I started the year off being a very low spend year, with just a little thrift haul back in February. But then I saw something I just had to have and I made a pretty big splurge!
It's taken me a while to get this video and post together - I had the bag for a while before I did the video, as I explained. It has been a very hectic few weeks, as I bid on this all the way back in March! But better late than never. Once I fixed up that major issue it had with a lot of patience, I've been enjoying and using this bag fairly often recently and it was definitely due a post!
A few years ago I bought the Chloe Marcie hobo in this same colour, and sold it. At the time I wasn't using it much and didn't use hobo bags often for life with baby, so I figured I'd let some impractical bags go. But every now and then I regretted selling the hobo bag. I kept browsing for Marcie bags, thinking a shoulder bag would work better, and just waiting for an excuse to make the splurge! Some exciting happenings at work (I've mentioned before on the blog a few extra rewards I've earned) and a timely auction on eBay resulted in me taking the plunge and getting this bag I'd wanted for a while.
How I've Worn It:
Having owned this colour in a similar style before I knew this would work well in my wardrobe! And if I ever run out of ideas for how to wear it I can refer back to my 30 ways to wear post with the Marcie hobo style!
How I'm Tracking With My Fashion Budget:
As you heard in the video, I got caught up in a bidding war on this and did not want to lose! As well as forgetting to factor in the import charges and GST (as it was an overseas auction) and credit card conversion rates for foreign transactions... I have definitely spent more than I did last year!
I feel a little bad to have spent more in 2022 in the first half of the year than I did in the whole of 2021, but I'm also really pleased to have this bag. And at almost a third of the retail price, it wasn't overly expensive for a Chloe Marcie bag in such great condition. Plus, everyone needs to indulge now and then!
Short and sweet what I bought post this month! While I made it through April and May without making any fashion purchases, June ended up much like March - I stumbled across a handbag on eBay I'd been thinking about at a price I couldn't resist, so I made another impulse buy.
What I Bought In June:
I've you've followed my blog since the early days this bag may look a little familiar to you - I had a pink version of this bag in 2012/2013 that I often regretted selling! As mentioned in the video I'd been thinking about it lately and searching a few sites for it, looking at options when I got rewarded at work with a gift card a few weeks ago, that spurred me on to buy this!
You haven't seen this pop up on the blog or even my Instagram yet. I'd been trying to find a place that could fix up the weak point on the strap around the local area, so it wasn't being worn while I was taking the strap out to the cobblers. No luck with that sadly, as I talked through in the video, but at least I have a few places in mind to go to if the strap does snap, ha!
I'm really looking forward to wearing this. I have my "wear twice in the month you buy it" rule for all new purchase that this bag hasn't met, but given the colour I know it will work with a lot of things in my wardrobe. I did get it right at the start of June but between authenticating, cleaning it up, trying to find a cobbler, the rain and our little 3 day lockdown we had in Brisbane recently there hasn't been a chance to wear it before I drafted up this post.
In lieu of a how I wore it, these are the pics I texted to my bestie when I tried it on immediately after it arrived!
It's that time of year again, where blogs turn into gift guides! Each year I publish this one gift guide: the perfect gift guide for a handbag lover, no matter your budget! This year, because it's 2020, I've added a little bit at the end for ways you can support some local Aussie businesses too. I try to pick pieces that will ship internationally, but I'm sure you will understand that the local section may only ship within Australia.
So, if you're looking for the perfect gift for a bag loving friend or relative, or just a little bit of bag-candy, this is the gift guide for you!
Spectacular Splurge-Worthy Spoils
These bags are $500+ and above - not the kind of thing you would give to a casual acquaintance, but certainly something special for someone close. Wives, girlfriends, mums, sisters - if you have the cash to splash you can't go wrong with something from this list! Sticking with classic styles and neutral colours is always a good idea, especially if you're not entirely sure what their preferred colour bag would be. Probably something to be 100% sure that you know they are after before investing so heavily in this section though!
Modest Mid-Range Designer Choices
At $100-$250 you can look at bags from their favourite contemporary designers, or maybe even a SLG (small leather good) from a luxury brand. There are so many options at this price point to choose from, this budget doesn't limit you but lets you get creative with how you want to spend. Think wallets, clutches, card holders, wallet on chain bags, wristlets... You can give them an accessory from a brand of their dreams or their perfect bag from their favourite contemporary designer. Mine being Rebecca Minkoff of course!
Bargain Bag Finds
Got less than $100 to spend? No worries! Think of ways they can accessorise bags they already have - keychains and bag charms are a good way to go, or a skinny silk scarf to tie in a bow on a bag or wrap around bag handles. See my video for more ways to accessorise a bag! What about a little pouch or wristlet they can use to keep things safe in their bag? Or a gift card to help them purchase the bag of their dreams they have been saving for? You can even hit up sites like ASOS for high street versions of designer styles, without the high price tags.
