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Dark, dark burgundy seems to be the new color this season, including this lovely Charles David bag (also available in black, charcoal, and camel). I like the sunburst detailing on the front, as well as the interesting hardware for the straps. And it's a great sale, too — was $350, now $192.50 at Endless.com. Charles David Marina Large Satchel Update: a reader points out that it's even cheaper on Amazon ($140) — great catch! Charles David Marina Large Satchel Back to Top
Preggo Angie
Oooh… to not have to worry about a future college fund! Wonder if Target makes a knock-off.
zee
You know, I used to think the same way. I used to buy target, etc bags but found that I was going through them (they broke, or looked completely unprofessional after a short period of time) at a rate that equaled the price of the more expensive bag, and I was creating additional waste in the process (4x$30 bags vs a $120 bag that lasts at least 4x as long). I can’t speak to Charles David quality, but it really is worth it sometimes – you can’t just look at the price tag.
Ru
Nice bag.
I was waiting for a shoe post but I’ll post it here. Does anybody have any of these shoe cabinets from Ikea? I like the idea of them, as they keep the shoes enclosed but I’m wondering if they’re worth the space investment:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/bedroom/10456/
Anonymous
I think these would be nice if your main shoe storage area is somewhere visible, like in your front hall. It could double as a table to put mail and keys on next to the door. If you mostly keep your shoes in a closet, though, I don’t think it’d be worthwhile.
AIMS
I keep my shoes in the closet but they always get dusty, which is very annoying. I would love a shoe cabinet! Sadly, am lacking space.
Anonymous K
I have three of the four-compartment Hemnes one and I love them! I have minimal closet space but an oddly wide hallway (with rooms/doors only on one side), so they allow me to store some of my shoes in my hallway. The only negative is that they must be screwed into the wall, so they may not be the best for renters or for someone who is unsure whether or not she wants to use them.
For me, they are worth the space outside my closet because there’s no way I could store all of my shoes in my closet (along with all of the other junk that’s in there). Like Anonymous said, I’m not sure they’d be worth the space if you plan on using them in your closet.
Kaye
We had the Stall (featured on that page), the 4-compartment one. For some very high heeled shoes it doesn’t work so well because they don’t fit. Also, my boyfriend’s shoes are too wide so he could only fit one pair in each compartment, but I could fit 2 pairs of my shoes. We didn’t screw it to the wall – if you don’t have kids, it’ll be fine. We didn’t use the provided legs though, and so we couldn’t push it all the way to the wall which was a bit awkward. If you use the legs then you have to screw it to the wall.
I love having a dedicated shoe closet. I now use the Billy bookshelf with attached doors; it’s great, I open it and I see all my shoes at once.
N
A friend of mine bought a bunch of the Trones ones in black, and filled the lower part one of the shorter walls in her hallway with them – so that it looked like the wall had been expanded a bit on the bottom of the room. On the top level, she had coat-racks.
I thought it was a really clever use of the wall – it did not protrude any more than a pair of shoes standing there would have done, but at the same time there were no shoes standing around looking disorganized. It just gave a very clean look.
Ru
Thank you for your responses ladies! I’ve “visited” these cabinets twice already. I’m at the point where I’m either going to a) bring all of my shoes to Ikea and see if they fit in one cabinet or b) throw away a LOT of books and stick my shoes in one of my bookshelves. Alas, that doesn’t solve the dust problem and I really wanted to get rid of the shoe boxes. Regardless, here’s to spending a 3-day weekend organizing shoes!
jm
It’s even cheaper on Amazon — only $140.
MM
Lo-o-o-ove. Can this be my new “tote papers/files around” bag? It appears to be the right size.
Non-work related question
Random question for ladies with sophisticated style.
My sister is getting married next summer, outdoor ceremony, and wants to have something other than flowers for bouquets and centerpieces. We have a few decent ideas for non-floral centerpieces but are coming up empty on good non-floral bouquet ideas. The only thing we can think of are fans. Her motivations are two-fold. First, she is looking to reign in the budget so the alternative will have to be less expensive than flowers. Second, the venue is not near her home and she wants to avoid dealing with local florists in an expensive tourist town. My sister’s style is simple, Audrey Hepburn-like. Thoughts?
dee
I recently saw wedding photos were the bride/bridesmaids carried balloons. It’s certainly an interesting idea.
