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Coffee Break: Lee Radziwill Tote

dark brown woven tote with loose straps

Oooooh. Oooooooo. I really like this bag from Tory Burch which, sure, looks like it was strongly influenced by other designer bags like Hermès (as carried by Lee Radziwill, no doubt) — but I feel like the textured leather accents differentiate it enough. I love this dark chocolate leather woven one (which can fit a 13″ laptop, according to ToryBurch.com), but this slightly lighter brown version with strips of leather at Nordstrom is also calling my name. I also love the slightly dusty blue-teal interior, which I feel like is often a great color to wear with brown. (What IS it with me and brown this week?)

You can find the bag in a ton of different sizes from $548-$1598.; I believe the largest size is pictured at 12″ tall by 12.6″ wide by 6.2″ deep. You can find them at ToryBurch.com, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, and more.

(Also: love this smaller square crossbody also!)

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Sales of note for 12.5

75 Comments

  1. Going to a wedding in Michigan this weekend. I am not from a humid place – how do I keep my hair and makeup looking nice in the humidity? I believe the entire wedding takes place outdoors. My coarse, wavy hair is very susceptible to humidity already, so I’m sure I’ll be a frizzy mess.

    1. IME Michigan is not that humid. I was there earlier this summer and it was refreshingly crisp compared with the SEUS.

      2. Ok, I guess I should have said, “I live in California where we don’t really have humidity, so the 84% humidity that weather dot com is showing seems like a lot to me.”

        1. Eh, it is not that bad. If you are worried put your hair up. Anti-frizz products don’t work.

    2. I started using Color Wow’s Dream Coat styling product before I blow dry and it tames my frizz like nothing else.

    4. I’d recommend mousse, or maybe a tiny bit of gel. Your hair won’t feel great but it will look nice. Try it out before the wedding because if you put too much on it can make hair look wet/ solid.

    5. Michigan is generally not humid, so you shouldn’t have to worry much. Avoid glycerin in your hair products to reduce frizz, but it’s not like Florida.

      1. Is it medium humid? Coming from Seattle summers to Chicago, my hair goes nuts. Or it did when I had more than an inch of hair. My answer has always been lots of hairspray.

    6. For the hair, tbh I would style it in a pretty pony rather than mess with a long, loose style in August!

    7. Michigan is not known for being humid, but if the wedding venue is by the water your hair will frizz. I second the pretty pony or updo.

    8. Michigan definitely has its humid days but it’s been quite lovely this week. It looks like we currently have rain in the forecast for the weekend, though, so depending on where you are in Michigan it might be more damp this weekend.

  2. We are going to Italy in a few weeks and will be in Verona and Rome for just one night each (I know, I know!). We have hotels booked but I’m looking for someplace fabulous for dinner in each city. Any suggestions? It doesn’t have to be fancy, just good.

    In Rome we’re staying at the Anantara Palazzo Naiadi on Piazza della Repubblica, not far from the Trevi Fountain. In Verona we’re staying at Boutique Hotel Scalzi, not far from the amiptheatre.

    1. In Rome, we had a great meal in Trastavere at Le Mani in Pasta. Also highly recommend getting an aperitivo at Hotel de Russie in the courtyard.

      1. oh, and, in case you were tempted, give the “Juliet balcony” a WIDE berth.

        If there will be a performance in the Arena while you’re there, just walking around Piazza Bra and listening (and watching the performers run out to the dressing rooms!) is delightful.

    4. In Rome, our favorite dinners were Pianostrada (super fun restaurant run by women chefs in a cool space) and Roscioli.

      1. Roscioli is excellent, although you may have difficulty getting reservations. Armando al Pantheon is also very good.

    6. I just looked at the Roman hotel’s website. I found it amusing that they put Diocletian’s baths in 306 BC. Silly Romans! They’re off by 600 years.

  3. How are the Rothy’s driving shoes? So cute. I’m a sucker for that look. Also, in a Rothy’s vs Birdies lineup, for triangular feet, is it a toss-up or is there a clear winner?

    1. Love the look of the driving shoes but they’re a hard sell for my triangular feet. Even with added heel pads my feet slip. But that was true for me of the points and round toes.

  4. I am going kayaking in Florida with my boyfriend over Labor Day weekend. This is some kind of tour, not a self-planned thing. I think the hope is we see some animal – manatee? Turtle? Dolphin? Not sure. He’s promised we are in a duo kayak, I absolutely hate kayaking and canoeing as I have crap arm strength and my family typically yelled at me for being to slow growing up. Haven’t done it in 15 years. Anyway, what do I wear?? I’m scared of falling in, scared of flashing strangers, don’t love the idea of having my rear end hanging out. I’m probably a size Small to Medium depending on the brand. None of my ruffle one piece swimsuits really seem to fit the bill here, but I’m worried workout gear will be gross if I fall in. (Yes, im being a little melodramatic and yes everything will be fine… I just hated it growing up so that’s my mini vent) Help?