No matter the budget you have set aside, remember that the Thanksgiving Black Friday sales in the US will be starting soon, and other countries are starting to follow with similar sales. That bag that may have been out of your budget before might be a much more attractive price now or in the days to come, so get adding to cart in preparation for the sales!
All that shopping for other people can lead to a little splurge or two on yourself! The categories above are good for gifts as you get the "new bag" experience with all the wrapping and boxes and that new bag smell! But if you're looking for a bag for you, why not try the preloved market? Easier on the wallet and the environment! Sites like Fashionphile, Yoogi's Closet, Bag Mad Boutique, Vestiaire Collective make it easy to snap up an authenticated designer bag at a bargain price - just be sure to review all the pictures and description carefully so you know what to expect with the condition. eBay is an option too, but I highly suggest using an authentication service like Authenticate First before buying anything designer from eBay.
Shop Local
There are so many local businesses who would really appreciate your support this Christmas. In the sprit of shopping small and supporting local that's so needed for 2020, I wanted to share some. While they are certainly not all bag based they have a lot of great gift ideas to surprise, spoil or entertain your loved ones this Christmas.
Yondale Designs - beautiful silver jewellery that will be treasured for years to come (I have two cuffs I adore from this company that I never remove from my wrist)
Handbags on Etsy - you can filter for the perfect gift from your country, state or city!
Fashion Scarf Girl - another Queensland mum, with multi-buy scarf discounts! (I have been a brand rep for this company in the past and I have also bought a lot of her scarves with my own money!)
Have fun shopping and finding that something special to bring yourself or someone you love a little bit of joy this year!
A new 30 ways to wear post, as well as a review of what I bought last year and my fashion budget for 2019!
I love handbags, and I have a lot of them! But I frequently sell some to have funds towards something else I want more. This Chloe Marcie hobo bag was a bag I loved, but rationalised I didn't wear as much as my Balenciaga day hobo bag, so I decided to let it go. I did hit 30 wears before I sold it, so I've dug through the blog archives for some older photos of my wearing it. I wonder if I'll cringe as much looking back at outfit pics now in a few years as much as I am looking back on these pics now? 😂
30 Ways To Wear: Chloe Marcie Hobo Bag In Nut
Like many of my bags that I've now sold, I find this tricky to calculate cost per wear on! I bought it at a Reebonz offline sale, after wanting it for a while. I got a really good deal on it, so much so that I managed to sell it for almost what I paid for it. So you could calculate cost per wear based on the price I paid, or take that price minus the amount I got when I sold it and calculate it on around the $100 difference. I'm never sure what to do in these cases.
Inability to calculate cost per wear aside, I'm happy with the use I got from this bag. It held up really well, still looking like new when it eventually left my wardrobe, and I was pleased to look back at these old pics and see that I had hit 30 wears with it. I do sometimes regret selling it, but I know it wouldn't have gotten much more wear if it stayed in my wardrobe longer!
Chloe Marcie Hobo Bag In Summer
The handle drop on this bag is quite large, especially as the leather of the bag sags down a bit when the bag is full. It makes it an easy bag to throw over your shoulder in summer as it doesn't feel too tight or irritating to wear. The neutral colour works with all kinds of summer brights too!
Chloe Marcie Hobo Bag With Winter Layers
Being a neutral brown, this 'nut' shade is perfect for adding to winter outfits. I've picked similarly coloured scarves to wear with the bag in each of these layered outfits, but you can see it would work well without any matching as it looks great with black winter layers!
Chloe Marcie Hobo In The Office
Printed dresses or pencil skirts, I found this Chloe Marcie bag worked so well for the office. Again making the most of the neutral shade I could wear it with brightly coloured or printed pieces, or just let it compliment a neutral outfit. It's a rather structured hobo shape so doesn't feel too casual for work.
Chloe Marcie Hobo Bag With Jeans
As you can see in these photos, before I gave up my blue jeans I used to wear them a lot! The Chloe Marcie bag just works so well with denim, it's an easy choice when wearing jeans. I wore it a lot with skirts and dresses as you've seen in the earlier photos, but it was still a go-to with jeans too. Really versatile bag.
Chloe Marcie Hobo With Printed Outfits
Because this 'nut' shade is a nice neutral colour, it made the bag my default neutral piece to wear with prints. Something like a printed dress, or just a little print like a skirt or top, the hobo bag works nicely with all different prints and colours.
Chloe Marcie Hobo Bag In Pregnancy
Despite only having this bag during my pregnancy with my eldest boy, it was worn enough times for me to be able to include it as a category here in my wrap up. You know I love looking back at my bump pics when doing these posts! I wore the bag a few times in the second and third trimester as you can see. It isn't a heavy bag so was nice to wear during pregnancy, the braided strap is really comfortable on the shoulder.
