ONE HUNDRED & EIGHT/ crossing over to coach

I never, in a million years, thought that I would have to sit down and write this post. Coach is a fairly controversial brand in many fashion circles and everybody that I meet seems to have a strong opinion on it in one way or another. I will admit to being one of those people who used to detest it. The streets of my hometown, Ottawa, is littered with their monogram bags; it is simply impossible to escape them.

The amount of hatred that I once harbored toward Coach was wee bit obnoxious and I now see the error in my ways. When the brand first started out in the 1940's they made the most beautiful leather pieces and I still long for a great beaten in leather vintage piece from the handbag giant. My admiration for the brand started to drop off when their monogram bags started to become their main attraction. Their monogram pieces attract a lot of people but they are definitely not my desired taste.

Coach has been SHOCKING me recently. I've discussed this with a handful of people and no one really knows what to say about this topic. What we used to view as a relatively boring and lifeless brand has done a complete 180 and I believe that can all be attributed to their new(ish) creative director, Stuart Vevers. He really took a struggling fashion house and rebranded it to something great. I admit that it is a bit edgier and younger than their previous lookbooks, so it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I. am. smitten.

Am I a hypocrite for falling for a brand that I once hated? Probably, but I like to think that it means that I just have an open mind. Was I way out of line for not giving them a chance for so many years? Maybe, but I'm really super excited with what they're doing lately. I can't wait to see their upcoming seasons and I'm eager to see how the brand is going to progress from here. Are there any brands that you can't seem to connect with in any way? I'd love to know what you all think.

Here are some pieces from their Spring 2015 collection that I could totally see myself wearing and that are currently on my lust list:

BASEMAN X COACH 'wild beast short peacoat' and 'buster le fauve reversible leather jacket'

'fluff jacket', 'fluff coversize coat', 'swagger carryall', 'PRARIE zip wristlet in ocelot print'

All thoughts are 100% my own. This post is not sponsored in any way, shape or form.

ONE HUNDRED & FOUR/ what's in my bag pt 2

Since I've been talking a lot about handbags lately (what else is new?) I thought that it would be the perfect time to do an updated 'What's In My Bag?' post! I'm extremely nosy and I live for these sorts of posts. Lately I've been carrying my Longchamp Le Pliage bag but I've been switching it up the past couple of days and wearing my 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli instead so that's what will be featured in this post. I'll try to find the names of everything pictured and add links if they're still available for purchase.

If you'd like to see my previous 'What's In My Bag' you can find it here.

ONE HUNDRED & THREE/ handbag collection video

I've flirted with the idea of making a YouTube video for what seems like forever and now I can say that I finally did it! Being a handbag fanatic I thought that it would only make sense to start off with a handbag collection video. I hope you all enjoy, I was extremely nervous making it. Be sure to check out Aurelia's videos as well and please let me know what you think!

EIGHTY-FIVE/ confessions of a bag lady

I read this interesting article not too long about about shoe people vs handbag people and how they approach fashion. When I finished reading the article I just sat there and stared at the screen; it was like a rude awakening. I was truly a shoe fiend in my younger years but my love for bags has come up swinging recently. After reading that article I thought about the progress of my personal style and I found that since converting to a bag lady that I definitely let my bags be the focal point of my outfits. It's no secret that I adore dark coloured basics and designer purses - if my personal could be summed up in a sentence it would be that. But it wasn't always like this and I'm a bit confused how this came to be.

In high school I had a sneaker collection that would make you sick. I had sneakers in every colour and for every occasion. As I evolved I branched out from sneakers - I dabbled in boots, flats and for a short time, even heels. I even used to work at a shoe store so I that I could have access to the latest and greatest kicks on the market. Back in the day I cared so much about my actual clothes and I would try to wear outfits that would coordinate with my footwear to ensure that I stood out as an individual.

