Trending This Winter: Minimalist Conversational Pieces by JORD


I think watches are a great accessory and when they are well made they are forever pieces. Watches are pieces you can pass down to children and grandchildren. In fact my fiancé’s favorite heirloom is a watch that is a couple generations old.

So when Jord approached me to try one of their wood watches I was very happy. The watch I chose was the Frankie in dark sandlewood and emerald. The dark sandalwood is a rich dark brown that goes really well with the emerald watch face. I especially love the emerald watch face which is perfect for the winter time. The numbers on the watch are a nice bright gold.



Pros

Quality- the watch is well made and the wood is smooth and easy to wear. The clasp to the watch is very well made and secure when latched.
Color- the colors are deep and rich. The emerald has inspired me to try to find a handbag in that color as well.
Watch function- the watch works very well and I love that the numbers are in a bright gold. I also love the seconds hand which not all watches have.
Packaging- the packaging of the watch makes it easy to give the watch as a gift!
Cons

Size- I think this was a bad on my part but the face size of the watch is huge. I by accident ordered the men’s version of the watch and it’s a little overwhelming. But on the other hand my grandma loves it and tried to steal it because the watch face is very easy to read! (The pictures below are compared to the women’s Frankie in zebrawood with navy.)




Overall I would highly recommend any Jord watch. I think they are well made and reasonably priced. They have great styles for both me and women and would make a great present! Plus with the nice packing all you would have to do is stick the box in a giftbag!

For the chance to win $100 of a JORD Watch of your own, enter here! Everyone who enters will automatically receive 10% off. Good luck!

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Week of 1/21- Best Fashion Articles

  1. Spring/ Summer 2019 Fashion Trends: Looks You Need To Know – Who What Wear UK

I love that leopard print is still going to be in… but I am not going to lie I could do without the 80s revival containing! And be addition of bows make me very happy as well.

2. Standout Street Style Looks from Fall 2019 Fashion Week– E! Online

Love all the Beige and Pastels! Note these pictures are mainly from men’s fashion week.

3. Is Neon Green the Fyre Festival of Fashion? – Page Six

I could do without the neon green.

4. How to Wear: Brown on Brown– The Guardian

I love caramel and black so I think I can get behind Brown on brown

5. These Spring Bag Trends will Make you Forget it’s Freezing and Miserable Outside – Cosmopolitan

I could do without the lanyard trend because I don’t think that’s a bag trend but i love the clamshell clasps and the box snapped bags. Feeling very Marvelous Miss Maisle!

Chanel on Sale?!?! Unicorns (or at least unicorn sales) do exist!

Owning a product from Chanel is often for lux lovers like myself the ultimate goal. Besides Hermes, nothing is harder to obtain than a very coveted item from Chanel. Not only is Chanel expensive but often produced in limited quantities. So it would seem very odd that they would have sales. I had often heard whispers about Chanel being on sale but that always seemed to be in relation to find a gem at the outlets like Saks Off Fifth and Neiman Marcus Last Call.

But then i started following Luxe Hunt (seriously you should all follow her) and realized that Chanel sales happen TWICE a year at places like Saks and Neiman Marcus. These sales are in store only and normally require the help of a great sales associate (or SA for short). To even know what is on sale you normally need an SA to send you pictures of the item as nothing about these sales appear on line. Each store gets different stock and sometimes regardless of how on top of the sale you are the item you want in the size you need never went on sale.

So what does go on sale? Anything that is seasonal minus handbags and small leather goods (or SLGs). So think seasonal shoes, ready to wear and jewelry. That means if you have been dying after a pair of ballet flats but want the beige and black ones that you are out of luck finding them new on sale (but check out here for the options The Real Real has which is wear I bought both my pairs of ballet flats from.) But you COULD find last seasons bright colors classic ballet flats on sale! Unfortunately for me the bigger sizes are often already sold out (my theory is that Chanel does not produce as many of these sizes) so I had never been able to partake in the sale previously- even though believe me I looked!

Thanks to Luxe Hunt I was able to score a pair of beautiful espadrilles for $507! Yes that is not crazy savings (only about 35% off since retail is $725 plus tax on the particular pair I got) but for Chanel espadrilles I had been eyeing for years, that often resell used for about as much as they cost retail, it was worth it. As you can see the pair I got is a very classic pair. They are what Chanel calls a “flat white” but in fact they have a little bit of sparkle to them (more of an ivory), with the black cap toe. They came with their box and dust bags which is not something I would get with a used pair of espadrilles. Plus they are not worn in and stretched out by someone else which for me having bigger but thinner feet is often a problem.

So what are some tips for the Chanel sales?

1- Know When the Sales Are- Every year the exact days of the sale change but there is always one in the summer (around June or July) and one in the winter (around December or January). I normally find out about them via Instagram or my SA. I try to post about the sales as soon as I heard about them so make sure you follow me. (And if you don’t click here.)

2- Have a Relationship with an SA- This was really hard for me to build because I am often ignored by SAs because I look young. Luckily, I now have a great sales associate who loves that I am a bargain hunter and is always helping me try to track down things I want during a sale. The funniest thing is that she doesn’t even work in the Chanel boutique or the shoes at Neimans- she works in designer handbags!

3- Know Your Size- Chanel sizing is a little weird. Not all of their shoes come in half sizes (which is really annoying) and in general their shoes run about half a size small. So for example, I wear a 41.5 in the ballet flats and a 42 in the espadrilles. I have never tried on their heels but I bet I would probably need a different size in those too!

