Phillip Lim Pashli

Ever since I started using Instagram, I sort of neglected my blog. :(
I am due to post something and since I have been receiving emails about the Phillip Lim Pashli, I thought I might as well write a post about it.

To the best of my knowledge, the Phillip Lim Pashli satchel comes in three sizes - mini, medium and large. Although the Phillip Lim Pashli tote is not as main-street as the satchel, I think it deserves some recognition. All Phillip Lim Pashli bags are made of cowhide leather to mimicks that of shark skin texture.

Phillip Lim Pashli Mini Satchel
$650-$695 usd

Adjustable detachable shoulder strap, 23"-27" drop

Double top handles, 2½" drop

Flap and push-lock closure

One inside zip pocket

Fully lined

9"W X 7"H X 3.5"D

Phillip Lim Pashli Medium Satchel
$825-850 usd

Currently available on ShopBop in Coral (as shown on left) and Electric Yellow.

Adjustable detachable shoulder strap, 19" drop

Double top handles, 5" drop

Flap and push-lock closure

One inside zip pocket

Fully lined

12.5"W X 10"H X 4"D

Phillip Lim Pashli Large Satchel
$895-975 usd

 

Adjustable detachable shoulder strap, 20" drop

Double top handles, 5" drop

Flap and push-lock closure

One inside zip pocket

Fully lined

15"W X 11"H X 4"D

Phillip Lim Pashli Large Tote
$895 usd

Double top handles, 5" drop

Open tote

One inside zip pocket

Fully lined

13"W X 14"H X 6"D

 

 

 

The Phillip Lim Pashli collecton is available for purchase online at ShopBop (they recently stocked up on all the new colours and there is 20% off ending April 18/13 with code "WEAREFAMILY13").

If you are in Canada, you can purchase it for $825 Cdn at The Room in The Bay. Don't forget that you can get 15% off if you purchase it with a new The Bay credit card account.

 

*All photos c/o ShopBop.com

I will be posting about shopping in Paris later this week, as I have been doing a lot of exciting research for my upcoming trip to London and Paris. Stay tuned and send me a comment or email if you have any questions in the mean time.

Instagram Volume 1

I have finally converted to an iPhone 5 (a few weeks ago now) and have since become an Instagram addict. 
If you'd like, find me on Instagram @chicadvisor for up to the minute updates.
Otherwise I will update some Instagram moments on here every couple weeks.

Beloved Valentino rockstud platform sandals. I am head over heels for this and this. :)

Elie Tahari boots and Chanel hobo. The round base of this bag allows me to stuff so much into it and the wider shoulder strap doesn't make carrying all that "stuff" a chore.

There is a story behind these boots. I was in New York with my girlfriends 3 years ago and I saw these boots on the clearance rack at Barneys and they were already on sale for $595 from $795. The sign on the rack says "Take an additional 50% off". And I thought I had scored BIG so immediately brought the boots to the cash register. To my disappointment, they were misplaced and NOTon clearance. I was already too much in love with them and bought them anyways.

When Chanel released the Le Boy bag in 2011, I hated it.  Well, it's a different story now. I think this bag is the perfect blend of classic and new Chanel style and it is so appropriate to wear with casual outfits. She was shipped to me from Chanel Paris (the Avenue Montaigne store to be exact).

Trusty work totes. Stylish and functional. Fendi Peekaboo and Celine Mini Luggage. Thinking of this Valentino tote or this Mulberry Baywater in snakeprint next.

Balenciaga wedge sandals (lusting over these Burberry's) and Wolford tights with metallic threading for a bit of funk.

New Alaia heels (quite loving these Givenchy's). Have not worn them yet; will report back on whether or not they are worth breaking the bank for.

Sexy cut out Chanel booties. I am starting a bad addiction with two-tone colour shoes.

American Apparel circle scarf // Alexander Wang chunky knit sweater // Mackage coat // JBrand jeans (similar) // Gap leopard print loafer-style flats

Georges (my Frenchie) in American Apparel hoodie.
Utility vest from South Korea // Brooch pin is Elie Tahari // Louis Vuitton boots

I drew inspiration from my Marc by Marc Jacobs lap top bag.

Aztec print DIY nail art. The base is Ciate in Speed Dial and I used Sharpie ultra fine point marker in red, purple and black to draw the prints.

This one was inspired by the MAC holiday packaging.

I went out for tea with my boyfriend's mom and sister so didn't have time to shoot myself in these.
3.1 Phillip Lim embellished cardigan (quite like this one) // Miu Miu coat with DIY bow pin// Chanel bag  // Christian Louboutin pumps 

Some pretty and classic Chanel pieces my mom gave me: Chanel jacket, Chanel No. 5 and Coco perfume, a grey original reissue 2.55 flap bag from 2005 celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Chanel flap bag.