      2. Yes to this. And sunglasses on a floating strap thingy if you’re fond of them and worried about losing them if you fall in. But you probably won’t–I find kayaks WAY more stable than canoes.

    2. I call tandem kayaks divorce makers (well, anything tandem really). So it could be a good compatibility test!

      Yes to swim shorts and a top.

    3. Let him do the paddling. You’ll want to wear water shoes of some sort. A pair of workout shorts over any swimsuit is fine. Rashguard on top, doesn’t matter if you can see the outline of some ruffles.

    4. Swim tops and shorts are fine, but it’s also fine to just wear shorts and a shirt. Likewise, water shoes are great, but I wouldn’t buy them if you don’t have them. Just don’t wear anything that will be ruined if it gets wet. An old tee shirt is better than a nice workout top. A hat is a good idea too, but make sure it has a strap, won’t blow away in the wind, or wouldn’t be a huge loss if you did lose it. My experience with these kinds of trips is that they’re pretty casual and nobody’s looking for a high speed paddler or a fancy dresser, just to see the sights.

      1. going on a, say, 2 hour paddle around Singer Island with a bf who will do the paddling doesn’t sound like a bad way to test the activity as an adult no longer with an obnoxious family!

        1. Yeah, I had bad memories of kayaking/rowing as a kid. Went as an adult and it was really fun! The equipment was much better and the life vest wasn’t a stinky, moldy mess that weighed 50 lbs. And no one yelled at me to keep up.

          I’d get swim shorts and one of those rash guard things. So if you fall in, which is probably pretty unlikely, I think those are things that would dry fast.

    7. I did a kayaking tour in Florida a few years ago and it was a blast! It was about 15 people and it wasn’t hard to keep up – my mom (in her 60s) did just fine. At the end our guide let us sort of take off at our own speed and my brother smoked all of us. I think I wore a rashguard with athletic shorts; didn’t have water shoes so I just wore flipflops and went barefoot in the boat. I hope you have fun!

      1. Same. And some unsolicited advice – If you are going to do this activity as a compromise or support for your BF, go ahead and figure out what kind of tour it is and be interested in it for the period of the run-up to and length of the activity and the period when he wants to talk about it after. If you actually hate it after trying, you can decide to decline in the future.

    9. If you don’t have a rash guard or swimsuits, a swimsuit with athletic material shorts will be completely fine too.

    10. I am not outdoorsy in the least, but I went on a moonlight kayaking tour in South Florida last fall and it was nice. Wear things that you don’t mind getting wet, and definitely something like water shoes or crocs since water will slosh into the kayak. You will have a life vest, so it might be embarrassing if you fall, I suppose, but not dangerous.

      I originally thought we would want a tandem kayak – SO is an aging ex-athlete who is still pretty strong – but the guide suggested separate kayaks if we wanted to maintain the relationship. (What he said: “Kayaking with another person is hard. You can’t tell who is doing something wrong – but you’re pretty sure it’s not you.”)

      I was 61 and not in particularly great physical shape at the time (I’m trying to blame COVID for that), and I certainly don’t have good upper body strength. I struggled a bit to learn the mechanics of paddling, but once I got it down I was the fastest of our little group (my SO and a young couple maybe aged 30). My arms did get very tired; the trip was maybe two hours, and I was all-over tired and a bit achy when it was done, but it was worth it.

    11. Put sunscreen everywhere, especially your legs – they’ll be out in front of you the entire time. The back of your neck, your ears, your hands, etc. I always go in shorts and a rashguard, your bum might get wet and if there’s a long t-shirt that might get wet too. Quick-drying or swim shorts should be fine. I’d wear water shoes if you have them, you might have to walk in the water a bit and flip flops are slippery devils.

    12. Running shorts and some sort of tech t-shirt/tank. Old race shirts are perfect for this sort of thing.

    13. I just did a manatee kayak tour, although the only manatee we saw was right when we put in because the rest of the tour was in water about 2 feet deep. Not sure why it was called a manatee tour. The paddling is easy, but if they take you in narrow mangrove tunnels maneuvering is tricky. If your boyfriend knows how to paddle, go tandem and let him do it all. If he doesn’t, take separate kayaks because two inexperience paddlers are worse than one.mWear a long-sleeved sunshirt or rash guard, a hat with a brim that protects your neck, sunglasses (with a floating lanyard if you would be upset to lose them), shorts, and flip-flops or water shoes. Lots of sunscreen, bug spray, and water. One of those waterproof pouches on a lanyard for your phone and keys is nice, although your tour company may provide dry bags.

