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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Marianne: Clare Vivier Messenger Bag

This is not a super exciting outfit. It's a lot of black, under the field jacket you've seen me wear one hundred times before, with a scarf thrown in for good measure.

Oh! But I am wearing my new Frye Veronica Short Boots, which I have been wearing almost nonstop and let me tell you, I am not really sure how I've made it so long without a pair of short moto boots. I kind of can't stop wearing them, they are so comfortable and stompy and just tough enough, but I can still wear them to work. Perfection.


But enough about boots (is there such thing as talking enough about boots?), in my handbag trifecta post I mentioned that I got a new bag. And you know we love new bag day around here. Over the holidays I was given a gift card and decided I'd use it to splurge on a new bag. I have been admiring the Clare Vivier messenger bag for a while, it seemed roomy, but lightweight, and I've been itching for a navy bag. I will be honest and say that I didn't think they are worth the $363 retail price, so I've been watching eBay and keeping an eye peeled for a discount code.

So, when I found a 30% off and free shipping code from a really random website, I took the plunge. That was an over $100 discount, and I knew from my eBay research that these bags are selling for over $300 used on eBay, so if I didn't love it I could make money on it. Crafty. I'll admit that when I first got it, I was unsure. It didn't seem as big as I had hoped and it's so slouchy there is no shape to it.


However, after a week of carrying this bag, I've kind of fallen in love with it. It holds a ton of stuff, without ever looking ridiculously huge. It is so butter soft that I can't stop touching it, and I love the touches of gold in the hardware. Because it's not lined, it's really light, and I just added a pouch on the inside for smaller essentials.

I think it's one of those things that will just look better with age. It's simple, a great color, and fabulous leather, and it's quickly becoming my favorite bag. Just like that.
 
So what do you think about my new purchase?

top: Old Navy Maternity (similar here and non-maternity version here)
pants: Paige Union Corduroy Jegging- on sale! (similar non-maternity corduroy jegging for < $30)
jacket: Doki Geki (high end similar here and inexpensive similar here)
boots: Frye Veronica Short Boot (less expensive similar here)
locket: House of Harlow Medallion Locket
scarf: Fred Flare Zebra Crossing Scarf
bag: Clare Vivier Messenger Bag (another cute leather messenger for under $200)
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7 comments:

  1. LauraBorealisJanuary 17, 2013 at 11:26 AM

    That is a gorgeous bag! I have a Clare Vivier travel bag (it looks very similar to yours, except much larger and a camel color) that I got on a great sale from Anthropologie last Christmas. It might be my best sale purchase to date.
    I love the navy color of yours, and the slouchiness.

    I have a bag-related yet off-topic question for you: as an almost-first time mom (due in 3 weeks), what do you recommend for a diaper bag? I don't see myself carrying a purse and a diaper bag, so I'm thinking that I'd like one large satchel-type bag that can fit my personal stuff (wallet, phone, small cosmetics bag) plus all the junk for the baby. Suggestions? I love your style, maternity and non-maternity, so I thought you'd have great ideas. Thanks so much!

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    Replies
    1. MarianneJanuary 17, 2013 at 11:34 AM

      Aw, thank you! And congratulations on the baby-to-be. As far as diaper bags, I am still considering this Baggu backpack: http://www.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=338220681&pid=uid9024-1592032-43&utm_medium=widget&utm_source=Product+Widget
      It's cute, and lightweight, and I'm due in June so it seems summery and appealing. And my husband won't be embarrassed to carry it, either. I'll probably pop a clutch into it with my stuff.

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    2. LauraBorealisJanuary 17, 2013 at 11:57 AM

      Thanks so much for the super fast reply... that's a really cute bag. And the backpack style (hands free!) is a really good idea. Thanks for the suggestion!

      I am loving the Trifecta series. You two are my favorite bloggers!

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    3. MarianneJanuary 17, 2013 at 12:00 PM

      You're welcome! I like how inexpensive the backpack is. I also really like the under $200 messenger I linked to above. The pockets are nice and it's a good size, but I'm probably not spending that much for a diaper bag. Let me know what you end up with and good luck!

      Delete
    4. baniJanuary 18, 2013 at 1:23 AM

      Diaper bags (plz note my extensive knowledge and understanding of the American language) from Elodie, SkipHop and OiOi are very popular over here - I had a friend who had a supercute bag in green corduroy that looked just like a normal bag, and she had it mostly for herself. It just had extra pockets.

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    5. LauraBorealisJanuary 18, 2013 at 5:22 AM

      Thank you for all the brand suggestions, bani! Sorry to derail the topic from beautiful bags to bags you put gross things inside :) I'll investigate the options and report back!

      Delete
  2. NieshJanuary 20, 2013 at 12:26 AM

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