Another Sarah
I know it’s still floral-like, but what about instead of bouquets, her and the attendants hold one flower in their hands? Something bigger like a sunflower or a rose, depending on her colors? I know some will say nay to this, but she could also do nicer silk flowers…
If she has enough attendants, they could each carry the “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue,” up the aisle…
C2
LOVE the something-borrowed-something-blue idea.
Candles?
Anonymous
Origami centerpieces are lovely. Not sure how much they’d cost though. I’ve also seen “bouquets” of origami flowers that were just gorgeous.
surrounded by lawyers
Seaglass or shells, if it’s my kind of tourist town! (i.e. a port)
sf
Sun parasols for the bridesmaids?
I’ve also seen produce (namely artichokes) in table centerpieces before.
Ballerina girl
I had a friend who got married in a beautiful old barn. They had big bowls of apples, pears, and other rustic looking fruit as centerpieces.
sittininla
my bridesmaids didn’t carry anything! They just clasped their hands behind their back.
i'm nobody
i’m sure it was lovely, but i’m sorry, i’m just getting a visual of goose-stepping field marshals in bridesmaid dresses.
Anon L
One of the NY Times featured weddings discussed on Above the Law this week discussed a bride who carried oragami (paper folded) flowers. There are pics of the flowers in the slide-show for the wedding on the NY Times website.
Anonymouse
How about some colorful puffy tissue pom-poms? I’ve seen them all over party/design blogs strung on thread and hanging around parties – really pretty. Could be too informal for some weddings though.
ES
just spend some time wandering around etsy. there are tons of various hand-made flower-like things, or you could do feathers or something like that. i like the idea of something like a hand-made flower, because then the wedding party would have a token/gift from the bride.
KelliJ
Check out these handmade flowers from Emersonmade. She has a wedding line.
http://www.emersonmade.com/collections/brides-and-brides-maids
KelliJ
I don’t see the giant flowers that I was pointing out, but a lot of the big flowers can be converted into something, I guess. I did see this which might serve as some inspiration.
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0033/3992/products/EM10160-poplet-18.jpeg?1286402840
Kaye
Hm, interesting – why do brides have to carry something? I never thought about that. Same for bridesmaids. Funny how traditions evolve – it’s not like we carry stuff around for the sake of it at other occasions.
How about each bridesmaid buying the same evening clutch that matches the dress and carrying that? At least that’s reusable, and buyable in advance – not sure if it’s cheaper.
I think if I were your sister I’d just not have the bridesmaids carry anything and get myself a simple bouquet.
Silicon Valley In House
We just went to a wedding where the bride and bridesmaids carried bouquets made of vintage brooches.
M
this was also shown on thirdcoastbride.com it looked really neat!
Anonymous K
I’ve seen this as well and it looks amazing, but it’s actually generally more pricey than flowers, so if cost is a concern, it might not be the best suggestion.
Louise
Does your sister have a favorite charity or cause she supports? If so, perhaps the centerpieces could reflect that. For instance, if she supports the local animal shelter, each table could have a collection of animal-related items (bags of dog treats? leashes?) that would be donated to the shelter afterward.
Other examples: Tools to donate to Habitat for Humanity. Teddy bears to donate to fire stations (they give them to kids whose families have lost their homes to fire) or to local children’s hospital. Cans of food/fresh veggies for the Food Bank or soup kitchen. Children’s books for Head Start program. School supplies for low-income neighborhood kids. Knit hats and mittens for homeless shelter.
Arrange by color, tie a nice ribbon around it, and just about anything can seem festive. A little card that explains the centerpiece would help, of course. “Why are there rubber gloves on the table? Oh, they will be given to volunteers who clean spilled oil off baby turtles! Cool!”
Beats throwing away melted candles and wilted flowers any day.
N
What a great idea. Making it fun, and having a motive behind it :)
OMG
I remember reading, a long time ago, about a bride who was worried about the summer heat wilting her flowers. So, she had her bouquets made out of feathers. I can’t remember if they were peacock feathers or what.
