The solution?–Make a new hole in the strap.  This can easily be done by your local cobbler.  Since I am a regular customer, my cobbler doesn’t charge me for this service, but most shops will only charge a dollar or two. The task is accomplished in about a minute.  It’s a small thing, but it makes such a big difference.

This tiny adjustment allowed me to comfortably carry a cross-body bag around Paris.

Voilá!

purse – Liebeskind, Bloomingdale’s

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday , Real Momma, Real Style and Monday Mingle.

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© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

My daughter was fascinated; she had never seen pantyhose before.  She said that my legs didn’t look real, but like legs in a magazine.  They looked too perfect.  She compared them to Luke Skywalker’s prosthetic hand (she had just seen Star Wars the previous night and that scene left a big impression on her).  I couldn’t disagree.  Have you worn pantyhose lately?   Those things are really uncomfortable.  The crotch was hanging low all day.  (Is this how sagging pants-wearing young men feel?  If so, why would anyone want to walk around like that all day?  Try doing that in heels!)   Because I could only find a pair with control top, using the bathroom–pulling them up and down–was a nightmare.  I tried not to drink too much liquid that day.

I was also required to wear a black dress with pearl accessories.  If you know anything about me, that is not really my stylo.  This costume–black dress, pearls, pantyhose–was seriously messing with my Funkidivagirl style!  The challenge before me:  how can I look conservative enough–ladylike, if you will–but still maintain my funkiness?

First: the dress.  AllSaints, my favorite brand, makes black clothes, so I looked there while on vacation in NYC.  I had fun shopping at the gorgeous store in the Meat Packing district and found a dress that could work for the event, but that I could also wear in my real life.

Next: the pearls.  I have a pair of real pearls (a gift), but they are very “proper” and I was trying to interject my style as much as possible into this outfit.  I needed something else…appropriate, but chic.  I thought a long strand of pearls would look fabulous and I found the perfect pair at Henri Bendel.    A skinny patent leather belt pulled the whole look together.   I already had a pair of platform pumps.  I look like quite the lady, yes?

meeting & lunch

dress – AllSaints

pearls – Henri Bendel

belt – Nordstrom

shoes – Miss Sixty, Bloomingdale’s

This is how I will normally wear the dress: with patterned black tights, a funki belt and ankle boots.  This is the real me!

tights – Nordstrom

belt – Antrhopologie

necklace – Nordstrom

boots – Boutique 9, Bloomingdale’s

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday , Real Momma, Real Style and Monday Mingle.
        

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

brunch with friends

tank – Ella Moss, Bloomingdale’s

sweater – AllSaints, store within Bloomingdale’s

jeans – Hudson, Bloomingdale’s

boots – Boutique 9, Bloomingdale’s

Head to toe, I was styled by Bloomingdale’s!  (Can I get an endorsement deal?)

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday , Real Momma, Real Style and Monday Mingle.
        

© 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I wanted to wear the dress during my trip to Paris.  My husband and I had planned a romantic dinner for our last night in Paris, but I got violently ill that day and spent the evening in my pajamas instead.  While a Santa Tea isn’t the same as a romantic dinner in Paris, at least I got to wear the dress.  It was very warm today, so I didn’t wear anything on my legs.  I should have–my legs are so pale!

Santa Tea at St. Regis hotel

dress – Byron Lars, MyHabit.com

shoes – Miss Sixty, Bloomingdale’s

I have a holiday party tomorrow night and I’ll funk it up with tights, ankle boots, a clutch and bangles.  I don’t get a chance to look like this often, so I am taking full advantage of this festive season!

boots – Boutique 9, Bloomingdale’s

tights – Nordstrom

clutch – Hobo, Nordstrom

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday , Real Momma, Real Style and Monday Mingle.
        

