Parlez-Vous Handbags?

On my trip to Paris I wanted to bring back something that I knew you couldn't find anywhere else. On my walk around Saturday I stumbled upon Faure Le Page - right next door to Chanel on Rue Cambon. I'd never heard of the brand before, but I liked what I saw. 

Founded in 1717, Faure Le Page started as a French firearms manufacturer, playing a big role in the French Revolution and remaining in the same family until 1913. Today, they've expanded to leather goods and have a beautiful store offering hand-constructed bags, wallets, i-Pad cases, hunting chairs, and more. 

I came home with this grey leather bag and know I'll get some great use out of it...and, I'm pretty sure there won't be anyone else carrying it. 

So if you're in Paris, stop by Faure Le Page or Galeries Lafayette (where they carry it) to check them out yourself. Au revoir.  

What I Wore: A Little Leather Goes a Long Way

One of this season's biggest trends is leather. And I'm definitely embracing it - both real and faux. Let's start with the faux since you know we love a good splurge vs. save at Cardigans & Couture. 

ASOS Body-Concious Dress with Leather Look Panels and Short Sleeves

I'm a huge ASOS fan. With free shipping and returns, I usually order several pieces, knowing that I'm going to send many of them back. There was no way this dress was getting returned. I ordered one size up since it's really fitted, and I love it. The faux leather feels and looks much more luxurious than the price. 

While faux is good, sometimes you need the real thing. And when it comes to leather, it's definitely worth the investment if you know it can stand the test of time. Which leads me to this.

Trina Turk Alfred Jacket

Thank you Trina Turk for making the perfect blazer with buttery leather sleeves. Whether for work with a skirt or dress, or on the weekends with jeans, this jacket is a wardrobe staple. I also picked up the Mandahl Dress (now on sale) which is the perfect sheath dress to pair with my new jacket (excuse the bad photo). 

Are you bringing leather into your wardrobe this season? Here are a few ASOS and Trina Turk pieces I'd recommend if it's on the table.

Trina Turk Gelsey Dress

Trina Turk Stovepipe Pant

ASOS Sweat Dress with Faux Leather

ASOS Vesper Dress with Faux Leather Waist Detail

ASOS Pencil Dress with Leather Look Panels

ASOS Mango Leather Look Legging

K.Slademade

One of the items on my Christmas Wish List  was a K.slademade crossbody bag. I have been coveting this bag for a while now and am hoping Santa delivers...(maybe I should send him this blog post?).

For those of you not familiar with K.slademade, let me introduce you. "Kelsea, owner and originator of K.slademade, has an ongoing love for all things American; which is a big part of why back in 2010 she jumped at the opportunity to become an entrepreneur, designing and selling handbags. While her taste has refined over the years, she continues to derive much inspiration from classical American heritage using only the finest and most durable leather, zippers, and hardware to create a classically straightforward, sophisticated yet simple line of handbags."

Really, you can't go wrong with any of these bags. They are all to die for!

Two Words: Shop HERE 

Designer Profile

I recently came across the Swiss handbag line Van Astyn. Their philosophy is to create unique leather goods from the best available materials, shaped by timeless and practical design and finished with precision and elegant detail. Their bags are meant to be part of your life, every season, year after year. Here is one of my favorites from the website.

Check out Van Astyn on Facebook to see more of their beautiful bags!

File It

It's turning out to be a week of handbag posts. I love this File tote from Bare Collection. It's made of leather, lined in canvas, and comes in black, natural, cement grey, and blue. It was designed to tote around stacks of paperwork, but will hold much, much more.

File Tote $286