FinanceGal
If she’s primarily looking to control the budget, she shouldn’t rule out flowers just yet! I bought candelabras that were meant to go around outdoor patio table umbrellas (from Bed Bath & Beyond, used coupons to get them for $8.00 each) then found cheap vases for ~$1.50 each that fit in the center (where the umbrella would normally go), and ordered 300 yellow and white tulips from Sam’s Club for $300 (borrowed a membership # from my aunt to order). With some floral wire, ribbon I bought on clearance, and filler flowers from the farmer’s market, my mom, mother-in-law, and bridesmaids and I made the bouquets in about 30 minutes on the morning of our wedding. It was easy, cheap, and everything looked great!
FinanceGal
And just to clarify- none of us had ever done anything like this before! We’re totally not crafty/floral artist types who had experience or anything, but it was really easy :-)
Anon
I’ve been in a wedding where the attendants carried candles for the same reason (to save money). It was pretty. Only works if the wedding is fairly short, but it seemed like a good compromise. On the other hand, I don’t really see why folks have to carry anything. I know it’s tradition, but what the hey.
Elle 2
Ooh! That’d be pretty in an evening ceremony!
Anon
In a similar vein, I’ve seen lanterns (old style ones like a lamplighter would carry). Very pretty in the evening.
I agree with the first Anon though — I think not carrying anything would be fine. Or perhaps a nice handkerchief (I carried one wrapped around my flowers, but hung on to it when I handed the flowers off — nice to have something to hold and mop sweaty hands). A monogramed or vintage handkerchief could also be a nice b-maid gift.
really
Can we stop with consistently turning this website into a wedding planning space? Come on! It’s every day someone has a question that has nothing to do with anything this website is meant to discuss.
Anonymouse
Oh, come on, don’t be such a buzz killer. Just skip the threadjacks you’re not interested in – that’s what the rest of us do. The fact that we can all solicit such great style advice on a wide range of topics is what keeps many of us coming back here.
Elle 2
(Warning – my comment is not meant to be snarky in the least – just an observation that made me smile.) I think this comment is entertaining b/c the post earlier today was about negotiating conversation topics. So, I will suggest another topic. ..
Speaking of weddings, I have stood up in more than my fair share of weddings in my life and saw Sal’s post on AlreadyPretty.com today about repurposing bridesmaids dresses to be work appropriate. I liked her styling of the blue dress with the bolero and boots, but still don’t think I would be comfortable being that shiny at the office. Plus, Cubicle Chic did a post a while back on “how to wear lace to the office” and I didn’t think anything she suggested was office appropriate in a conservative banker/lawyer field. So, this made me question “fancy” fabrics in general to the office.
Clearly, a lace cami is over the line for most, but there are others that are less clear. For example, I have a textured wool skirt that from far away my husband thinks looks like lace. I also have a grey wool cardigan with wide black lace trim OVER the wool as an embellishment along the front openings near the buttons.
SO… is lace (or anything that resembles lace) or any shiny fabric EVER appropriate for the office?
AIMS
Great navigating!
I think it really depends on so many things . . . I am having a hard time picturing your skirt.
I would generally say no lace, no shiny, and since both of those are kind of sexy, my question to self is always “would I ever wear this on a date?”
If the answer is yes, I don’t wear it to work.
(When I say date, I am not talking about any occasion where you are going out straight after work and you think “ooh this kills 2 birds with one stone” . . . that’s a separate issue).
Anonymous
I think lace trim is appropriate, for instance on a cami peeking out from a v-neck or on the hem of a skirt. I think it’s inappropriate to wear any sheer item to the office.
Shiny tops under a suit or cardigan are fine IMO. I’d avoid shiny skirts or dresses because those, to me, are more of an evening/cocktail look. But I think that some people can pull off a shiny skirt, with a heavier fabric jacket, for instance.
Having trouble posting again...
I think lace trim is appropriate, for instance on a cami peeking out from a v-neck or on the hem of a skirt. I think it’s inappropriate to wear any sheer item to the office.
Shiny tops under a suit or cardigan are fine IMO. I’d avoid shiny skirts or dresses because those, to me, are more of an evening/cocktail look. But I think that some people can pull off a shiny skirt, with a heavier fabric jacket, for instance.
Anonymous
This is the coffee break post. It’s a post intended for people to have random “coffee break” discussions. You could just stick to reading the other posts if you don’t like off-topic threads.
