ever since. Nonetheless, I hesitated on this bag for the longest time because I didn't think it was that practical. Just as I finally managed to convince myself that the Tess was too impractical for the price, Chloé released a Day Bag version last year addressing all my concerns, while maintaining that charming Tess aesthetic. So I bought it, of course. I admit this was an impulse lockdown purchase - I decided to get it in the middle of our province's third "lockdown". However, I decided the design was practical enough for me to splurge on, and somehow the under C$2,000 price seemed almost reasonable in comparison to other brands (*cough* looking at you LV, Chanel and Celine). The Bag Specs Name: Chloé Mini Tess Day Bag Colour: Motty Grey Size: Mini (also comes in Small) Price: $2,145 CAD / $1,690 USD Materials: Grained Calfskin and Buffed Calfskin, Cotton Twill Lin...

From left to right: Revival Stacking Ring by bluboho, Thin Croissant Dome Ring by Mejuri I had seen Mejuri's jewelry all over Instagram and became enamoured by their cute designs. Wanting to support a Canadian brand, I took the plunge on the Thin Croissant Dome Ring in 14k solid gold. If you're curious about their products and are looking for a non-sponsored review, keep reading. I previously purchased the Star Tarot Necklace (now discontinued) from Mejuri. While I love the design, I did find it fussy since you're supposed to minimize contact with water and sweat. I also wasn't able to see it unless I looked in the mirror, whereas you can look down and admire a ring on your finger at any time. That's why I ultimately decided to splurge on the 14k gold ring.\ The Ring Specs Name: Mejuri Thin Croissant Dome Ring Colour: Yellow Gold Price: $425 CAD Size: See sizing chart here . I advise going down one size from the recommended size. For refer...

Phoebe Philo. Source In the first part of this series , I looked at the business of handbags  —  specifically, the businesses that made handbags inspired by Phoebe Philo's Céline. In the second part, I'll be taking at a look at ready-to-wear clothing designers that contain traces of the Céline woman. Part 2: Ready-to-Wear Designers “I just thought I’d clean it up. Make it strong and powerful—a kind of contemporary minimalism.” — Phoebe Philo on her Spring 2010 debut collection for Céline  It's actually quite difficult to generalize Céline clothing under Phoebe Philo with one or two words. Minimalism is a word that is thrown around a lot when it comes to Céline, but I wouldn't say these bold patterns from Spring/Summer 2014 were minimal: Céline Spring/Summer 2014 Runway Collection. Source Nevertheless, there are some consistent themes for Philo's Céline woman. While minimal (read: solid colours, not too many prints or patterns) doesn't necessaril apply to all RT...