Valentines’ bags + the 411 on Hermes birkins

Wow, there’s apparently something about me taking Benadryl that gets me totally knocked out *goodbye Nyquil haha*. I think I’ve already had a serious overdose of medicine in my system that when I took Benadryl (presumably to kill my allergies– cough and sniffles), I became so spaced out within 30 minutes. *Pssst, at least I was taking prescribed drugs!* My cough has eased up a bit, although everytime I try to talk, I still end up coughing my lungs out. It’s becoming rather embarrassing to cough in public– people might actually think I have tuberculosis *my chest xray came out clean, thank God!*. So, if you run into me and suddenly I go into this coughing bout, don’t worry it’s not contagious *haha*. So I slept real early last night– something like 7pm. Woke up for dinner at 8pm and went right back to sleep after. It’s now 6:00 am and I’m wide awake! 🙂

And before anything else, I wanna greet my Dear Baby (or rather Dear Toddler!) who turns TWO years old today 🙂 It’s officially the terrible twos stage!! 🙂 I remember heading over to the hospital right at this very hour exactly two years ago to give birth. Sigh, mama baghags, can you still remember your labor pains? 😀 Those labor pains sure are worth it, but our kids better be good to us and buy us our bags one day *muwahaha self serving interests to have children hahaha*

Ok, greetings to my dear kid aside, let’s talk about the upcoming Valentines’ Day. Being the materialistic bag hag that I am, I ask thee– what do YOU want for Valentines’ Day? (Psst, I can’t believe this but I saw it with my own eyes– Jul Dizon has a “leaf” cutout ring in oxidized silver set with citrines *that look like brown diamonds* for UNDER Php 10K!!!)

Here are potential bags that are worth test driving, all from Saksfifthavenue.com

Dolce & Gabbana “Miss Loop” Bag in a neutral shade. This taupe colored pebbled leather bag is quite a basic tote, but there’s just something about it that made it look better than the average bag. It could be the studs, it could be that chain dangling from one side with the tassles. Whatever it is, this bag is sure to transcend time and trend. Priced at US$1,325.

Bottega Veneta Sardegna Tote. Hmm a Bottega bag in canvas? Well I am loving the color of the bag (why am I always partial to blues and purples???) and the fact that the handles are made of braided BV leather, makes me wanna carry this bag. Again, this bag is so basic that it will certainly do a lot more work for you than your Chloes. Priced at US$720 (not cheap though, for a canvas bag with leather handles… but it’s a BV!)

Be&D Miss Ruffled Bag in metallic anthracite. I don’t know but this bag sings to me somehow. I may not like the fact that it will sit long from the shoulders, but I like the ruffles on the bag’s body. And the color is still good for summer too, what with all that metallic bag trend still hanging on. Priced at US$970.

And here’s one for RS who has been requesting to see the different sizes of the Hermes birkin.

30cm white birkin in togo– I actually now find this size small for me because of all that junk I carry… but if you want to start out on a birkin, this is a size I would recommend too since it’s not heavy. And of course it’s priced less! This is also the size that most Asian women (I’m not saying all, but a good number of them) like.

32cm potiron HAC (Haut a Courroies) in chevre– This beautiful pumpkin colored (orangey caramel which works like a neutral shade of camel) HAC is actually not really a birkin, although it looks like one. This is the original “birkin” bag that Mr. Dumas fashioned after actress Jane Birkin’s specifications for a bag that works better than her Kelly. Some people like this size better than the 30s and 35s because it’s not too big nor is it too small. And the bag is taller by the way, and has shorter handles. I quite like it actually.

35cm brighton blue birkin in clemence– And this is my baby *beams and brags and then ducks for rotten tomatoes hehe*. The 35cm birkin at first would make your arms sore especially if you bring your whole house inside like I do. But after awhile, you realize that the size works wonders too, because it IS roomy.

Oh and in case you get any more ideas, only the last bag is mine. Now if money was no object to this baghag wannabe, I would’ve collected all three *muwahaha*. But come on, reality check. I was not naming myself the baghag wannabe for nothing, right?

Anyway, here are the most popular types of leather for birkins:

1. Clemence (pronounced “cle-mahns”) is pebbled and quite scratch resistant *unless you bang it around so much* known to become softer over time, so the bag becomes “foldable” and is perfect for travel.

2. Togo is also a very popular choice of leather, as it is likewise pebbled and quite scratch-resistant. It is also more structured and retains its shape better over time.

3. Chevre (pronounced “shevrah”) is otherwise known as goatskin leather (like the suhali of Louis Vuitton), and has that nice exotic looking grain in the middle of the bag. It is very lightweight compared to Clemence and togo, and is structured. It also has a bit of a “shine”.

4. Fjord (pronounced “feeyord”) is the heaviest of all (at least to me), and is also the most “indestructible” leather used by Hermes, as far as I know. I think this leather would be best on the travel birkins (sized 40cm and 50cm– aka the man’s birkin :D)

5. Epsom is a more finely grained leather that is quite similar to the older courchevel leather. Birkins in this leather are light as well, and the leather seems quite scratch resistant (again, unless you bang your bag around!).

6. Swift is one of the newest leathers of Hermes. It is also very, very light, but is apparently prone to scratches (definitely not for me!). For baghags who take extremely good care of their bags and hate carrying “weighty” bags, then this leather is perfect for your birkin.

Ok hags, that’s it for now. RS— hope that helps, and for other baghags as well who are thinking of getting a birkin, hope this was useful to you 🙂

BAG CLEANING TIP: To answer a query about the Apple leather cleaner and conditioner– yes, it is best to use just the Apple leather conditioner (NOT the cleaner) on the cowhides of Louis Vuitton bags. You can use that leather cleaner on other types of leather, but not on the vachetta because there might be that tendency to dry it up. I would strongly advise using the conditioner only for LV leathers. And remember: ALWAYS try any cleaning agent on a small part of the bag where it won’t be visible to others (i.e. bottom part). DO NOT make the mistake of trying it out on the front! (I made that mistake before, yikes!). And always WAIT A DAY before applying throughout the bag– assuming that the small trial spot worked well with the cleaning agent!

P.S. Thanks so much to NS who has tirelessly helped me out on that crazy baghunt 🙂

Good morning to everyone and have a nice day 🙂

xx