What's In My Bag: Chloe Marcie Medium Hobo Bag In Nut
Where To Buy:
This hobo style of Marcie has been discontinued, but there are still some places you can buy second hand! All the bags above come with authenticity guarantees even though they are preloved.
I totalled it up, I bought 30 fashion items (clothing and accessories) in 2018. In 2017 I spent $1,696.53, my goal in 2018 was to spend less than that. I achieved that as I spent $1,014.44 if you include gift cards, which works out to $84.54 a month. If you don't include gift card spend, I only spent $664.44. I'm really pleased with the figures and that I met my goal!
I also continued to work on this 30 wears challenge! Every month I have to find something in my wardrobe I've worn 30 times or more to make these posts. This makes me focus more on ways I can rewear things I already own and makes me less likely to turn to a store for inspiration when looking or something to wear. Looking through my blog archives for ways I've worn things before often gives me ideas of things to try from past outfits!
My Goals For 2019
Same as last year, my goal for this year will be to spend less than I did last year. To make things easy on myself, I'll include the gift card spend. So 2019 will be the year of spending less (again), rewearing more, and hoping I don't go over my $1,014.44 budget! Wish me luck!
You know I love my handbags (and probably have a few too many!). If you are wondering what to buy for someone on your list who is equally handbag-obsessed, this is the gift guide for you! You don't always need to splurge on a bag to please a bag lover, there are lots of wallet-friendly buys to suit any taste or budget.
Prefer to skip the gift guide as you're only here for outfits? Check out my previous post, showing 30 ways to wear a floral kimono. This will be my last gift guide for the year, the blog will be back to normal posts on Monday.
Handbag Fan Stocking Fillers Under $50
There are so many cute little gifts you can get under $50. For someone who already has an enviable handbag collection, why not get them something to accessorise the bags they already have? There are so many nice bag charms around, or maybe a makeup bag or clutch to organise the contents of their bag. Books related to bags or their favourite designer are a lovely idea too! Some stores, like Shopbop, do gift cards so you can gift them $50 towards the bag of their choice.
Handbag Related Gift Ideas on a Budget: Under $100
If you're spending up to $100, you have a lot more options. You might not be able to get a bag off their Christmas wishlist, but you can get a few small leather goods from their favourite brand. Think card holders, wallets, and maybe even a clutch. Again, a gift card is a good option at this price point if you know they are saving for the bag of their dreams.
Handbag Lover Gift Ideas Under $500
There are a lot more bags available to buy when you have a bigger budget, and for under $500 you can get them the bag of their dreams from so many designers, and perhaps a clutch or small bag from the more expensive luxury brands. Sites like Yoox and The Outnet have off-season bags at reduced prices to fit your budget. Pre-loved and vintage is another good way to go, if you're buying from a reputable place like Fashionphile or Vestiaire Collective where authenticity is guaranteed.
Splurge-Worthy Handbags Over $500
Admittedly this is out of the budget for most people, but if you're splurging on someone special (mum / sister / wife / girlfriend) you can't go wrong with a classic neutral bag from their favourite designer. If they've been dropping a lot of hints too you might know the exact style and colour you should get.
I hope this gift guide has given you some ideas for the handbag-lover on your list! It's not too late to order most of these and have them delivered in time for Christmas - no matter where you are in the world. If you're curious, this is the bag at the top of my wishlist! (Under $500 too!) Do you have anything handbag related on your Christmas list?
Sunnies: Yellow sunglasses from the Ekka Bracelets: the usual plus two metal and fabricIndigo Rose Design bracelets Top: thrifted no label failed tie-dye tunic (new purchase) Shorts: grey Cotton On shorts Shoes: brown Roxy thongs Bag: Chloe paddington cross body clutch
Close up of accessories and a little bit more fake blood:
Went to the Brisbane Zombie Walk today with my friend and DH. Although I'm not really into Halloween or costumes, it was very fun.
I spotted this tunic top when thrifting the other week, we named it the "failed tie-dye top". We knew it would be perfect for the zombie walk when I tried it on and the SA said it looked like a meat dress and was making her ill! Added some fake blood courtesy of the festival "splatterhouse marquee" and some shorts underneath to stop it being indecent. Was a great light costume to wear on such a hot day and I was really pleased with how it turned out.
There are other zombie walks around Australia this month, worth checking out to see if there is one near you as it's a very strange but fun way to spend the day! You can see more pictures I took on instagram here.
DH also managed to take a video near the start of the walk - you can see my friend and I in it too.
The sunnies were last worn here, and bag here. It's the first time I've worn the top, and the first time I've worn the shorts and thongs on the blog.
