55cm x 40cm x 20cm & Nothing Over 100ml

When I booked my flights to Corsica, taking luggage onto the plane was going to cost £60, £30 each way (thank you so much, Ryanair). So, I decided to screw the extra charge, and instead attempt to pack a weeks worth of stuff into a carry on bag. The Ryanair restrictions for a carry on bag is 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, so off I went to buy a tiny, tiny suitcase. The trouble is, that my handbag has to fit into it too.

I absolutely loathe packing, so I decided to spread the horror over several days. And this is where I am now…

These are the clothes I’m taking...

(and I demand credit for waiving my usual three-outfits-per-day rule)

...And this is the tiny, tiny suitcase...

Is this starting to look like a losing formula?

Well, luckily I have done a good deal of packing in my time, and am extremely shrewd at packing things into things. So… Here we go…

To Market, To Market...

Yes, I spent my lunch hour (plus, ahem, a little extra) yesterday browsing the strange and wonderful treasures of the Spitalfields vintage and antiques market. You can buy everything from a '50s barber's chair to old military uniform, to costume jewelry and absurd knickknacks from the corner of a cockney geeza’s attic.

After browsing with a much more hurried eye than I would have liked, I added to my collection of junk a fabulous costume necklace (possibly from the 50s), two black and white ‘prints’ (which are really pages pulled from art books, and cost a single British pound each) and the most stupendous black satchel bag from Blondie.

Today, I discovered something even more fabulous (impossible to believe, I know) Blondie’s sister store, Absolute Vintage. Which is an enormous collection of vintage clothes, and I picked up this cerise dress. The belt needs replacing with some wide velvet ribbon, I think. But mainly, I love the cuffs. Pearl buttons? Delightful...

I have fallen completely in love with Spitalfields. Every day there is something new and different to discover, all colourful, all fascinating and all utterly fabulous! If you’re in London, this is a must-visit.

The Seductive Smell of Leather

For my 21st birthday, I was given a Mulberry Bayswater. It is the perfect bag. Mulberry has a unique way of designing bags which last, and last... Good quality leather, not easily scuffed, and classic styles which transcend season-to-season trends.

The current collection is no exception. My grandmother left all of her grandchildren a little money in her will, and I think she would approve of it being invested in my beloved handbag collection... A PS1 bag is a pipe-dream, and from what I've heard, wouldn't be able to withstand the extreme conditions my bags face day-to-day... But a Mulberry bag, with its way of always being on-trend, and classic at the same time, is a very agreeable alternative...

The only question now, is... Which one?

Alexa Chung with the 'Alexa'

The 'Alexa' - looks a little structurally unsound...

Kate Bosworth with the 'Leah'

The 'Leah' - definitely in the running, but in Hazelnut instead of Kate Bosworth's 'mushroom'!

Fearne Cotton with the 'Daria'

The 'Daria' Hobo - enormous... good or bad?

The 'Bonnie' - not dissimilar to the amazing saddle bag from Stockholm Street Style

Saddle up...

I desperately want this saddle bag! I love a Chanel bag as much as the next girl, but the bag on the right is really something… Where is it from? How can I get one?!

Source

I'm Obsessing...

...over the PS1 bag.

MK has several, the lucky thing,

and Leighton Meester is also a big fan.

Alana Zimmer even braved the snow with hers!

And, since I have 2,500 words to write about women in Victorian comic literature, I naturally thought it a good idea to spend a long time on Polyvore designing a fantasy outfit around my fantasy bag… if only I could get it into my mind that there is direct correlation between doing well in my degree, and being able to afford crazy expensive bags!

(Jeans: J Brand, Cardigan: Vince, Tunic: Fred, Sunglasses: Ray-Ban, Watch: Hermes, Camera: Leica x Hermes Limited Edition, Lipstick: NARS, Boots: Lanvin)

Siiiigh...

(Jeans: J Brand, Cardigan: Philip Lim, Lipstick: NARS, Shoes: Ferragamo)

Source: Coolspotter, Bag that Style, TPF

Satchels for Spring

I am loving the satchels that are hitting the shelves. I'm hoping to find a cute one for Spring, but in the mean time, I am COMPLETELY IN LOVE with this Proenza Schouler bag... If one of my kidneys was worth £1,560, I would sell it for this!