The Real Deal

Hillsberg Company ridgeway black leather tote, stripe tee, J. Crew Reese pants, leopard haircalf pumps, stacked bracelets

Hillsberg Company ridgeway black leather tote, stripe tee, J. Crew Reese pants, leopard haircalf pumps, stacked bracelets

Hillsberg Company ridgeway black leather tote, stripe tee, J. Crew Reese pants, leopard haircalf pumps, stacked bracelets

Hillsberg Company ridgeway black leather tote, stripe tee, J. Crew Reese pants, leopard haircalf pumps, stacked bracelets

Hillsberg Company ridgeway black leather tote, stripe tee, J. Crew Reese pants, leopard haircalf pumps, stacked bracelets

Today’s Top 10 item: this striped shirt. You knew I would include something striped, if only because I probably only have 9 things are aren’t striped. Out of my multitude of striped tops, I had to go with this one because faux leather details are my jam.

For as much faux leather as I have, I don’t have much of the real deal. I don’t eat meat and I don’t like the idea of wearing fur, but for whatever reason leather doesn’t bother me. It’s just that it’s expensive so I don’t splurge on it often (a notable exception being my Rebecca Minkoff bag, seen in yesterday’s post).

But you know the best way to get your hands on things you wouldn’t normally buy yourself? Find friends to hook you up. One of my best friends from college (we called each other “friendmates” because we’re really cool) is now part of the Seattle-based, family-run business Hillsberg Company. Her husband makes super-high-quality, charmingly rugged leather bags like the Ridgeway Tote you see here. And because I was smart enough to befriend her in 2003, I get my own! It’s a hell of a lot prettier than the laptop bag the firm gave me. And it makes my whole office smell fancy.

Here’s to real friends and real nice leather!

similar Shirt // Pants (on sale) // Bag* // similar Shoes // Cuff (on sale) // Link Bracelet // similar Necklace // similar Sunglasses

*Bag provided courtesy of Hillsberg Company.

Let’s Get This Party Started

J. Crew striped midi skirt, mint Rebecca Minkoff MAC bag, Nine West navy suede pumps

J. Crew striped midi skirt, mint Rebecca Minkoff MAC bag, Nine West navy suede pumps

J. Crew striped midi skirt, mint Rebecca Minkoff MAC bag, Nine West navy suede pumps

J. Crew striped midi skirt, mint Rebecca Minkoff MAC bag, Nine West navy suede pumps

J. Crew striped midi skirt, mint Rebecca Minkoff MAC bag, Nine West navy suede pumps

As promised, it’s time for me to share my first Top 10 Remix outfit! I got really excited yesterday as I saw more and more comments and tweets streaming in from people saying they plan to try it, and a couple bloggers even did their first post before I did! I gotta admit, I’m relieved. Much like an orgy, a style challenge can seem like a genius idea when you think of it, but it can turn awkward if you don’t get the reaction you expected. Not that I would know. My orgy and style challenge proposals have always been warmly received.

I’m starting off the Remix with my mint Rebecca Minkoff MAC bag. How did I know this bag should be included in my Top 10? First off, it’s mint green. I had to have something mint on the list. Second, I lusted after this bag for months, so it wasn’t just a spur of the moment purchase. Third, it was pretty pricey by my standards, so I had to sell an old designer bag on Poshmark in order to pay for it. In other words, I must really love it. You can see the rest of my Top 10 in this post. If you were thinking of joining the challenge but haven’t started yet, no worries! There’s no cut off. It’s only April 2nd, and you can jump in anytime. Happy remixing!

Skirt // similar Shirt // Shoes // similar Bags* // similar Necklace // similar Sunglasses // Lips “Sari Dore”

*Please note that this link leads to Shopbop.com, a current sponsor of this blog.