Buy Quality | Cry Once

If you ever read my blog, I am sure you know I am an art geek with little fashion sense.. wait.. its the whole starving artist thing that I like to blame that on! So.. I have a great new guest blogger to help out on the fashionista front… labelleviegirl welcomes Bronwen!

About | Me

My name is Bronwen and I am a shopaholic.  I am also a wife, mother, lawyer, design enthusiast, makeup connoisseur, animal lover, handbag fanatic, sometimes student, and occasional personal shopper.  Since I stay more than reasonably busy (and live in a state with limited shopping options), I have learned to shop online.  I subscribe to the “Vimes’s Boots Theory of Socioeconomic Unfairness” which can be briefly summarized by the old adage “buy quality, cry once.”  Consequently, my purchases need to provide value for my money…they should be functional, beautiful, durable, or produce results.  My goal here is to introduce you to (or reacquaint you with) a few fabulous items.

Treasure | Me

Welcome to spring!  The “Treasure Me” is the latest design from the fabulous Jackie Cawthra of Belen Echandia handbags.  Despite recently giving birth to a beautiful son, Jackie and her team also brought out two new bags for spring (and still make time to talk directly to customers).  Following a shoulder injury last year, I have had to reevaluate my bag carrying standards.  This led to the quest for the perfect cross-body bag – probably the only handbag I will buy in 2010.  After debating the Louis Vuitton “Bloomsbury PM” and “Odeon PM,” the Marc by Marc Jacobs “Petal to the Metal” and “Natasha,” and a handful of Coach debuts, I found that I could not commit.  Photos of Reese Witherspoon with an unidentified brown bag caught my eye ….

via just jared

…but many hours of investigation revealed a Marni bag of years past…no longer available, and way outside of the price range I am willing to pay for a bag these days.  So I decided to create an ongoing Ebay search and bide my time.  Well, this week the reveal of Belen Echandia’s new leather courier ended my quest.  The “Treasure Me” is available in two matte leathers, tan (shown) and nutmeg, and pebbled leather in natural, a cream-to-nude color.

At approximately 14″ wide by 10.5″ high, the “Treasure Me” is the perfect size for daytime carry.  It has an adjustable strap, a perforated logo, and Belen Echandia’s signature fuscia lining.  My vote goes to the nutmeg matte leather.  If you have never handled BE’s matte leathers, this is an absolute treat — it rivals “new car leather” for fabulous leather aroma and ages beautifully, softening to a leather puddle over time.  BE is also a small enough design house to still provide personal service as well as quality products.  And if you don’t find exactly what you are looking for, you can order a bespoke bag in the color and options of your choice.  Jackie can even tell you the name of the artisan who creates your bag!  All BE bags are made by a small Italian atelier.

You can explore the possibilities at www.belenechandia.com.  Enjoy!

via Jackie Cawthra

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1. Little Wallet | Big Trouble
2. Urban | Utility
3. Modern | Retro
4. Symbiotic | Style
5. Summer | Bling