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I enjoyed a coat-free afternoon in the museum, Centre Pompidou.   This shirt is so soft and comfortable, but has a bit of glam because of the glittery thread.  Splendid is one of my favorite brands.

an afternoon at Centre Pompidou, Paris

shirt – Splendid, Bloomingdale’s

jeans – Joe’s, Bloomingdale’s

boots – Ugg, Zappos

bag – Marc by Marc Jacobs, Bloomingdale’s

In the next two photos, I am dressed for the evening; I accompanied my husband to his business parties.  I joked with him that he brought me along to be his trophy wife.   I’m wearing my “rock star pants”–as my husband calls them.  They are very shiny and very tight; I can’t overeat wearing these pants!  I love this shirt–it made me break my “no skulls” rule.

private party at Bound Bar, Paris

shirt – Vintage Havana, Bloomingdale’s

pants – AllSaints

boots – Boutique 9, Bloomingdale’s

I have on the same rocker pants and boots in the next photo.  You can’t tell in the photo, but the shirt is sheer and has a ruffle on one side.  It’s really pretty as a shirt with a black bra underneath, but here I’m wearing it like a jacket because I thought I would be too cold in the tank alone.  The boots are pretty comfortable for such a high heel, allowing me to stand and talk for a long time during the party.

drinks and dinner at Café Etienne Marcel, Paris

tank – Ella Moss, Nordstrom

shirt – AllSaints

necklace – Swarovski, Nordstrom

I bought this bracelet from Galeries Lafayette that very day in Paris.  The designer was there and had a special display set up of her work.  She had really unique pieces and her work is just my style.  I will definitely check out her website for more jewelry to buy!

bracelet – Pascale Monvoisin

(Sorry for the crummy lighting in these photographs; our apartment in Paris was so dim!)

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I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday , Real Momma, Real Style and Monday Mingle.
        

© 2011 – 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I am in Paris with my husband for the week.  I was so excited to return to Paris, but I was nervous about visiting in the winter; I had heard that Paris can be bitterly cold in December.  I do not like cold weather, so I wanted to dress warmly, but I also wanted to be fashionable.   I think I did a pretty good job!  I have been nice and warm walking around cold and rainy Paris, but I feel chic as well.

coat – Soia & Kyo

boots – Gentle Souls, Nordstrom

purse – Liebeskind, Bloomingdale’s

hat – local boutique

sunglasses – Tom Ford, Overstock.com

On the street, on the metro, I study how Parisians tie their scarves.  It’s an art.  Here’s one way: I call it the “double-wrap tie.”

scarf- AllSaints

Yesterday I was outside most of the day with my coat zipped up, but I was glad that I had nice clothes underneath because we decided to go to an impromptu dinner at Buddha Bar.

shirt – Red Haute, Bloomingdale’s

jeans – Hudson, Bloomingdale’s

I had to show a close-up of these jeans because you can’t see the silver in the photo above.  I love these jeans; they are both casual and dressy and actually very comfortable.

Today it wasn’t very cold outside, so I wore a wool coat instead of my down coat.  I bought this coat at the last minute, literally the day I left for Paris, and I’m so glad I did; it’s perfect for 45-50 degree weather.

coat – Andrew Marc, Bloomingdale’s

scarf – local boutique

purse – Marc by Marc Jacobs, Bloomingdale’s

jeans – Joe’s, Nordstrom

boots – Ugg, Zappos.com

 What you don’t see: silk long-johns and wool socks from REI.  I am warm and able to enjoy Paris; it’s beautiful any time of the year!

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday  and  Real Momma, Real Style and Monday Mingle.
        

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

school event & running errands with mom

dress – Nordstrom

leggings – Mini Boden

jean jacket – GapKids

purse – Nordstrom

boots – Cole Hann, local children’s shoe boutique

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday  and  Real Momma, Real Style.
     

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I really can’t say enough how much I enjoyed the brunch!  The food was incredible and the dining room was so beautiful; there were several Christmas trees and plenty of bows and holly throughout the hotel lobby and restaurant.  Santa visited our table and live carolers strolled about.  We got married during the holiday season because I love Christmas and being surrounded by such a lavish display of Christmas, with my wonderful family, was truly a blessing.

anniversary brunch at Ritz-Carlton

 My dress – Anthropologie

 My boots – Bloomingdale’s

Girly’s dress – My Habit.com

Girly’s tights -Target

Girly’s shoes – Nordstrom

The Boy’s jacket – Gap

The Boy’s shirt- Nordstrom

Husband’s jacket – Banana Republic (Black Friday score!)

Husband’s black jeans – G-Star

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday  and  Real Momma, Real Style and Monday Mingle.
        