    14. Shorts and a t-shirt over your bathing short will work if you don’t have a rashguard and swimshorts. Bring water, bug spray, sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses. Sit in the front and let him be the captain of the ship! Just do what he asks you to do with the paddles as he will carry the weight. You are not likely to fall in.

  5. Plumbing question – my house was built in the 1940s, and we’ve recently started noticing that our main bathroom has been clogging more frequently. What’s the best next step to take here? Do we hire a plumber to come look at it? If yes, any recs in the Twin Cities metro area?

    3. possibility of roots growing into your sewer line?

      (I presume you aren’t flushing anything that isn’t organic or plain old TP — no wipes, tampons, or anything else — if so, stop that asap, just because it disappears from the bowl doesn’t mean it should be flushed!)

    4. I’ve had plumbing woes in the Twin Ciites in a 1960’s home. I highly Dean’s plumbing to others. Our biggest issue to date was a tree root growing into our main line. The services to fix the problem were expensive, and in general Deans is probably a little more expensive than other plumbers in the area. But a lot of their work has a warranty and they were easy to work with.

    5. The toilets could have calcium deposits. If that’s the case they should be replaced. The good news is that’s a standalone job and affordable. It’s about $600-$700 for a toilet replacement in my HCOL area, including labor.

      1. Second this IF you can confirm that’s the issue. Toilets don’t last more than 20 years or so.

    6. With that vintage of a home, I’d expect it’s tree roots. Call Ron the Sewer Rat (weird name, I know) to clean out your line before you get a plumber involved. Are you seeing any backup in your basement? At my last St. Paul home (built in 1941) I had to have my sewer line cleaned every 12 months or things would start backing up in the laundry room in the basement.

    7. 1910 house here – our clogs became a lot less frequent when we stopped flushing tissues.

  6. The last 3 days I’ve noticed that I feel warm to the touch (like if I touch my face or neck), and my temp comes up at 99.8-100.4 on my home thermometer (which normally is 97.8 for me). Otherwise I’m feeling fine. I’ve taken covid rapid tests each day and they are negative. I have a social dinner tonight (indoors). The people I am seeing are vaccinated and are less cautious than average but I am mindful of waitstaff, other patrons, etc.

      1. no, because a 2+ degree fever you’re sick from Something, even if the Something is not Covid.

      2. Absolutely not. My rule is “don’t go anywhere if you have any symptoms whatsoever.”

    2. You have a fever. You’re sick. There’s a decent chance it’s Covid (my husband’s first – and for several days, only – Covid symptom was a low grade fever that never got above 100.4) but even if it’s not Covid, it’s some other virus that you shouldn’t be spreading around. Allergies don’t cause you to run a fever.

    3. Ar you sure you are measuring accurately and aren’t just hot? The 100+ temp might be indicative of something, but I know I’ve had a temperature above 99 a lot of afternoons (my place faces west and gets warm in the afternoons), when there’s no chance I had COVID or anything else. But I am also in the menopause years so am running hot lately.

      1. I’m guessing you have a higher baseline temperature. Individual body temp can vary a lot. If she regularly gets readings of 97.X on this thermometer, a temperature above 100 is almost certainly a fever. It’s the relative increase that’s significant.

        1. yep, I agree with this. I feel warm and sick-ish at 99.5 because my baseline is about 97.6, a full degree below “normal.”

        2. Thank you all for confirming. I didn’t want to miss this dinner but such is life! It’s just super weird because I feel totally fine.

          1. People are likely right, but note that if you are in the latter half of your menstrual cycle (after ovulation), taking your temperature in the evening, and it’s hot, this may be normal. My normal AM temps in the first half of my cycle are 96.9-97.4. My normal PM temps in the second half are 98.4-98.9, higher if it’s hot. There’s a surprising amount of variance!

          2. I don’t think this is normal for OP, though, because she’s just noticing that her skin feels hot to the touch. If it were normal for her she wouldn’t notice anything different.

          3. I’m the one who commented above about my husband having nothing but a low fever for the first few days of Covid. He felt completely fine and honestly we probably wouldn’t have thought to test if we hadn’t just been traveling and didn’t have a visit with my 70-something parents coming up. We were both pretty shocked when he got a faint positive result on the second day of his fever.

    4. I would be really pissed at you if I went to a dinner and ended up with COVID, and later found out you knew you were feverish but attended anyway.

      1. This happened in my social circle and people are VERY MAD at the person who was sick but went to the party anyway and turned it into a COVID super-spreader event. (That’s how I got it.)

    5. I just had an appointment with my doctor and she was complaining that people seem to think it’s okay to go out so long as it’s not Covid. I don’t want your cold or flu any more than I want your Covid.

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