OK. I changed my mind on something. I mentioned that a certain “it” bag was “just not my steez,” but I woke up one morning with a completely different attitude.
“No, no. I need that bag.”
That bag is this bag (more colors here): the Staud Moreau, shown above and below, and, while it isn’t cheap, at $375, it’s a lot more reasonable than your standard It Bag goes.
I placed it in my shopping cart, but couldn’t pull the trigger. The voice of one of my readers was in my ear: “But is it practical, when you’re holding or running after a baby?!” (She’d asked this of a very impractical sweater cape poncho thing I bought last fall, and made me realize that even eight months into motherhood, I was still buying clothes without thinking about utility.)
I sat in a weird limbo state for the better part of the week. Part of me said: girrrrl, if you love it, buy it. (The devil part of me.) I still find excuses for wearing “impractical” things, like my beloved heeled Isabel Marant booties, and my favorite Alexander Wang clutch — things that shouldn’t work for a young mom, but that I force into the rotation through sheer will. The other part of me wondered whether I shouldn’t be saving my shekels for that perfect backpack I’ve been trying to find (read the comments – lots of suggestions!).
While ogling over pictures of street style babes with their jaunty Staud Moreau bags, I also came across a flurry of pictures of chic, mainly French, women wearing netted shopping bags as accessories. My mom had one of these in the late 80s, for groceries and pool gear, but there they were — looking shockingly chic. The best part? They cost $8 on Amazon.
You can also get colored ones here, a jute variation here, or a sweater knit one here, but I’m partial to the natural-colored $8 one, which I promptly ordered from Amazon.
P.S. More solid budget buys here.
P.P.S. More other of-the-moment microtrends worth noting, and a blast from the past I’m still coveting.
P.P.P.S. This was restocked in pink!!!! It’s sold out twice now…
Would I be too far off with my version of this great cool bag for less?
This: https://www.amazon.com/Sky-Fish-Reusable-Shopping-Vegetables/dp/B078T4BM6V/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1522080512&sr=8-14&keywords=Mesh+jute+bag
With insert of
Option 1: https://www.amazon.com/Leather-Bonsai-Shoulder-Circular-Handles/dp/B075CFY5G4/ref=sr_1_58?ie=UTF8&qid=1522080670&sr=8-58&keywords=small%2Bleather%2Bbucket%2Bbag&th=1
Or Option 2: https://www.amazon.com/Clearance-AmyDong-Succulent-Handmade-Planting/dp/B079PWFZHH/ref=sr_1_48?ie=UTF8&qid=1522080848&sr=8-48&keywords=Hard+leather+bucket
I actually think the flower bucket would be so cute and Spring feeling that it just might work? What do you think?
That is SO creative! OMG! I’m so impressed. I actually think option 1 might work best — you will HAVE to share if it turns out well!
Don’t you love when you find a way to scratch a fashion itch without dropping a lot of $$? Love this solution!
P.S. I’m wondering if your sweater cape is the same one I bought from J.Crew? I feel the same way about it, and I don’t even have a toddler running around! I’ve worn mine once. :-\
I’m thinking we own the same cape — it had buttons down the front to make it “convertible” (into what, I’m not sure — who wore them unbuttoned?). It is pretty prohibitive of movement, but I do remember wearing it one cool fall day, one of the first days I lived in New York, and pushing mini around in her stroller through Central Park, wearing white denim (yes, in October) and my Gucci mules and feeling like a million bucks in my new hometown. So I have weird googly eyes when I think about it. BUT NO, not practical…and I think that’s the only time I wore it aside from occasionally around the house when we had guests, because you can’t wear it under a coat! (Dumb!)
Ahhhh yes, we are totally cape twins. I actually bought mine a size larger and found it to be quite long, so I unbuttoned one button and stuck my arms through the holes — without doing that it would have been impossible to wear.
I also giggled because I, too, wore mine with white denim (in December! Even crazier!) on a day I stayed indoors (at a family party), because the COAT issue … ughhh. It’s definitely not on the functional side. Thinking I may consign it next fall!
Smart move! I agree – it’s only practical indoors, and then only when you have guests, because otherwise it’s a bit much…bleh.