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

The salesperson warned me that the lipstick is really long-lasting and requires make-up remover to completely take off the stain.  She was right; once I put on the lipstick, it was there to stay.   It is drying and does cake after awhile, but the included clear lip gloss solves that problem.  In fact, the salesperson warned me not to reapply the lipstick, just use the gloss.    As you can guess, you will end up using more gloss than lipstick, but MAC solves that problem too; they sell refills of the gloss by itself.

My red lips were a definite departure from my normally neutrally-colored lips.  The day I wore the red lips, my daughter couldn’t stop staring at me.  I like the red lips, but I think I will wear this when I won’t be eating much or only for a few hours.  All day wear was too long; my lips were dry and the color is not forgiving at all.  You have to be very precise when applying this intense color because any mistakes outside the line are quite noticeable, and once it’s on, its on.

I will definitely wear this color in Paris next month; I think it looks very chic, very Parisian.  Ooo-lala!

I’m linking up on

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

In my last What I Wore post I had a photo of myself dressed for a shopping fundraising event.  I bought this pink shirt during the event because I can always use more casual, but cute shirts.  It was a steal on sale and it’s so comfortable.  I have on very dark washed Uniqlo jeans.    There is not a Uniqlo store in Georgia, but my husband is a huge fan from his travels.  We were in NYC during the opening of the global flagship store and he just had to go.  I have never seen anything like that!   There were hundreds of shoppers, but I believe there were also something like a hundred cashiers and dressing rooms, so it wasn’t as chaotic as it could have been.  It was the first time I have shopped there and it’s okay–like a hipper Gap.  The clothes are very basic, but at incredible price points–at least they were for opening weekend.  I think I paid $15 for these jeans and they are super soft and stretchy.   With pants on like this, there is no need for sweatpants.

french class & grocery shopping

shirt – Vintage Havana, Bloomingdale’s

jeans – Uniqlo

shoes – Converse, by Undefeated

The shirt was on sale and the jeans were cheap; the most expensive thing I’m wearing are the sneakers.  Ah, but they are truly the star of my outfit.   Undefeated is one of my favorite sneaker stores in Los Angeles and I bought these during our stay there this summer.  They are a collaboration between Converse and Undefeated.  The material is leather and nylon and they come with two extra pair of laces, orange and white.  So sweet.  I love the lace tips; they make me smile.

I think this is one of the reasons that my husband loves me: I’m a sneaker-head like him.

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday  and  Real Momma, Real Style and Monday Mingle.
        

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© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I liked Falsies well enough.  For sure it was the best drugstore mascara that I have ever used.  But I didn’t find it as “rich” as DiorShow.  I felt that DiorShow gave me thicker and longer lashes with just one coat while my lashes with Falsies looked thin and spindly.

Here’s a comparison.  Both mascaras are waterproof and I applied just one coat to each eye, on the upper lashes only.

In photographs the difference is slight, but I think you can see in the second photo that my lashes are thicker with DiorShow.  For my money, DiorShow is the better mascara.  Sorry cousin!

I’m linking up on 

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

doctor appointment and shopping

poncho – Project e Vintage, local boutique

long-sleeved tee – Gap

jeans- Gap Always Skinny

boots – Nordstrom

necklace – Anthropologie

Wednesday was a marathon afternoon.  First the kids had violin lessons.  Normally I wouldn’t wear a dress and boots (tier #3 dressing) to violin lessons, but I knew that I would be going straight to my writing class after a quick dinner and a fundraising shopping event at Bloomingdale’s right after writing class.  I wanted to be comfortable, but look nicer than my normal #2 level of dressing.  These boots are extremely comfortable and although they are rather plain in style, the color makes them interesting.   My husband bought this dress for me as a Christmas present last year; it’s one of my favorites.   I don’t carry this Marc by Marc Jacobs bag everyday, but it’s nice when I want to be hands-free, like when shopping or traveling.

kids’  violin lessons, writing class, fundraising shopping event at Bloomingdale’s

dress – Free People, gift from husband

boots – Nordstrom

necklace – Anthropologie

purse – Marc by Marc Jacobs, Bloomingdale’s

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday  and  Real Momma, Real Style.
     