4- Luck- Honestly, have of the sale is being lucky enough to be the size that is on sale or lucky enough to snag the last one or the return. So best of luck to everyone out there!

2019 New Year Resolutions- Shopping Edition

I am not a big New Year’s resolution person. I find that if there is something i need to change in my life i do not wait for the New Year to do it. For example I decided back in August that I wanted to be more heathy than i had in the past year (thanks work), so I now go to the gym 3-5 times a week (and believe me I HATE going but i love candy too much so) and i don’t do scales (literally my doctor hates me) so I just focus on eating healthy. I didn’t wait for the New yYar because I knew it was a change I needed to make then. But as 2019 came around I decided I wanted to get better about my shopping habits. Maybe it was all the great deals i scored during the holiday sales or my over flowing closet or my new obsession with learning about fast fashion, but I knew I wanted to make a change to how and what I buy. Below are the guidelines I am going to try to stick to for 2019. Will I slip up- probably but will i let that stop me from trying to follow my goals- no!

  • 1- Stick to Basics– I often get distracted by trends. I will see the same style all over Instagram and everyone will look so cute in the pieces. Deep down I know that’s not the look for me but I often find myself buying the item…and then it sits in the closet. Plus a lot of the trendier items are from fast fashion retailers like Zara and Forever21 which is something I am trying to stay away from.
  • 2- Conscious Buying– I want to be clear about my new fast fashion kick- I am not saying don’t ever buy fast fashion. I think fast fashion definitely has its time and place. I am not a billionaire and therefore love the cost savings of fast fashion. What I am saying is that I don’t want to buy a piece just because it is cheap. I often find myself wandering around in a big fast fashion retailer buying something because its “only $10”. That should not be the reason you pick up something. The reason should be because you need it in your wardrobe and it is a good addition to your closet. So with every piece I am buying I am going to think how does this work in my wardrobe? Where can i wear it? How many times will I wear it?
  • 3- Follow the Wishlist– I love to write out lists and I especially love to write out wishlists. Items on my wishlist are things I have been eyeing for awhile and have researched. Therefore they are way better purchases then the random designer item I find on sales. Sales often lure us in because of the deal. But if not the exact color, size, or item you want there is a good chance you buy the sale item AND the one you really wanted on your wishlist.
  • 4- Don’t buy multiples (unless it really is your favorite shirt)- I have a tendency to find something on sale and buy it in ten colors when all I really needed was one. I normally have a clear favorite and will only wear that one color. So again I need to make sure not to fall prey to the sales.

Places to Buy Preloved- Fashionphile

It’s no secret that I love to purchase preloved items! There are many reasons to purchase preloved but the big three for me are 1-save money, 2- unique pieces , and 3- sustainable fashion. But just because I love to buy preloved does not mean that all preloved sellers and places to purchase are equal. Each week I am going to review a different preloved retailer including the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Fashionphile

Fashionphile may be one of the best known preloved resellers in the business. Voted the number 8th most googled brand in 2018 along with the likes of Louis Vuitton and Gucci, they have grown exponentially since I started purchasing from them in 2016.

I had heard of Fashionphile in 2015 from the lady who worked the front desk of the building I lived in. She mentioned it to me when she saw me getting a package from Tradesy. We quickly bonded over our love of designer handbags and she mentioned Fashionphile. I took note of it but didn’t really look into it until I ordered my Celine Micro Luggage for my 25th birthday present to myself.

Since then I have ordered 17 bags from them. Of the 17 I have returned 5 of them with no problems. Only one of those returns was from description issues.

Cheat Sheet

Descriptions: Excellent written descriptions and pictures

Shipping: Free ground shipping

Return Policy: 30 days from delivery and free return shipping

Authentication: Done before the item is listed on the site

Pros and Cons

Pros

Fashionphile is undoubtable one of my favorite preloved sites because of all the information they give you. They give you the year the bag was made, the date code (if applicable to the brand), accessories (if the bag has any), and a full tab stating the description and condition of the bag. They include a lot of pictures and normally zoom in on any major flaws.

Every item is authenticated before it is listed on their site and they have a 100% money back guarantee if something is found to be a counterfeit good. This is true for the handbags, shoes, jewelry and other designer accessory they carry.

Fashionphile also has a buyback and selling program. Within 180 days of your purchase Fashionphile will take back your bag for about 70% of what you pay. Fashionphile also purchases preloved bags either outright or on consignment.

They do have a section of their website where goods are marked down 10%, 20% and 30%, as well as a last call and an outlet. Even better is they do have sales which can often be combined with the already discounted prices.

Cons

Fashionphile is known for having higher prices then a lot of other preloved resellers. I think this is due to the fact that they do have good brand recognition and they are in tune with the market. For example, Fashionphile will know that an item is hard to find (like the LV Palm Springs Mini Backpack) and will markup the price to more than retail. This practice angers a lot of people but honestly I just think its being smart.

Recently I have also seen a lot of complaints about Fashionphile and their customer service. Since I have never had a truly bad experience I was intrigued to learn more. I found our that Fashionphile has a D rating by the Better Business Bureau and often has customer service issues, especially when it comes to international orders. Their customer service is known for being unresponsive and unhelpful. I will have to say the one time I emailed Fashionphile because my bag came without the Fashionphile dustbag no one responded.