Here I am with my friend Lizzie and Archie at the MAC x Archie's release event.

I only walked away with a lip gloss and an eye liner.  Some of the colours were either too similar to what I already have or too goth.

Casual Sunday look: Vince sweater // Oasap vest (gifted) // iPhone 5 case by Kate Spade // Chanel Le Boy bag // J Brand jeans // Miu Miu glitter sneakers

Wheew, only 3 days 'till the weekend. Have a great Wednesday!

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @ChicAdvisor for updates. And when the weather picks up in Vancouver, I promise there will be new outfit posts.

Until next time...

Love,

Jacquie

Pantone 2013 - Emerald, Monaco Blue, Dusk Blue, Poppy Red, Tender Shoots

Not sure if you notice but I am not a black and white kinda gal. Even when I wear neutral colour, I will incorprate a coloured bag or pair of shoes to complete my outfit. It's not hard because 90% of my accessories are in colour! With that said, I am obviously very excited for the release of the annual Pantone colours. To celebrate my joy, I have put together some of the most beautiful colourful things that I am lusting over from the Pantone 2013 colour palette. My top picks from the Pantone 2013 colours are Monaco Blue, Dusk Blue, Emerald (Green), Poppy Red and Tender Shoots.

PS. if you care, you can check out my Pantone 2012 post here.

Before I go there, let's look at some of the colourful stuff I have in these shades.

 
This was my first "blue-coloured" bag, the Balenciaga travel day messenger.
It was much loved in my university days and now I use it for short weekend trips.

My new Chanel messenger flap, blue print Juicy dress, red Zac Pozen sweater and green Celine Mini Luggage 

Okay on to the purpose of this post.....

Pantone 2013 Monaco Blue and Dusk Blue

Dress victoria beckham, 865 CAD / Catherine Deane lace dress, 1,065 CAD / Orla Kiely dress, 495 CAD / Shona Joy blue jacket, 355 CAD / Aquazzura snake skin boots, 605 CAD / Carven high heel shoes, 355 CAD / Proenza Schouler , 1,995 CAD / Givenchy , 2,195 CAD / Hermès blue bag / Knotted bracelet, 6.44 CAD / NARS Cosmetics , 18 CAD



Pantone 2013 Emerald

Marc by Marc Jacobs marc jacob, 250 CAD / Sergio Rossi peep toe platform pumps, 730 CAD / Photo bag, 180 CAD / Jil Sander , 1,730 CAD / Fendi , 2,595 CAD / Michael Kors ostrich leather handbag, 445 CAD / Effy Collection emerald pendant, 2,870 CAD / SHOUROUK emerald necklace, 565 CAD / Bond No. 9 , 1,180 CAD / Emerald Green Perfume Bottle Lamp

Pantone 2013 Poppy Red

Michael Kors zipper dress, 1,970 CAD / Equipment leopard print shirt, 165 CAD / Jil Sander Navy , 865 CAD / Stella McCartney shelf bra, 100 CAD / Stella McCartney , 55 CAD / Lanvin leather high heels, 1,145 CAD / Balenciaga genuine leather handbag, 2,420 CAD / Vintage leather handbag, 5,105 CAD / SpaRitual nail lacquer, 12 CAD / Marimekko Unikko Red King Pillow Sham, 45 CAD / StyleTread Baby Poppy Red Suede, 135 CAD

Pantone 2013 Tender Shoots

Valentino strapless lace dress, 3,255 CAD / Long sleeve top, 29 CAD / Beaver of Bolton Ladies' Brecon Military Tweed Jacket Green/Pink/Blue / Valentino flat leather sandals, 835 CAD / Valentino studded handbag, 1,875 CAD / Nak Armstrong stackable bracelet, 3,120 CAD / Valentino bangle jewelry, 175 CAD / Blu Bijoux beaded hoop earrings, 17 CAD / Eos , 16 CAD / Essie , 7.92 CAD / Cyan Bella Vetro 8 Light Chandelier, 1,970 CAD / Pier One Faux Phaleonopsis Orchid - Light Green, 4.34 CAD

I hope you've enjoyed these boards I've put together for the Pantone 2013 colours.Will you be adding some of these colour(s) to your wardrobe? And what were some of your favorite piece(s) from these boards?


This photo is for people that have emailed me about my closet. This is one of them.
More to come some day...stay tuned! :)

PPS. If you use Instagram, find me @chicadvisor.
I am currently addicted. I will share some Instagram highlights later this week for those of you that don't use instagram.

Thanks for your support and visit.
Love, Jacquie

MAC Cosmetics x Archie's = MAC Archie's Girls

If you are an Archie’s comic book fan and have a love for MAC cosmetics, the MAC Archie’s Girls collection is for you! This collection features two contrasting colours based on love rivals Betty, the Girl next door blonde and Veronica, the spoiled brunette. 