Maybe it was all just a phase but I've definitely seen a shift over the years. Now, I let my bags do all the talking. I'm still trying to figure out how to process this information and some days I even feel like a failure in the world of fashion. When I think about my personal style I wonder why I can't have it all. Is it so hard to mix a statement shoe, killer clothes AND an amazing handbag on top of that? Is that just too much fabulous for the world to handle, you can only restrict yourself to one look or the other? Is it just me? Am I just that lazy? I can never imagine myself giving up my admiration for handbags but I want to start in-cooperating more intricate and beautiful clothing and shoes into my daily routine as well. This adventure in personal style will definitely be a journey and it is one that I fully intend on going on with a fabulous handbag still by my side.

For the simple look pictured below I just wore a soft white blouse, my favourite black skinny jeans from Forever 21, a classic denim jacket, a lightweight scarf, a pair of glittery Converse and the new love in my life - my 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli. Although it is still rather basic, I tried to throw on a pair of statement shoes to match the hardware on my bag so they compliment each other. My style is definitely always evolving and I'll always be a work in progress - but such is life.

JACKET/ Old Navy TOP/ Addition Elle JEANS/ Forever 21+ 

SHOES/ Converse (gifted) SCARF/ H&M via Consignment

HANDBAG/ 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli (medium size)

Photos by Laura Kidd

EIGHTY-FOUR/ autumn '14 lust list

I can't believe it has been over a month since I've blogged. A lot is going on in my life right now so I haven't had the chance to actually document my outfits of the day and I haven't had a second to sit down and write a post. Truth be told, this summer is flying by right before my eyes. It seems as though I always have an excuse up my sleeve as to why I haven't updated, but believe me when I say that this summer has been hectic for me. Even my Instagram has been lacking in content. My life should be back on track by the end of August or for the arrival of autumn; I always look at a new season as a new start. Like always, I apologize for my absence and I will make an effort to keep updating this blog. I haven't given up yet, and I refuse to in the future.

As for right now - I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of autumn. It is by far my favourite season (for fashion and otherwise) and pictured below are items I'm currently lusting over for when the leaves change colour and start to fall. There's just something about leather goods and perfumes/colognes that seem to mesh so well with the colder months and shorter days, don't you think?

RED Valentino / Jeffrey Campbell 'Oriley' Booties / Balenciaga Paris / Chanel Chance / YSL L'Homme

* I understand that L'Homme by YSL's target audience is men (its called L'Homme for godsake), but that doesn't really mean anything - it smells intoxicating on all genders. I highly suggest you go and smell it if you haven't already, I'm positive you'll fall in love.

SIXTY-NINE/ the muses of marc jacobs

Every morning when I wake up, I immediately check my Instagram. What can I say? I'm a creature of habit. This morning I was elated to see pictures of the Louis Vuitton SS14 campaign, featuring the "muses of Marc Jacobs", uploaded onto Louis Vuitton's official account.

The pictures simply took my breath away.

I, like most people who follow fashion, was heartbroken when Marc Jacobs announced his departure from the iconic brand. I personally think that he is a creative genius and of course news like this does come with a bit of a silver lining; I'm excited to see his energy based mostly on his own brand and I'm interested in seeing what the new creative director for Louis Vuitton will dream up.

His work with the Louis Vuitton brand will surely go down in fashion history. Let's all take a look and admire the final collection. *cue tears*

source: stylebloguk

source: nocigarmagazine

* All thoughts are my owns / all pictures are referenced back to their original sources.

THRIFTED THURSDAYS/ two

Confession: I am a crazy bag lady. I love bags of all kinds and I have them in a whole range of styles, colours, shapes, materials and price points (nothing too high street yet, but hopefully soon!). In my opinion, you can never have too many bags.

This multicoloured wicker(?) basket bag I scored from Value Village, for under five dollars, is probably my number one favourite in my collection. I have worn this bag to its absolute death. The strap is currently attached to the body of the bag by a twist tie, so far it's working but I don't know how much longer it will hold out. I'll definitely cry when it breaks for good.

Before I started the blog, I would wear this bag with almost every outfit. There are so many colours it can match with and I adore the gold tone chain shoulder strap. Sadly right after I started this blog is when the chain decided to crap out on me so I only really bring it out for special occasions now. It gives me something to look forward to and my mood is definitely elevated every time I wear it.

My first ever blog post / Ottawa Fashion Week (February 2013)

* Top pictures were both taken Laura Kidd, bottom picture was taken by myself.