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

My family and I were on vacation in NYC.  We were walking through the East Village on our way to Nicky’s Vietnamese Sandwiches….except we didn’t quite know where it was.   In true form my husband kept saying “it’s not far, just around the corner” as he held his iPhone straight-armed in front, Google Maps leading the way.   Meanwhile, my daughter and I were losing steam.  We had been walking all day in the rain and we were tired.  And hungry.  And wet.   “Not far, just around the corner” had been 15 minutes already!    All the village boutiques were closed, so I couldn’t even pop in and out of shops to keep my spirits up.     Just when I was about to share some *ahem* choice words with my husband, I saw them in the boutique window.   I love Converse and other alternative sneaker-wear, but these were about the coolest sneakers that I had ever seen.   They are made of the softest leather and while the buckles are functional, you don’t use them to fasten the shoes on your feet (because that would be a pain); there is a zipper on the side.

I stopped walking and said, “I want those.”  I don’t remember saying that, but my daughter told me later that I had.  She said I splayed my fingers on the window, pressed my nose against the glass and said, “I want those.”  She’s probably right.   All I remember is momentary heartache because all the shops were closed, then soaring hope as I saw two people inside the shop,  and finally elation as I turned the door handle and yes, the shop was open!    I asked for them, tried them on and was at the cash register paying before my husband even realized that I was missing from the street.    The entire transaction took about 2 minutes.   Sometimes I know what I want and I get it, just like that.   I love these shoes and wear them all the time.  They are perfect for my #2 tier of dressing (see what I mean on What I Wore: No schlubs Allowed ).

Have you made a recent purchase like that?  Something you fell in love with and bought right away?

I’m linking up on Monday Mingle over at BonBon Rose Girls.

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Honestly it’s a bit tough to jump back into blogging when I’ve been absent for a bit, so I was inspired to learn of a blogging link-up that prompts me to take photos of what I’m wearing and post them here on my blog.   I love to blog about fashion and beauty, so this should be fun!

I’m no frump.  I always look nice if I am going to an event , but at home it’s easy to fall into “I’m at home and no one will see me, so why wear anything but yoga pants”–if I let myself.  But I don’t.  I will only wear yoga pants to do yoga and if you ever come by my house and see me in a pair of sweatpants in the afternoon, wear a mask because it means that I am sick.    Just because I’m at home most of the time, doesn’t mean that I should look like schlub.  My husband sees me , my kids see me, I see me and I never want to see me looking like a schlub.

Here’s the key to staying schlub-less:  have a uniform.  Find a look that works for you and stick with it.  Also, get rid of any tired clothes–anything that is worn out or just doesn’t look good on you.  If it’s in your closet, you will be tempted to throw it on “because no one will see me” and that’s exactly when you will run into someone you know, looking like a schulb.  I like to get dressed (shower, make-up and all) in under 30 minutes, so I have perfected my uniform.  Or rather, uniformS since I have tiers of dressing:

#1  I’m at home all day and no one will see me.  In this case comfort is key, but I still want to look nice just in case….the nurse calls and I have quickly get a kid from school.   Just in case….I am taking the dog out to poop and a neighbor stops to chat.  Just in case….I need something from the grocery store.  Whatever.    Life happens and I don’t want to look like a schlub when it does.   For these days I will wear a pair of jeans, a long-sleeved tee and Converse or Uggs.

#2  I am mostly at home, but may run a few errands.    I will still wear my basic uniform of jeans and a long-sleeved tee, but the tee will be a little more fashionable.  I might add one of my Allsaints sweaters.  I still may wear Uggs or Converse, but maybe a pair of boots instead.  A necklace or bracelet adds some interest.   This is the level that I dress at most of the time and I realize that I don’t have enough “cute, but comfortable casual” shirts.  When I shop I tend to buy really nice clothes that I can’t wear in my everyday life.   I need to buy more shirts.

#3  I know that I will be around people–perhaps meeting friends for lunch, going to a school function or to church.   Now I will kick it up a notch and wear one of my AllSaints sweaters and boots with jeans or leggings.   Or maybe a Free People dress and boots.  I’m not one to wear a scarf unless I’m in Europe, but I think I want to try; I like when other people wear them.