The collection will be available online Jan 30/13 in NYC Stores, and to the rest of the world between Feb 07/13 to Apr 04/13.

And if you are as excited as I am and you live in the Greater Vancouver Area, there is a release event at the MAC Robson store at 908 Robson Street on Feb 05. Call 604-682-6588 to RSVP by Feb 04.

 

*Image from Google.

How To: Decide Which Hermès Bag To Buy

I had an overwhelming amount of  emails about when I would do another "How to.." post.
Remember this post where I wrote about the Celine bags? 
Well...I recently caved and bought a couple of Hermès bags. If you have not seen already, click on these links: Hermes Evelyne TPM in raisin veau box (calfskin)

Kelly Pochette in orange chevre (goatskin) here.

So guess what?  I will share my tips for Hermès bag(s) with you! I hope you will enjoy this post as much as you have enjoyed my Celine post.

First off, let's talk about the leather and trust me, there is a lot to choose from.

NATURAL GRAINED LEATHER ($$$$)

1. Veau CrispeTogo - scratch resistant, textured calfskin leather. It is lightweight and holds it's shape, making it a popular choice for Hermès Birkin bags.
2. Taurillon Clemence - scratch resistant, textured baby bull leather. Similar to Togo but the grain is not as prominent and is softer to the touch.
3. Vachette Crispe Fjord - scratch resistant, textured adult bull leather. This leather is more durable than Togo and Clemence, and is treated to be water resistant. The down side is the leather is heavier and the grain is larger than that of Togo and Clemence.
4. Negonda - soft smooth male calfskin leather. Only available for the Hermès Garden Party bag. It is too supple and slouchy for Hermès Birkin or Hermès Kelly bags.
5. Chevre Myzore - scratch resistant, textured, shiny, rigid male mountain goatskin leather with fine grain.This is a super lightweight leather and is more expensive than the calfskin leathers. It is also very limited so is usually only available in the Hermès Birkin 25 and small accessories.
6. Chevre Coromandel - same as Chevre Myzore, with medium grain.

PROCESSED GRAINED LEATHER ($$$)

1. Veau Epsom - The new Courchevel. Processed male calfskin leather. This is a scratch resistant leather with very fine grain. Lightweight and durable. It is very stiff and holds its shape well. 
2. Vache Trekking - Processed male cowhide. Similar to Epsom with medium grain.
3. Vachette Country - Processed female calfskin with medium grain. Known for its firmness. Introduced in 2012. Popular leather for the Hermès Garden Party bag.

SMOOTH LEATHER ($$$)

1. Swift - smooth and soft male calfskin leather. Known for its ability to obtain superb colouring.
2. Natural Barenia - yet another variation of smooth male calfskin leather. Like Chamonix, it is frequently combined with white topstich and is distinguished by natural "Hermès Made In France" blindstamps. Can be re-conditioned. 
3. Veau Box - classic smooth, polished (shiny) male calfskin leather. A more rigid structure than the grainy leathers. Because it is a smooth leather, it will show scratches, but this leather can be re-conditioned by Hermès. 
4. Chamonix - smooth, matte male calfskin leather. Frequently combined with white topstich. Looks great on Hermès Kelly bags. Distinguished by natural "Hermès Made In France" blindstamps instead of the usual printed texts.. Can be re-conditioned.

EXOTIC LEATHER ($$$$$)

1. Buffle - water resistant. Mostly available in Hermès Garden Party bags. 
2. Crocodile and Alligator - they range from crocs from the Nile, Mississippi, and Africa. Available in matte and polished (Lisse finish). Mainly available in wallets and Hermès Birkin 25 bags.
3. Autruche -  Australian and South African ostrich. A very expensive leather known for its "polka dots" design. 
4. Lezard - Derived from Southeast Asian lizards. A very expensive leather known for its lined spots design and rarity.

Quick French lesson.

Veau = male calf under one year old

Vache = male cow

Vachette = female cow

Cuir = cow leather

Chevre = goatskin

Buffle = buffalo

Autruche = ostrich

Lezard = lizard

Hermès Colours

Sigh...this list goes on and on and on. Even if I give you all the colour variations, you may not even be able to get it in store. So let's stick to the basics and more popular colours.