Anon CA
Ehhhh … I actually like the wedding-related posts! I’m single now but would like to get married someday and the idea of planning a wedding sounds fun. I also think the Corporettes give really great style advice that we can use elsewhere in our lives. So I say, cheers, ladies! Keep all your questions — wedding and otherwise — coming. :)
sds
I agree and think the wedding posts are now every 5 seconds. It portrays women as having nothing better to do than worry about floral arrangements or the like. I would also like to see them gone.
How about financial planning, house purchasing, anything other than, “does pink go with peach flowers”
KH
“It portrays women as having nothing better to do than worry about floral arrangements”?
This seems an odd comment on a website that can easily be said to “portray women as having nothing better to do than worry about their fashions.”
Of course that’s not true – it’s only one part of what we think about. It’s fall. In the fall, people worry about their coats. They plan weddings for the spring. It’s seasonal. It will end. Soon we will be back to “what bathing suit do I wear to the firm pool party.” Just wait.
MelD
Last I looked, you can get married at any time of year. I have more friends/family members who married in fall than married in spring. I have to agree with those who say that there are far better places for addressing wedding planning issues.
s
i agree actually, enough with the wedding stuff. there are SOOOO many other blogs and venues for that kind of thing.
Sharon
What do you care? If you don’t like the thread, don’t read it. Unless Kat tells us we can’t threadjack, people will threadjack.
MM
I think my concern about wedding posts is that a) it truly is entirely unrelated to professional things this blog is about, and b) there is just so much to discuss about weddings that it could become a slippery slope. I don’t mind one or two wedding questions mixed in with the rest, but I fear what happens when a lot of them start getting posted. I don’t read The Knot message boards any more for a reason. It would be the same if there were lots and lots of questions about negotiating between family members, for example, but I don’t fear that happening the way I fear wedding questions taking over.
Ballerina girl
Like it or not, you can’t really change what a blog community turns into. I usually come to this site (no disrespect to this site, I love it) because I’m bored at work. So be it purses, camis, or weddings, I don’t care b/c it’s SOMETHING to read.
Res Ipsa
There was a thread a while back about vegan leather–just wanted to throw out that Fair Indigo now has some vegan leather products, including some nice bags. (If you’re not familiar with the company, they only source from factories that pay fair wages to their employees; they’ve got great customer service and cute clothes, too.)
http://www.fairindigo.com/cproduct_info.php/fair_trade/Women_Bags-and-Wallets/product_name/Vegan_Leather_Tote_Bag/products_id/898
fresh jd
I have this beeeauuutiful Kenneth Cole bag in the exact same burgundy color as today’s post, and my coworker told me she was going to copy me and get the same one! UGH! I hope it’s no longer sold or available anywhere!
http://www.kennethcole.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4298817&cp=3075198.3075279.3075304
ES
ooo, pretty! can i copy you since i’m not your co-worker (at least as far as i can tell)?
Anonymous
Wow, that would really annoy me, unless she doesn’t plan on taking it to work at all.
Ru
No snark – but that’s such a hilarious situation. Feel awesome in knowing people like your taste =)
Louise
Seriously? I would never want the exact same item of clothing or accessory that a co-worker has. Heck, I hate to even order the same lunch entree as someone else at the table!
Bridget
Funny, this doesn’t bother me in the slightest. My secretary and I copy each other’s shoe purchases all the time, for example.
michelle
you’re safe, I just bought the last burgundy one on Zappos and I know we don’t work in the same place :-)
I am willing to sacrifice to protect my fellow Corporettes!
really
My friend at work, another associate on the same case I’m on, had a gorgeous Marc bag I wanted. I asked her if she minded me copying, she said no, I have the same bag.
It should be: (1) a compliment; (2) if she said no I would’ve thought, “it’s a bag I can buy at a dozen places in the city, who cares, and who are you to think a marc bag is somewhat different, (3) who cares.
It’s a kenneth cole bag, not a handmade something special. You should feel flattered other people like your bag and just accept the fate that if you buy something readily available and someone else likes it they will buy it too.
Launa
You made some really good points there. I checked on the web for more
information about the issue and found most people will go along with
your views on this website.