Banana Republic Jewelry Review: Poor Quality – Do NOT Buy

No where to vent but here.

I’m not trying to buy investment jewelry but I wanted something that was nicer than Forever21, so I turned to Banana Republic. A stone on my bracelet fell off about a week after I purchased it! I could have glued it back into place but why do I need to fix something so new? I tried to return it and while I was at the store, I saw that the same bracelet on display was missing stones similarly. It wasn’t one but two that had that defect on display. RETURNED.

Another bracelet, leather ripped apart. WOW, even my fake leather from Target lasted longer. Mind you I wore this less than ten times.

Bottom line, don’t purchase jewelry from Banana Republic. Whoever their manufacturer is, does a piss poor job.

On that side note, I still have many of my Forever21 pieces and they’re still holding up! Plus, if they broke, what, they’re less than $10 or sometimes less than $5 a piece!

Philip Lim for Target

I get excited for all of Target’s designer collaborations but I never end up buying all that much. I think I returned every piece of the Missoni collection and of all the collections, Prabal Gurung was the line I purchased the most from. All of two items: lace up sandals and the sweatshirt (love me some sweats)! And oddly enough, one of my favorites from Philip Lim’s collection are the sweatpants! What? I’ve been looking for those type of sweats for a while…

The collage above is what I like best but I’ll have to trek to the store to see it in person myself. Quality and fabrics aren’t exactly the best but of course, you’re paying a fraction of their usual lines. Check out the full line at Refinery 29!

Croissant purse?! Oh, I think I need this…

Are Discounted Designer Bags Authentic?

There’s nothing more exciting than catching a sale but especially more so if the item is a designer item. Other than sample sales, which can be a hot mess, most people rely on luxury discount sites like Rue La La, Hautelook, Bluefly etc. Call me a skeptic but I can hardly believe that some of these bags are legit. Even more so after you google and investigate a little more. 

The lovely bag-obsessed ladies over at the Purse Forum have a ton of threads that may leave you worried about your discounted purchase.  Are these women paranoid? And are they really sitting there measuring their tassles? I also would be wary of authentication services you need to pay for. Who are they and what makes them an expert? Has anyone ever sent over images of a real bag and experts have determined it to be fake? (More to add to my google-research list)

To put in my two cents, even designer items purchased in store aren’t perfect. My Hermes is about 2mm off and my Miu Miu letters on my wallet aren’t spaced as evenly as PERFECT. They were purchased from the Hermes and Miu Miu stores respectively. So yeah, even if it’s not perfect – it could be authentic.

Here are some links of the shenanigans and you can determine this for yourself:

• http://forum.purseblog.com/balenciaga-shopping/rue-lala-713214.html
• http://forum.purseblog.com/fendi/warning-rue-la-la-sold-fake-fendi-omg-554410.html

Buy directly from the store itself to ensure authenticity. Most sales assistants will not/ cannot authenticate items so you’re left wondering if you just paid way too much for a very good fake. Some websites offer shopping online and if not, at least will list retailers where you can purchase. My lovely and well-worn Bbag is my favorite bag in the whole world, purchased from Barneys NY. Plus, if you buy it from the store – you can ask to see a few bags and select the one you like best. For Bbags, the texture and veining are sometimes very different from bag to bag. 

Just spreading the info. I’d hate to spend $1500 on a fake bag. How much is a fake on Canal st?! Probably a fraction of that.

In honor of my look today, I decided to look up the world CHOLA. My version seriously lacks the definitive eyeliner quality of the look but I am wearing more gold than usual. I just need some bigger hoops. That video is the first definition of Chola on urban dictionary – good for some giggles on an otherwise slow and dreary day.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Prabal Gurung for Target Madness

Ok, not like the Missoni madness and they weren’t buying, they were returning. But seriously, who buys this much stuff and returns it?! This couple literally had a BOX full of returns. Were they trying to ebay them and realized no one was buying?!

Prabal Gurung for Target Review and My Haul

I loved all the looks featured in the Prabal Gurung for Target promos, so obviously I had to trek out to Target to get me some of that! I figured, they learned their lesson from the whole Missoni debacle so I wouldn’t bother to wake up early or anything, though I did try to log onto the site at around midnight eastern time but nada.  The crazy Polish couple next door started screaming at 4AM, so what else was there to do than to shop online?!

I ordered the short sleeved black dress with the first date print running down the center and the black lace up sandals. Sweet!