• Rouge Hermes  - deep wine
• Rouge Vif - bright cherry
• Vermillion - bright tomato red
• Blue Jean -bright sky blue
• Gold - rich tan
• Black
• Thalassa -  Mediterranean Sea blue (similar to Blue Jean, but deeper)
• Chartruese - green with yellow undertone.
• Etoupe - a very nice medium grey (I personally am dying to get a Hermès Birkin 25 in this colour)
• Classic orange -  Hermès signature colour - bright tangerine
• Potiron - orange with brown undertone
• Fuchsia - bright pink
• Raisin - deep purple 

Hermès Birkin, Kelly and Evelyne

Note the prices below are in Canadian $. I did notice that Hermès bags cost at least 10-15% less in Europe and you save even more because you get VAT back at the airport if you live outside the European Union. So save your money, buy a plane ticket and go straight to Paris instead. They also have more selections. 

Hermès Birkin Bag

*Photo from Google.

Hermès Birkin Mini - 3-3/4" W x 3-3/4" H x 1-3/4" D, 1-3/4" drop handle, 29"strap   

Hermès Birkin 25 - 9-3/4" W x 7-1/4" H x 5-1/4" D  // $8,000+

Hermès Birkin 30 - 11.8" W ×8.4" H × 5.7" D   // $9,500+
Hermès Birkin 32 - 12.6" W × 9.8" H × 6.7" D    

Hermès Birkin 35 - 13.7" W × 9.8" H × 7.0"D   // $10,500+

Hermès Birkin 40 - 15-3/4" W x 11-1/2" H x 8" D  // $11,500+

*Photo from Google.
Hermès Shoulder Birkin - 16.5" W × 7.1" H × 8.3" D, 16.5" handle   // $13,500+

Hermès Kelly Bag

The Hermès Kelly bag has two stitching techniques - Sellier: Exterior stitching.This model costs a little higher or Souple: Interior stitching.


*Photo from Google.
Renee Zellweger is wearing the Kelly 25 in black crocodile. Last time I saw one in store, it was around $25,000 before tax. I reluctantly returned it to the SA and walked away. :(

Hermès Kelly 20 / Kelly Mini - 7.5''W x 6" H x 4"D, 4" handle

Hermès Kelly 25 - 10" W x 7-1/2" H x 3-3/4" D
Hermès Kelly 28 - 11" W x 7.9" H x 4.3" D   // $6,400+
Hermès Kelly 32 - 12.6" W x 8.7" H x 4.7" D  // $8,300+
Hermès Kelly 35 - 14'' W x 9.5" H x 5.5"D   //  $8,500+
Hermès Kelly 40 - 15.74" W x 10.23" H x 6.1" D   // $9,000+


*Photo from Google.
Hermès Kelly Shoulder - 16" W x 7.5" H x 6" D, 7" handle


*Photo from Google.
Victoria Beckham is wearing the Kelly Pochette in vert amande lizard. 
You can also see my Kelly Pochette in orange chevre (goatskin) here.

Hermès Kelly Pochette - 8-3/4" W x 5" H x 2-1/2" D  // $4,600+

*Photo from Google.
Hermès Kelly Cut - 12-1/4" W x 5" H x 1" D



*Photo from Google.
VB with her Kelly Longue in gold swift.
Hermès Kelly Longue - 13" W x 6-1/2" H x 1" D   // $4,000+


Hermès Evelyne Bag


*Photo from Google.

Hermès Evelyne PM in Celeste epsom.

You can also see my Hermes Evelyne TPM in raisin veau box (calfskin) here.

Hermès Evelyne TPM - 6.5" W x 8" H x 2" D, 7" handle   // $2,600+
Hermès Evelyne PM - 11" W x 11.8" H x 2.9" D   // $2,890+

Hermès Evelyne GM - 12.8" W × 11.4" H × 4.1" D   // $3,300+ 

Hermès Date Code

Hermès includes an embossed "blindstamp" using a letter and shape to represent the year the bag (or product) was manufactured. 
Letter "A-P" framed with a square: 1997 - 2012 
Letter "A-Z" framed with a circle: 1971 - 1996
Letter "A-Z" no shape: 1945 - 1970


*Photo from Google.
Example: "I" framed with a circle = 1980

Hermès Dustbags and Tags

Hermès bags do not come with a paper tag. and Hermès does not include a metal nameplate inside the bag.

Hermès bags are housed in tan velour dust bags (vintage bags), orange heavyweight cotton flannel and tan herringbone toile. 


*Photo is my own.
Tan herringbone toile on left and orange cotton flannel on right.

Hermès Hardware

Made of previous metal, heavier than hardware found on other bags. Hermès hardware and metal accents do not tarnish.

• 24K plated gold
• Silver palladium
• Ruthenium - burnished
• Guilloche - diamond cut pattern palladium

An authentic Hermès Birkin or Kelly has an engraved lock and key set. The lock will have Hermès etched on the bottom, and the keys will be numbered to match the number of the lock. 

As for my next Hermès? It would certainly be a Hermès Birkin 25 or Hermès Kelly 32. I have not decided which colour or leather to be certain yet. 

Now tell me, which Hermès bag would you buy?