A few of my favorite finds from The Luxury Closet’s new-in. From statement Balmain blazers, to bohemian Chloe dresses, they have a great selection that will elevate your wardrobe. As you self-isolate at home and shop online, keep your eye out for those investment pieces that you will have for years to come. And if you are investing in your closet, why not get those pieces at 40% off?
There is such an amazing selection on The Luxury Closet, and select items are up to 40% off for Women’s Day until the 8th of March. I thought it would be fun to feature few of my favorites, from ready-to-wear to fabulous handbags…
While luxury apparel and handbags can come at a hefty price, this selection is on the more affordable side of designer, so you can shop with a clear conscience.
My recent partnership with The Luxury Closet has has me lusting after a luxury handbag to add into my wardrobe. I’ve always had more of an interest in ready-to-wear than $$$ handbags, but even I have to admit that with a great designer handbag, it has more mileage because you can wear it with all your outfits (depending on what color you go with, of course).
As I don’t have the budget to buy more than 1 luxury handbag, I will narrow it down to a few of my favorite neutral bags, my top recs for classic black handbags and my favorite bright and bold ones. Then I will narrow it down to 1 in each category and decide what would be the best option for my wardrobe.
Classic bags are safer investments, as they will go with more outfits and surpass trends and fads. However, not all classic bags work well with our personal style or lifestyle. In the end, if a trendy bag is practical and works easily with your current closet, it may be a good purchase. People consider a bag trendy because of the color, print, or style. To me, a good capsule bag collection would focus on classic bags with a few trendy bags sprinkled in.
In this post, I am featuring bags from different retailers and re-selling websites. I fully intend on choosing a pre-loved bag, so I can get an almost new bag that is significantly discounted. While I want the bag to still be in great condition, I don’t see the need to pay double the price for a handbag that I will scuff or that I have to “baby” and be afraid to wear on a regular basis.
I’m in love with the Gucci Marmont in Candy Pink, but this wouldn’t be a good purchase since I don’t yet own a great basic black or neutral handbag. In the future, I would consider it, because most days I’m just wearing black and this would be a fun accent color. When I am wearing color, I opt for baby blue or pastel, and I think this pop of pink would pair with that as well.
Because I am a true declutter-er at heart, and want a modest but AMAZING bag collection, I will only be investing in one of the beauties. With all that said, let’s compare some stunning handbags from new and past collections across various brands…
I love a good metallic handbag, and one of my most loved bags was a white/iridescent one, and it truly went with all my outfits. If you want a bag that is a bit more unique and interesting than a basic neutral bag, metallics can be a good option.
You do have to keep in mind that silver or rose gold or gold can have very different effects and may look more night-time appropriate. You also should consider what colors look best on you. For instance, I have a warm complexion and brown hair and eyes, so copper and rose gold are the most flattering. However, I prefer silver.
Metallics can go with almost anything, but that can also depend on the bag’s style and leather/fabric composition.
Givenchy Crocodile Embossed Antigona
Saint Laurent Toy Loulou in Cork
Gucci GG Marmont, Medium
Gucci Marmont GG Mini Top Handle
Gucci GG Marmont, Small
Obviously I’m a little obsessed with the Gucci Marmont in Porcelain Nude Rose, however I’ve never made the purchase because I love to wear silver jewelry and the brassy/gold hardware always deters me. Hardware is an important aspect to consider and I would prefer black hardware or a bag that has both gold and silver elements so that I don’t have to always consider whether I need to wear silver or gold jewelry when getting ready for the day.
Chanel Calfskin CC Pocket Tote
Chanel Iridescent Caviar Clutch
What shape is best for you really comes down to style and function. A circle bag may be on-trend, but may not be user-friendly if your cell phone doesn’t even fit in it. Now most brands offer various sizes in their most in-demand handbags, so if you love the Gucci Marmont, or the Chanel classic flap, then you can decide which size…from the mini to the maxi…works best for your lifestyle. Whether you prefer a wallet on a chain for date night or a tote that you can use everyday, your lifestyle and how practical you need your handbag to be will determine your size preference. It becomes a bit easier once you have a few bags in various sizes, such as nice tote, a work bag, and a clutch. I want a handbag that will work for both day and night, so my ideal handbag would be a crossbody that will fit my phone, wallet, and essentials.
The Prada Cahier is super edgy and functional, because it is a small crossbody. My ideal combination for this bag would be solid black with black hardware.
These Chloe bags wouldn’t be my first choice because I have a more edgy modern style and Chloe’s bags tend to be pretty feminine. The one in light nude is gorgeous though. If you prefer feminine and preppy looks, one of the bags below might be perfect.
Saint Laurent Crocodile Embossed Calfskin Sac de Jour
Saint Laurent Calfskin Crocodile Manhattan Shopper
The new croc embossed trend has paved the way for many brands to release alligator, croc, and croc effect. True exotic skins are crazy expensive, but croc effect can be more practical and attainable.
