I need a lesson in brands, handbags and clothes please

[shinybaubles]

DH wants to buy me a new bag, I currently have a Mulberry but have no idea what other brands are good, elegant, etc. He quite likes Bottega Venetta (sp?) I am not convinced, so what brands would you recommend please. Or what bag do you really want - so I can steal your good ideas.

Also I am working hard at healthy eating and exercise and may need to buy some new clothes soon, don't want to buy cheap end of high street, as I'ld like some better quality and that will last, mainly natural fibres, but don't want to spend a fortune as I am hoping I will continue to shrink. Any ideas please.

BV is a very chic and understated brand. Their bags are gorgeous.

Mumnetter Amber Nectrine is a stylish lady and has a blog. Worth.looking at the vogue thread on here

Thanks Allthingspretty - I did have a look at the BV bags and I could see they were good -but...not sure.
How would I find her blog?
Will have a look at the vogue thread thanks for the reply.

Aspinal of London have some lovely handbags.

Bottega Veneta is big on that woven texture, you either like it or you don't. (I don't particularly like Mulberry either).

Depending how much you want to spend, personally I like Prada, Loewe,
Celine, YSL... Michael Kors does some good value bags, as do Aspinall & LK Bennett.

Check out the bag selections at: Netaporter.com Matches.com MyWardrobe.com

They all do great selections of clothes. Other suggestions would be:

LK Bennett, Banana Republic, & Jaeger are good for basics. I'm a big fan of Diane Von Furstenberg, I'd also recommend Ralph Lauren, Joseph, Hoss Intropia, Tory Burch.

Happy shopping!

The outnet website is your friend!

Look for mcqueen, dvf, zoe karseen, Alexander wang and clu.

Recently got to below pre baby weight and relocated to a tropical country so had to completly re do my wardrobe. I got a massivr haul from the outnet that full price would be worth ££££!

Also invested in new season Joseph, lovely cashmere and gorgeous fitted cigarette pants. Sadly full price but should last forever.

Mulberry, chloe and tanner krolle for bags.

Some great tips thanks - I shall spend my few child free hours today browsing those websites, and be back with more questions, no doubt.

PS. I forgot to recommend J Crew & Max Mara, Atterly Road & Pure Collection. I think it's really worth investing in designer jeans, they fit so much better - my personal favs are Citizens of Humanity & J Brand & Current Elliot...

shiny bottega are very nice understated bags,famous for the woven design, what style are you after? i love chloe bags and highly rate them, my ultimate want bag is a chanel, either grand shopper or flap,dont mind getting both!

i believe in buying a few pieces of good quality that last(specially AW clothes)they dont have to be big brands,j crew cashmere is pretty good,so are the basic tees. good jeans are a must,my favorites are j brand.

if you are still losing weight and dont want to splurge a lot,how about buying a good scarf? a good scarf and bag really transform any outfit instantly.

barbie how are you? hope the move went smoothly !

santanmarianovella - I like understated, and I do like Chloe. Will have to think a bit harder about this.
I do want to buy good quality clothes but not super expensive so just not new look or primark etc, coincidentally I have also been looking at some scarves. Last winter I had a lot of very cheap clothes as I was feeling and being very round, so will have to buy some this year as they have almost disintegrated. But still have quite a way to go with the weight so don't want to go mad.

Also another thought check out American vintage and all saints for basic t shirts and vest that won't break the bank and can be layered.

I'm loving James perse this season, his dresses pull you in in all the right places also bought Levi grey jumper that can be worn bigger if you continue to lose weight

santa ill be back to thread soon. Intermittent Internet so didn't want to lose big post! Move went well...strange place to live though!

allthingspretty do you take cash or cheque? ;)

OP I'm currently on a bag quest myself. Current front runners are: 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli, Givenchy Antigona, Gucci Disco, Celine Mini-Luggage, Saint Laurent Grand Cabas, Saint Laurent Duffle, McQueen Heroine or Balenciaga Giant City.

I'm an enormous fan of Uniqlo for casual basics at next to nothing OP, Gap can also be good. I like Topshop jeans for a decent fit for not a lot of dollar. To be honest though, my wardrobe is packed with premium denim, and I usually pay around the £50 mark in sales/from the Outnet (which is another great place to look for quality clothing at knock down prices).

Wow AmberNectarine - that's a pretty comprehensive list of bags . I have not gotten that far myself yet.
Thanks for the tips Barbie have never even looked at those clothes brands.

shiny i second james perse, very understated ,no fuss or crazy prints.

my advice would be to wait till you reach your desired weight before buying denim,it is such a hassle,and you dont want to waste time and money ,only to find they fit badly a few months later,but you could get away with a few knits or jackets as they look better slouchy. a lot of mn voguettes are fans of iris and ink for knits,

Amber any way you want is fine ;-)