#4  I am going to a party or a night on the town.  Ha!  This rarely happens, but I do have the clothes to wear whenever that blue moon appears.

Most of my daily wear falls into the #2 tier.  Here are two outfits that I wore this week–comfortable and casual, but no schlubbling allowed.

french class, grocery shopping, school meeting

shirt -Anthropologie

jeans – Gap Always Skinny

shoes – Ash Italia

necklace – H. Bendel

shoes – Ash Italia

taking The Boy to the doctor, taking Girly to dance class, Target

shirt – AllSaints

sweater – AllSaints

jeans – Gap legging jeans

moccasins – J. Crew

bracelet – Uno de 50, Paris

moccasins – J. Crew

Do you have a uniform to maintain schlub-free?

I’m linking up with What I Wore Wednesday on The Pleated Poppy.

I’m linking up with Real Momma, Real Style on Momma Go Round

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

It’s like this wherever we go: he tries on a hat, he looks ridiculous, and puts it back on the shelf.  Our summer spent in California was particularly hard because everyone wears summer hats.  I wore my hat every day.  Besides keeping the sun off your face, a hat really gives a person a certain panache.   They are not for the meek of fashion; you must be bold to walk about with something perched atop your head.   My husband wanted to be one of these hat-wearing renegades, but we really thought it was a lost cause until we found the most wonderful hat store in San Diego this summer, Goorin Bros.

photo: Gorrin Bros.

As you can see, it’s a gorgeous store and the hats are beautiful.   Goorin Brothers has been a family owned business since 1895 and their dedication to the craft shows; the hats are simply exquisite.  But before he could get excited only to be let down again, my husband walked in and cut right to the chase: “Do you have a hat to fit my head?”  The salespeople accepted the challenge and went to work.  They were confident that they could find a hat for him and to our surprise they did.   My husband was still tentative, as he was used to hat-wearing ridicule  (from us, his loving family), but he looked good and I told him so.  I also told him that you can’t wear a hat tentatively, if you wear a hat, you wear that hat!

Doesn’t he look dashing?  He’s wearing that hat!

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

There is some debate to who actually said this (Mark Twain gets most of the credit), but I can tell you that’s true; it’s very brisk here in The Bay Area.

I was in Los Angeles 2 weeks ago (cool in the morning and evening, but warm most of the day), San Diego last week (moderate temps all the time) and The Bay Area this week (see above quote). Depending on the region, California has such varied weather!

Today for our first day of touring The City I wanted to be chic, but warm (see above quote), so I dressed as my Parisian sisters would, adding tights and a scarf to my shorts romper. I have a jacket and hat for even more warmth until the sun comes out later in the day.

I’m excited to spend the day in San Francisco! Have a great day wherever you are!

*I’m blogging and posting from my iPhone, so please forgive any errors.

© 2011 – 2012, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

But *sigh* every once in awhile a girl’s got to go against her minimalist nature and get her fancy on. And if I have to endure the torture of a manicure then I might as well do what I can to have it last as long as possible. I had heard about manicures lasting up to two weeks using a special gel polish and since I had several events looming that required painted nails, I decided to give it a try.

It was a long, involved (and expensive) process. After each coat (base coat, 2 coats of polish and top coat) I had to put my hands under an ultra-vilolet light for several minutes. Do you understand that I couldn’t read or use my phone during the entire manicure? I just sat there, watching paint dry. Literally, I watched nail paint dry. It was pure torture. It took forever. But in the end I had beautiful glossy nails that were guaranteed to last two weeks.

Let’s see what happened:

Day 1: Perfection!

Day 7: The polish is still on and looking good.

Day 14: My nails have grown out quite a bit, but the polish hasn’t chipped at all!

After two weeks of traveling and not being careful with my polished nails at all, I can report that the manicure lasted as promised. My nails looked as good on day 14 as they did on day 1. Sounds good, right? Not so fast; it wasn’t over.

Removing the polish was even more involved than the manicure! I returned to the nail salon where they soaked my nails in pure acetone for over 30 minutes–and although they neglected to tell me this during the initial manicure, I was charged for this service.