I did once buy a pre-loved Saint Laurent toy bag with croc leather in hot pink. I returned it because the scales were peeling off in the front. This is one thing I would precaution you on. Be aware of the condition of the leather and the specific type of leather, because as these bags show wear, the scales or “scaled effect” of the leather can flake off and make the bag look old and ratty.
Some leathers are more hard wearing, and in the right leather, a little texture on the bag can prevent every stain or scratch from showing.
The type and length of strap also should be considered when buying a bag. A chain strap is more edgy and modern and I have heard that the straps on the Chanel classic flap aren’t ideal to wear crossbody. The YSL Sunset bag straps can be taken off and another put on, making it more versatile. I like to add on my own bag straps, so I look for handbags that allow you to clip off and on the strap.
As we say goodbye to 2019 and look forward to 2020, here at Signature Style, it’s a time to re-evaluate our wardrobe and style and plan ahead so we don’t waste investing any of our time and money into items that don’t resonate with our sense of style.
I have bigger financial goals for 2020 and my focus will be on much more than buying more times for my closet. However, I know that I will purchase a few fashion items for the upcoming season. When I do pull the trigger, I want to know that these were good investments and will be something I’ll wear for years to come.
With all that said, let’s transition to the fashion boards and my top fashion suggestions for 2020…
My favorite Zimmerman blouses for that feminine, yet bohemian look. Obviously I won’t be getting all of them…but these are my favorites from the brand that would add a delicate flair and inject color and life into my wardrobe.
For me, I don’t want to waste any money in 2020…not 1 fashion purchase-that isn’t versatile and high-quality. All pieces need to seamlessly fit into my closet and be something that I will reach for and enjoy.
And because a little Gucci takes any look up a notch (or 5 notches), I have selected my favorite pieces from the brand that would be versatile and elevate what currently hangs in my closet…
These boots would edge up many of my skirts and jeans, while the mono statement earring adds instant flair to even your most basic white tee and jeans outfit. However, they are clip-ons, and if the earring is too heavy, it may be hard to wear all day. I have loved this belt for a while…and a high waist belt will cinch in a dress & create an hourglass silhouette. I think this logo skirt speaks for itself…
I see the value of investing in accessories, rather than clothing. You can re-wear a belt or pair of sunglasses with all your outfits, and you get more wear and value out. From a styling perspective, the right accessories are essential.
I wanted to also include a few black investment pieces that would work in a capsule wardrobe and that you could mix and match and re-wear and re-style for multiple looks…
These items are very true to my own style, and I love the different vibe of the Zimmerman playsuit with the edgy snakeskin biker jacket (and the Prada bag), versus it styled with the Balmain blazer and Gucci Marmont bag.
The snakeskin jacket and Zimmerman playsuit are currently on sale. While I fall in love with Zimmerman’s new season florals and pastel prints, the solid black georgette playsuit is feminine and versatile. It would fit seamlessly into my wardrobe, and I’m having a vision of how it could be dressed up with dangling earrings and black fishnets for a night out.
This Prada Cahier is my favorite version of any I have seen. It’s out of my reach at the moment, but one day it will be mine…and when a bag is solid black on black, you don’t have to wore about clashing hardware. For this reason, I would pick the Prada over the Gucci bag. I prefer silver jewelry and the gold Gucci logo on the handbag might make it less versatile.
I hope this helps as you create your own fashion wishlist and plan ahead for your 2020 shopping,
This outfit features a killer Retrofete dress (I’ve had the wrap version on my wishlist for quite some time), a Balmain bag, and a Gucci barrette, that’s worthy of the ball drop on Times Square.
We all want to look dazzling when we ring into the New Year, but whether we wear a sequin gown that rivals a disco ball, or go for a low-key ensemble with subtle sparkle, we should search for an outfit that fits in with our signature style…and our New Years festivities.
And now for more “subtle” New Year’s ensembles…
The advantage to a day-to-night outfit and something more subtle, is that it’s more versatile. The cost per wear for any sequin piece is going to be extremely high. There are only so many occasion where “shining like a diamond” is appropriate.
And on that note, the more formal the item, the less you will be able to wear it, unless you frequent red carpet events. When pieces are only nighttime appropriate or considered “evening-wear”, we are likely to only wear them a few times a year, if that.
One way around this is to make your outfit New Years-ready with a statement and embellished jacket. A sequin jacket will get much more mileage than a sequin dress…consider this…you can wear a statement jacket atop leather dress for a night out, but also with jeans to dinner. I’ve included a few of my favorite statement jackets that would be the feature for a low-key New Years look.
Another shopping suggestion would be to pick separates over a dress. By selecting a skirt over a dress, you can mix and match it with more casual tops and blouses and make it work for more occasions.
A blazer jumpsuit or blazer dress is a great option to still look put together and wear something tailored, but you can make it more fun and festive with playful accessories, like lighting bolt earrings and an iridescent handbag.
Have a Happy New Year as you dress to impress and pop the champagne.
