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| Dress: And Other Stories (old season but buy similar version here). Sunglasses: Hook LDN. Bag: Manu Atelier at Boticca. Sandals: Swedish Hasbeens |
…In regards to accessories, that is. Since vowing to streamline my wardrobe back in Jan, I’ve been pretty good in picking pieces with more longevity (minus a few ‘screw this’ Asos off the shoulder tops in the process). The main sticking point is with bags, I’ve only bought a few bags this entire year – one being the Sophie Hulme cross-body I’ve got my year’s use out of within 1 month.
For me, the criteria of a decent bag is: it needs to look cool and feel modern, it needs to be real leather, it needs to look expensive but also be under £300. These days I’m happier to invest a bit more in a bag, but I will never be a £1000 handbag kind of girl (at 32, can I still refer to myself as a girl? I digress…).
I’ve been after a decent bucket bag for over a year, and Mansur Gavriel’s ones are still too far from reach sadly (I don’t have the cash or the discipline to be on a waiting list). When I saw these Manu Atelier bags back in Istanbul I was smitten, but as I flew in late I never got to meet the designers until they were over in London. I was sold – the coolest girls you’ll ever meet. And they know their stuff, they’re a family business using traditional Turkish handcrafted techniques – all the bags are hand-cut leather.
This bag is not exactly the biggest, but I surprisingly fit everything in, and the zip compartment is amazingly useful for keys so they don’t scratch or anything you need to get access to quickly (read: lipbalm). And if you’re after something bigger, check out their other styles, too:
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| Leather cross-body bag, £236, Manu Atelier at Boticca |
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| Leather bag, £229, Manu Atelier |
Mansur Gavriel, who? I’m championing my own bit of history and starting a new bag trend, unlike anyone else’s, with its own story…
Your handbag rules are well and truly spot on, I agree! x
Thank you!! I think you can often get away with cheap shoes but not a cheap bag….especially for everyday x
Gutted that dress is last years, it's beautiful! I've made a note to try more midi styles this year xx
Yes, it's a surprisingly good length and even works with flats…the pom pom one I've linked to is really similar though, and I'd recommend x