I haven’t gotten a gel manicure since; it’s just way too much work for me. However, I would do it again if I needed to get fancy and wanted the polish to last awhile. Next time I know to bring a friend to talk to or a movie to watch on my iPad.

How about you? Do you like salon treatments? Have you ever gotten a gel manicure?

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Me?  I walked my daughter into class, took photos, talked to the teachers, had coffee with other parents, took the dog to daycare and went to the mall.  I had a gift card to Anthropologie and was excited to shop the store alone.  ALONE.  What a nice sounding word!  Let’s say it again: ALONE.  Hear it echo through the empty house?

My next stop was Bloomingdale’s; I figured that summer shoes would be on sale and I was right.  The sale was crazy; shoes on clearance and then marked down another 40%!   After taking my time in the shoe boutique–because I was ALONE, remember?–I strolled over to women’s clothes; I figured that the sale would be happening there as well.  Nothing good on sale, but this stopped me in my tracks:

Whaaaat?–I had never seen these clothes before, or anything like them at Bloomingdale’s!  And it wasn’t a rack or two of clothes, it was an entire in-store boutique.  The decor matched the clothes; both were visually stunning.  Quizzically I turned to the salesperson and she confirmed that this was a new addition to Bloomingdale’s, called AllSaints.

A 10 year-old UK-based brand, AllSaints Spitalfields entered the US market about a year ago within Bloomingdale’s 59th St. store.  Since then they have opened free-standing stores in Los Angeles, Miami and NYC-SoHo as well as several more in-store Bloomingdale’s boutiques.  The one in Atlanta had only been open a few weeks when I discovered it.

Someone on Yelp described the clothes as “boho-chic meets Mad Max.”   I don’t think they meant it as a compliment, but still it’s pretty accurate.   I love the look; it’s so me.  The clothes are sort of hippie–all loose and flowy–but with a rocker edge.  Yup, that’s me. With uneven hemlines, asymmetrical shapes, lots of leather, mostly black and earth tones, the clothes are at once both modern and vintage-inspired.  Here are a few dresses that I like:

The leather jackets are incredible; I’m saving my pennies to buy one.  Or maybe if my husband reads this post he can get a hint for a Christmas present.  AllSaints even have iPhone and iPad apps; that should make it easy for my husband to shop!

I bought this shirt.  The photo does not do it justice; it’s very fitted and sort of bustles in the back.  I plan to wear it with leggings and high wedges.  Dude, if I had a top hat, I would smoke ‘em!

AllSaints, I’m digging ya.  I see ya.  Eyeball to eyeball, I’m there.

************************

Other posts you may like about fashion:

Not For Your Fanny: Hip Bags Are Hip

Things I Like: TKO Watches At Henri Bendel

LA Stories: A Dog, A Hat And A Pair Of Toms Shoes

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

We all have nightmares about the fanny packs of yore.  Worn usually with tube socks, long shorts and big bellies, fanny packs were the preferred accessory of the unfashionable tourist.  I’m sure that is a big reason as to why Europeans hate us.  It’s valid.   Hence, we were all thrilled and relieved when the fanny pack disappeared.  (Or rather, mostly disappeared; it can still be seen at theme parks and Walmarts across America.  Another reason to hate Walmart.)

Well, I’m here to tell you that  belt bags or hip bags (as they are called now) are back.  And they are HIP!   They have been spotted on fashion runways and celebrities like Brooke Shields, Tyra Banks and Rihanna.

And now, me.

During our time in L.A. this summer I found a hip bag at one of the hippest (and my all-time favorite) stores in L.A., Fred Segal.

I LOVE Fred Segal!  I always find something unique when I shop there.  I bought a few things over several visits–bracelet, shirt, leggings, jacket–but I kept coming back to this bag.  I didn’t want to impulse buy (it wasn’t cheap), so I let the idea marinate for a couple of weeks.  In the end I bought it as a birthday present.  Happy Birthday to me!

