Bay Area Fashionista

BAF Weekly IT List

BAF Weekly IT List from top left: dark brown pouch with bulky chain (hot IT bag) / pink nail polish / summer orange nail polish / black puff sleeve tee / small yellow pouch (IT bag under $500) / yellow puffy slides / grey satchel / black mules with sculpted heel / classic Gucci IT bag /

Is it just me, or does May always start to feel like summer? Maybe it’s the warmer temperatures, swimming pool weather, and clear skies? It makes me feel like summer and vacation are near!

As we move towards the summer season, we are gravitating towards summer nail polish, functional handbags with an IT factor, and shoes we can kick on and off. Slides are so hot this year!

While functional bags are popular this year, there is one handbag style from before the pandemic which is still hot on the streets; and highly sought-after. You know the style! The pouch!

Pouch handbags, as you know, are a puffy and soft, clutch-style handbag we can carry on both casual and dressy occasions. This makes it a great day-into-evening bag we can easily snuggle with under our arms. While the Bottega Veneta pouch is the biggest IT bag of the pouch world, the Mansur Gavriel version is equally sought-after. Of course, Mansur Gavriel’s version is much more affordable with the large bag being just under $600 and the small version under $500.

One thing that is different in the pouch world this year is the funky, chunky, gold chain. Designers are placing useless chunky chains on their bags this year which are not meant to be used as a strap; they are meant to drape thoughtlessly over the bag. If you like pouches, and you like chunky chains, Bottega Veneta has the pouch for you; and it’s the hottest version of the pouch IT bag around. Love it!

Shop the BAF Weekly IT List online:

Starting to shop for summer? Think puff sleeves, earth tones, pops of color, slides, mules, and IT bags. Love!

Still looking for a Mother’s Day gift? Check out The Perfect Provenance where you can find a last-minute gift in-store or online.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a fabulous Mother’s Day!

XOXO
Cathy

Mother’s Day gifts at The Perfect Provenance

Things are opening up! The weather is fabulous, and the economy is opening; this means it’s the perfect time to head over to Downtown Tiburon and shop local! The Perfect Provenance is my favorite local boutique. The shop is full of on trend clothing for both men and women, as well as children’s books, home decor, accessories, and the most amazing gifts!

The Perfect Provenance is full of artisan candles, luxurious fragrances, vacation-ready handbags, jewelry from local designers, and some products which directly charity. There is a little bit of everyone in-store, love that!

I picked up luxurious soap for my Mom for Mother’s Day. As you can see in the photo at the top of this post, the soap is made in France, and has the most amazing scent. I chose “Lavande” for her since she is a huge lavender fan. I know she will love it! In addition to the soap, I also picked up fragrance from Veronique Gabai, which only uses natural, ethically sourced ingredients. They also use green chemistry, and biodegradable materials. Mom will love this!

If you are looking for fragrance, and/or candles for Mom, The Perfect Provenance has something I am sure she will love.

Oh, and speaking of products with a cause. . .

On the surface, this look like a trendy tee with the word “Peace” written on the front. Underneath it all, this tee is anything from ordinary; in fact, it is extraordinary and special. alivia is an extra special brand, which takes inspiration from autistic artists. Everything from the art to the stitches was hand-made by autistic artisans. In addition, 10% of sales goes back to the artist’s non-profit. Love that! This tee is a must-have for summer. It will look so cute with shorts and sandals. They also make sweatshirts, masks, and scrunchies. Love!

I am loving all the fabulous straw, woven, and natural fiber handbags we are seeing this year for the summer season. The Perfect provenance has a plethora of beautiful summer bags in stock right now, as we speak. I know they won’t last long! This one in the photo above is perfect for a beachy vacation, or day-to-day summer life. Love it!

If you are local to the Bay Area, be sure to pop into The Perfect Provenance this week and find something special for Mom. Or, you can always treat her to brunch at Sam’s on Sunday, and then walk across the street and let her pick out anything she wants from the store! I know I would love that on Mother’s Day!

Not local? No worries! You can shop everything you see here by either calling the store, or shopping directly from their website at ThePerfectProvenance.com.

One of the things I love about The Perfect Provenance is that they have several products which directly benefit Operation Smile. This tee below is new and special for the Tiburon store. Love that is says “Smile California,” You can learn more about the collection online here.

I hope you find everything you need for Mother’s Day! Have a fabulous Mother’s Day and thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

*sponsored by The Perfect Provenance, all thoughts and opinions are my own

products with a cause smile california the perfect provenance small businesses tiburon

Summer sandals 2021

Summer sandals 2021 from left: black puffy casual slides / yellow puffy block heel slides / woven leather black slides /

Summer is fast approaching! As the weather warms up during the spring season, we are all thinking about investing in at least one pair of sandals to get us through late spring, the summer season, and early fall. This summer, sandals have taken a new turn; so ditch last years sandals, there are new styles and trends to love this year!

The summer 2021 season is all about retro, 1990s vibes and comfort. As we ditch our slippers and go back out into the wild, we need actual street shoes. The dilemma is that we all got used to wearing super comfy, cushy slippers all day long. Not this year! We are all getting back to our almost-normal lives, and we need shoes we can wear out on the streets! In order to solve this comfort-vs-utility problem, sandals and shoes for 2021 are throwing back to the late 1990s when comfort was king, and jokes were made. Oh yes, I am talking about the mall shoe.

Mall shoes are not as bad as they were twenty plus years ago. This time around, designers have made the style more sleek and chic; keeping the comfort, but ditching the bubble bottoms. Love that! So when you shop for summer sandals this year, look for slides with thick soles which offer both comfort and style.

In addition to thicker, flat soles, mules and block heel slides are all the rage. Look for easy-to-walk-in sculpted heels and block heels. Want to keep your slides funky? I knew you would! Puffy shoes are back. Remember them from roughly 2003? Puffy slides and sandals are very in this year; and they are very comfortable! Instead of going for the skinny strap trend, which I am skipping because they cut up your feet, look for puffy styles which are like pillows on your feet. Love!

Unless you have been quarantining in a cave without wifi, you know by now that everything Bottega Veneta is hotter than hot. Of course, their prices are on the high side. If BV is above your budget, never fear, the woven leather trend is here! All brands and price ranges offer woven leather sandals and slides this year. Woven leather is soft too; so if puffy shoes aren’t your thing, you can opt for the sleeker, more classic look of woven leather.

Slides are hotter than strappy sandals this year. Prove me wrong.

So as you shop for summer sandals in 2021, don’t be afraid to opt for comfort. Comfort is king this year. Also, have some fun with your sandals! Look for puffy styles, woven leathers, sculpted heels, and fun colors. Think of this summer as the roaring twenties, have fun with your footwear!

I opted for three pairs of slides this summer as my summer sandal wardrobe. One yellow, puffy pair of block heel slides as my fun shoes, one pair of casual and puffy black slides for everyday wear, and one pair of dressier, woven leather slides. I feel like three pairs fit my lifestyle this year. All three pairs are comfortable, and easy to walk in; that’s what we all need this year!

Shop my favorite summer sandals for the 2021 summer season online:

Which summer sandal styles are you loving this year?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy