Shoppers

Not the hoards, not even the diminished hoards as we all brace ourselves for recession but the handy bags to have as shoppers. Bags that save you carrying plastic branded bags. Bags that allow you to make that New Look purchase with no shame seeing as it was a toss up between sandals from Zara at 49.99 or New Look at £29.99 - recessionista choices are a coming! Above is the holy grail of a shopper the Anya Hindmarch Nevis leather shopper at £595 from Net A Porter!

You want one that is easy to carry will last you a number of years and get can that worn in look. Leather or canvas are the main options. , although there are brands that produce shoppers in other materials that are worth thinking about, like the Longchamp or Cath Kidston ones that fold up.

Your shopper is preferably a neutral colour and you need it to work on a shopping for all manner of things/weekend bag/holiday holdall. You also don't want it to break the bank and most importantly you need to love it. Loving the bag will make it last. Avoid obvious logo'd bags, aim for more avant garde nonchalance. If it weren't so rainy I recommend baskets too but what's the point we live in the UK not the Mediterranean!

Large rigid shopper £89.99 Zara 

 Weekend collection shopper bag by John Lewis £85

This is your affordable friend and is a solid bit of shopper kit. It will wear well and be exceedingly useful. Leather or canvas are the main options for a shopper, although there are brands that produce shoppers in other materials that are worth thinking about, like the Longchamp or Cath Kidston ones that fold up.

Longchamp Le Pliage large shopper £72 Selfridges or other retailers - sorry about the small image!

Cath Kidston Mini Dot fold away shopper £38

Maxi, midi, mini

Take one concept and show it at three different price points - that is the point of maxi, midi and mini. This post is all about the bag. The bag style in question is a shoulder or cross body bag of a small size as I don't want you straining shoulders and back now! I've also gone for a neutral shade to work with everything as I learnt the other day from Mrs H in Borth some of us are scared of the colour orange. Conscious I'm not in the business of scaring people there is nothing like a bit of beige/camel/tan (ish) to work wonders for your wardrobe and not shout SCARY. I've also gone for bags that offer versatility, ones that can be across the body, over the shoulder and change into hand or clutch bag.

Stella & Dot lambskin Waverly 3 way fold over clutch or crossbody bag £220

Ted Baker Luel Knotted handle xbody bag £159

House of Fraser Linea Molly crossbody bag was £69.00 now £55.20

High Street pick of the week

I'm currently into orange in a big way although my current obsession seemed a bit silly when I contemplated cutting the head off one of the many marigolds I planted. I selected the orange ones but a rouge yellow head appeared yesterday spoiling my YSL palette!

Therefore my pick of the high street is for those of you going on a mini-break (doesn't that sound sooo Bridget Jones!). If you're jetting off to Ibiza, hitting Cornwall or just visiting the parents arrive in style with this bright number.

It's orange and has a great new fashion forward (again sooo Grazia copy last year) style given it's boxy shape.

If you're feeling more subdued there's a black version available at M&S for £89

Moi, I'll be staying at home tending to plants and brushing up on my copy writing skills.

PS. The luggage problems at T5 are another good reason to invest in carry on and capsule wardrobe!http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8123273.stm

Take 3 bags

A while ago I had a quandary on my school bag. Yes even as a mature student and studying an MA I needed a school bag and ultimately as I discovered a pencil case!

I started to use my Gucci shopper bag but it really is a shopper- perfect for bookstore or clothes shopping on a Saturday with your best sunnies on, but it didn't really work as a school bag.

I'm too posh for the LCF toilets don't ya know!

Determined to not spend any money, I then started to use a freebie bag that I found in my stylist work box stuffed full of fabrics. It was easy to bung everything in and is sturdy and worked well. But I knew it was a magazine freebie and the pattern sort of clashed with everything!

But I'm free and useful!

Then I spied my school bag. I was shopping with a client one day at the end of October and saw it in Kew. Kew is my life saving shop for ladies who are scared of change and reluctant to spend too much money - it takes all sorts on personal styling! It also is owned by Jigsaw, has a great little creative team and delivers hidden gems. I think one of the design team must be a Francophile because the pieces I always like say le rive gauche, Paris in an intellectual artisan way. At £69.00 I thought it was worth it and one of my very well bagged friends (we are talking Chanel, Anya Hindmarch only here) greatly admired it. So a week later after payday I bagged it! It has served me well and called out for a pencil case which I found in Paperchase.

Mais oui! Perfectament

The Gucci bag is happy now she only get magazines and a few bits popped in her at nice places. The freebie is full of library books to take back so she is still a useful workhorse that will be retained and my darling Parisian artisan number is just the business, it doesn't just say student it says film director - you see all good things come to those who wait.