Next morning, woke up at around 10AM and walked over to Target – yes, I live that close and yes, it’s HORRIBLE for my wallet! Everyone was generally laid back, looking at all the items and taking their sweet time. I picked up the dress I ordered online, a sleeveless first date print blouse, a red dress with the black panels, and the first date print sweatshirt.

The quality of the items were only OK. The black/first date print dress fit nicely and accentuated my waist. However, there was some puckering where the sleeves met the shoulder.  So I hoped the dress I ordered online would be sewn a little bit better (it wasn’t). The color on this was definitely not as vivid as my other items. The red dress looked pretty good but they didn’t have my size. The black panels on the back and the waist gave a nice illusion of a smaller waist.

I hadn’t realized everything I purchased was the same print until I got home. Time to ebay some of it off and hopefully make a little extra cash (probably only enough to buy myself a caramel macchiato, sigh). I LOVE the sweatshirt and I think my new fashion goal is to purchase as many ‘designer’ sweatshirts I can possibly buy. Hey, they are TOTALLY work-appropriate if they’re not some schelp-y sweats, right?

Now onto the shoes. I loved everything except of course, really they’re just glorified payless shoes. The ‘sulfur’ colored shoes are pretty decent except the clasp closure worries me a little. The finer details of the lace-up shoe were a little iffy, like the zipper. That’s how you can tell cheap shoes apart from nicer ones, take a look at how the zipper’s sewn. It’s pretty crude. BUT! They’re pretty comfy and for $40, they’re a keeper! I can walk more easily in these than the strappy sandal. I also purchased the flat sandals. The mirrored plates were really flimsy reflective plastic but they looked decent enough. Now comes the hard part – which shoes do I keep?!  WHICH ONEEEESSS?

Designer Sweatshirts

Are sweatshirts the new thing? There was the Proenza Schouler sweatshirt that was part of the Neiman Marcus + Target collection, then there’s the Prabal Gurung for Target sweatshirt (pictured above). Or is it just a Target thing?!

I love it. Sweatshirts don’t wrinkle and they’re basically winter time t-shirts. Also, I figure if I have dressier sweatshirts, they’re more work appropriate then my Friday sweatshirt hoodies!

Check out my pinterest boards for more sweatshirts!
https://pinterest.com/SuuEeE/sweatshirts/

Fashion Bloggers & Instagramming Food

No, I don’t need to see more instagram photos of fruits and waffles. What’s this – does no one in fashion eat steak and eggs for breakfast? Well guess what – I had a steak and egg burrito from ::gasp:: McDonalds! Yeah. I said it. I’mma fatty. (Ok, not really but I’m pretty sure I have fat cushioning all my internal organs with the way I eat).

Fashion Bloggers

I have to admit, the idea of being a fashion blogger is awesome. Dress up, take a photo of yourself and post it online! If people like your style – maybe you get a following and eventually sponsors, freebies and etc! I should clarify that I mean personal style blogs specifically. But once you put yourself out there, you’re going to end up on GOMI.

I think I like seeing what these fashionable young women wear – just to inspire me. Yes, dressing up is an EFFORT. Sure, for some it’s second nature but for myself – I have to think about it. What should I wear… what should I wear.

Here are a few I like to check out.

• http://songofstyle.blogspot.com/
  I like Aimee Song’s style the best. I dress similarly and can just copy a look if I’m lazy! Yay! She’s not necessarily FASHUN but I like.
• http://www.fashiontoast.com/
  Rumi Neely’s blog used to be a laid back kinda Cali girl style blog, now she’s all sorts of high fashion. Personally, I wouldn’t wear anything she does but the photos her boyfriend takes are more professional looking than other bloggers.
• http://thechrisellefactor.com/
  I think out of the three, she might be the most interesting. Or maybe she’s less predictable in terms of what she might throw on. What’s also great is that she includes tutorials, etc. So there’s a little more substance than just photos of herself.
• http://atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com/
  Came across her blog, courtesy of GOMI -lol. I think her style is great but I don’t think she comes across as effortless. It’s very much a thought out look that she seems to carry. Maybe it’s the costume-y nature of some of her looks. A little bit more editorial.

After reviewing their blogs – I think I’ve noticed a trend. Most of them play coy, and seemingly sweet demeanor for the camera.  Rumi might be the exception with the fierce (per Tyra).  Kinda like how a child plays dress-up.

I should post some outfits. If Marie ever sees this blog, it might be cute. I LOVE looking at old photos of my mom. And damn I knew I should have kept some of her old clothes!!!