However, I need fret no longer with my recent purchase of Envirosax reusable grocery bags.

These bags are so light and best of all, roll up into a very compact roll that fits right in your handbag, so you can’t even tell its there! Its also quite large and can fit quite a lot. It also fits up to 20kg so that’s 2 bags of rice! The other nice thing is that they come in loads of colourful designs to suit everyone’s taste.

Now, I have no more reason to forget my reusable grocery bags! Envirosax can be purchased for RM26 from Tiny Tapir.

Everytime I go into the Celine boutique, I play with the bag and then tell myself that its impractical because there is no zip top. Their leather is always sumptous and supple and just amazing. But at Rm5000 a bag, all I can do is play with it in the store.

And then, I saw a version of the iconic Celine Boogie bag with a zip!

Ok I couldn’t find pictures of it in leather but this is what it looks like. Essentially, a Celine Boogie bag with a zip.

It is rather large though for an everyday handbag. At 5′ 2″ I looked like I was carrying a luggage tote bag. Still, the leather was the typical supple soft calfskin leather of the Celine Boogie AND IT WAS MARKED DOWN BY 50%!! Retailing at RM4XXX it was now RM2275 or something ridiculous. I wanted it.

But there were only 2 colours - Navy blue with white trim and Tan with dark brown trim. Both I thought looked a tad tacky and looked like gym bags. Not what I’d want to use a Celine bag for!

If you’d like to check it out, go to the Celine boutique at The Gardens (Inside Isetan) and check out the sale rack. The leather is to die for, but the size and colour is a bit of a miss for me.

This is the bag in question. I wrote about the Greenwich Leather Bag from Banana Republic a while ago. At the time, it was new and going at full price of about RM890 or something similar. The Banana Republic store in The Gardens only had it in Black when I decided to get it with an American Express 15% discount.

This very same bag is now going for a hefty 40% off at Banana Republic! I am so tempted to get it but it’ll be nuts to seeing as to how I already got myself a couple of new bags recently. But still… 40%!!! It brings this wonderful leather bag into an affordable price range. The leather is beautifully soft and supple and its roomy but not large.

Temptation… will someone please go and get it so I don’t see it again at BR?

Coach stores are having their semi-annual sale here in Kuala Lumpur. Discounts are up to 30% off on selected lines. This usually means older collections from say a year or two ago. If you are eyeing a bag from that time this would be a good time to get it.

A 30% discount puts it somewhere in the region of the price it would be if purchased retail in the USA so whilst its still not dirt cheap, its about as cheap as it’ll ever get here in Malaysia! Also, nothing beats instant gratification of walking out of the store with a new bag in your hot little hands

Enjoy shopping!

I want!

Its a nice size and fits well on my shoulder. It can also be held nicely in the hand without having it skim the floor. It is slightly heavy though.

I don’t own a white leather bag. I reckon since its leather it would be easier to clean than any other material. Sigh… I need to look at it again.

Louis Vuitton Madeleine PM
 
In Ivory Epi leather. Its roomy and structure and hangs nicely from the shoulder. Its also not abominably heavy. The thin shoulder straps bug me though. They feel and look insubstantial when compared to the rest of the bag.

Louis Vuitton Lockit 

I like the handles. It looks and feels substantial. I also rather like the design. It comes in epi red and black and ivory. I’d skip the ivory although it does look lovely in white. I know i’d just dirty it in no time! Black is a nice safe colour although red could be awesome for a bright spot of colour. I wrote about the Lockit MM previously. The Epi leather version doesn’t come in that horizontal design unfortunately.

Sigh…

Here are some designs.

So, what do you think?

I had the opportunity to play with the Cole Haan Genevieve collection recently. They had the Triangle Tote on the left and the Hobo on the right.

The weave is really interesting because it is woven into a 3D effect - thicker strips on the outside getting thinner as it approaches the middle. It is very well done and it looks like a woven basket. The color I saw was Marigold (as per the Hobo) which is a bright yellow and very Spring 2008.

Although I loved the shape of the Small Triangle, I decided not to get it in the end, because it does not have a zip closure. It closes with a lobster clasp and tends to gape at the top. You’d have to hold it very close to your body to keep your items safe and I felt that defeated the purpose of carrying a handbag.

The Hobo is nice but quite conventional and quite large. The weave makes it an interesting bag but otherwise it is quite normal. The leather weave felt a bit stiff, but I’d expect that it’ll soften with use.

Nice bags. Too bad I could not find a use for either. Next!

I like the leather on Cole Haan bags. They are of excellent quality and very soft and supple. Very nice for an everyday bag that will take some abuse.

I’m partial towards the Genevieve Small Triangle Tote (First in the picture) (US$395). Its got a nice shape and size. I can only imagine one problem with it - there is no zip. True, there is a clasp, but still, I’m wary about bags without zips.

For a zippered bag, the Genevieve Hobo (2nd in picture)(US$425) would be a better choice. It reminds me a little of the Coach Ergo Hobo though.

I guess I’ll have to check out Cole Haan’s stores here in Malaysia and see how the Genevieve Collection feels. But from previous experience with Cole Haan, prices here are marked up quite high compared to the US prices - pity really. I think they are pretty under-rated and definitely worth a look.