The leather is fantastic and will only look better with age.  The fringe sold me; I love fringe on everything (you know, it’s the hippie in me), but it also happens to be a fashion trend right now.  The bag is made by Rubyzaar and upon researching the company I am even more pleased with my purchase:

Rubyzaar is a fair trade business that works mainly with female artisans and crafts people from Southeast Asia. We have collaborated with these artists to bring together traditional and contemporary designs forming unique products, which are handmade from 100% natural fibers. It is in our interest to preserve the tradition and quality of these crafts. We personally travel throughout the region and handpick very specific items from select artisans, forming relationships so that we can share their culture and talent with you.

If that isn’t enough, the company contributes to Heifer International, an organization I donated to when we gave my son’s preschool teacher a goat one year.  (In case you are unfamiliar with the organization, we didn’t really give her a goat…Heifer International gave a goat to a family in the teacher’s name.  A goat would have been an odd addition to the classroom.  I’m pretty sure that there is a school regulation health code prohibiting that.)

I got a chance to wear my hip bag in NYC while at Blogher.  During my last day in NYC I had several hours to to explore before my flight.  I checked my luggage at the hotel, threw on my hip bag and walked around Central Park for 3 hours.  The bag was perfect for exploring.  It could comfortably hold my camera, lip gloss, iPhone and a small wallet with i.d., credit card and cash.  My hands were free and my back didn’t hurt from carrying a shoulder bag.

It was handy to wear at the airport too, although I don’t recommend wearing a jumpsuit and a hip bag at the same time.  Whenever I had to use the bathroom, I had to remove the bag and take down my jumpsuit…not very easy on an airplane!

Yeah, I’m loving my hip bag.  But it’s not for fashion scaredy-cats; you’ve got to be bold, you’ve got to own it.   If you’ve got the fashion chutzpa to wear a hip bag, I say go for it.  But remember these few rules:

• Do buy a luxurious bag.  A cheap bag will look like a fanny pack.  A luxurious bag will look like a  statement accessory.

• Do keep your clothing simple, straight lines and not much other adornment.

• Don’t wear it with gym shoes.  Converse or some other hip gym shoe may be okay.  But running shoes?  No.

• And the most important rule of all: Don’t wear it on your fanny.  It is to be worn on your hip.  Fanny = you’re a mark.  Hip = you’re hip.

© 2010 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Did you notice that the brands I mentioned are trendy, boutique brands?  Luxetips and I, both fashionistas, wouldn’t be caught dead in “mom jeans”.  You know the ones: non-descript, ill-fitting, off-color with oddly placed pockets.  So honestly we approached the jean table at Getting Gorgeous NYC 2010 with some trepidation.  Miraclebody Jeans?  Hmm…we hadn’t heard of them, but we were willing to give them a try.

We retreated to a corner, tried on the jeans (stretch leggings for both of us) and instantly fell in love! The dark wash leggings were heavy without being stiff and just tight enough.  We felt hip, but still comfortable (these things don’t normally go together) due to the ample amount of spandex in the leggings.  We both agreed that we will live in these jeans come fall!   The dark wash and quality denim will allow us to wear these jeans dressed up or dressed down.   These were not “mom jeans!”

But, here’s the best part: the jeans are made to make you look 10 pounds lighter.  The tag on my jeans reads:

Miraclebody by Miraclesuit is handcrafted to shape and firm the body without using bulky linings or girdles.  Miracle Body supersoft fabric has twice as much spandex as the averave jean, our exclusive Miratex fabric as triple the holding power as assuring as a beautiful fit as well as a trendy style.  Look 10 lbs lighter in 10 seconds.

Now, as awesome as this sounds, I wouldn’t wear them if they didn’t look good.  And neither would Luxetips.  We’ve got reps to protect LOL!

Here I am, modeling my jeans for the family.  Yeah, I could get all sexy with some heels, but I rock Converse on a daily basis, so this is how I’ll be wearing the jeans most of the time.

I am wearing leggings, but there are several different kinds of jeans available.  At $88, these jeans are very affordable, but right now Miraclebody is offering my readers 10% off all jeans as well as free shipping and returns from 8/15-9/15.  Just enter the code “Take Ten” at checkout.

Look good and feel good, that’s what a good pair jeans ought to do, and Miraclebody does just that.

*Full Disclosure: I received a pair of Miraclebody Jeans as part of Getting Gorgeous NYC 2010, an invite-only event during Blogher 2010 weekend.  I was not asked to write this review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

© 2010 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.