I impulse purchased the Michael Kors' Large Selma Satchel back in May. Mostly because it reminded me of the more expensive Celine Luggage Tote. I'm still lusting after it, but I'm more or less satisfied with my Michael Kors version for the time being.
I opted for the Vanilla colour rather than the White because it was less harsh of a colour but would still look sharp and pop with all my outfits.
As my first "real" handbag purchase, I wanted to make sure it wouldn't get dirty easily so I bought a leather-protecting spray. I ended up getting purple hair dye as well as denim and black fabric dye stains on it. The spray proved to be an effective barrier between the two because all the stains eventually came out. Or the combination of Lysol wipes and hairspray. I'm not sure which.
What really sold me on the bag was the removable shoulder strap. While I loved the look of the bag on its own, I could never carry it by hand all the time. In fact, the few days that I tried, I ended up with shoulder pains.
After only several months of everyday use, the d-ring attachment at the front of the bag started to tear. In a weak attempt to prevent it from getting worse, I tried to carry it by hand for a few days, ending up with the aforementioned shoulder pains. I should have listened to my gut instincts when I first saw how the shoulder straps were attached. The way the attachments were positioned at front left and back right, and how the leather loop was attached through a cutout with only stitching, are not able to provide balanced or sufficient weight distribution.
When I went in store to ask about the one year warranty, I was told it did not cover wear and tear, and that I was carrying too heavy a load in my bag. Essentially, they were saying it was my fault. After laying out all my bag contents, I still feel that everything I carry are essential items in a modern woman's life. Shouldn't Michael Kors' designers have taken this weight load into account when designing this type of bag? I'm on the fence about future purchases from Michael Kors. On the one hand, I like the quality and affordable price point they offer, on the other hand, this experience.
From left to right: lip balm EOS, sunglasses and case Marc Jacobs, hand cream Milk, lychee flavoured mints Rio, wallet Michael Kors, change purse Coach, iPhone 5 Apple, iPad Mini Apple, mirror
Photography by jen
My copy of Wilfred Capucine T-Shirt 100% Viscose
Hat TNA, Leggings Talula, Shoes Aldo, Handbag Michael Kors, Watch Movado ESQ
It was such a simple design that I figured I could do it for way cheaper. I already had fabric from a previous project that I had ended up abandoning so this was sort of, kind of, free. Technically.
Side View
The basic t-shirt pattern was copied from an old Club Monaco t-shirt which is why my neckline is more scooped than the original. All hems are clean finished with 3 thread overedge and 2 needle top stitching with 1/8" width needle spacing (anyone want to buy me a coverstitching machine?).
Back View
I think my front and back hemlines have a larger difference than the original.
Mine has started to pill all over from constant wear. I can only assume that if I had spent the money on the original this might not have happened what with better quality, quality control, and all that good stuff. Remember kids, just because you can make it yourself, doesn't mean it's always better. Pilling is one of my biggest issues for anything that I make myself. My Wilfred Wasaga T-Shirt Dress hasn't pilled on the outside yet and it has been at least two years now.
Lastly, this is one of my few projects that didn't require a muslin. I just went from draft to final garment. For those of you who draft or sew, you know how amazing it is when that happens. And what a mistake it can be when it doesn't work out and you used your final fabric.
Photography by jen
As someone who can make their own clothes and works in clothing product development, I am extremely picky when it comes to shopping. Aritzia happens to be one of my favourite stores because they offer several price points and the quality is there (for the most part). Is there better quality out there from other stores/brands? Yes, of course. But $1000 for a pair of leggings that will go out of style in a year is a little out of my price range.
I purchased the Wilfred Free - Wasaga T-Shirt Dress a while back in two colourways: Bright Blue and Heather Grey. I loved them, as is the case with all my Aritzia purchases, until the time came for me to wash them. FYI, depending on the fabric content, dry clean only garments can be handwashed with no issues.
After I had painstakingly handwashed and hung both dresses to dry, I discovered, TO MY HORROR, that the back of the Heather Grey one had twisted. How could I wear a dress with uneven side seam lengths?! These dresses were $45CAD+tax!
So off I went to the computer to contact Aritzia. I honestly did not expect a response. So suffice to say, they exceeded my expectations.
Below are the pictures I submitted to Aritzia as evidence of the twisting. This type of work is also part of what I do at my day job.
Several weeks later...
As Aritzia was kind enough to let me keep the defective dress, I decided to cut off the bottom part of the dress that was twisted and turned it into a top.
