BAF Weekly IT List

BAF Weekly IT List from top left: stripe sweater / Chanel fall nail polish / Dior fall nail polish / black shoulder bag / tan convertible bag (hot IT bag) / star necklace / hoop earrings (under $100) / black loafers / slouchy tote / black boots / caramel hobo bag / silver bracelet / Mary Janes /

Beautiful handbags are dominating the streets, runways, and everyone’s shopping list. Love this! Handbags made from high quality materials, and often made with sustainable practices in regard to materials, manufacturing or both, are what makes up the IT bag dur jour.

The spring 2024 runways have shown us that the anonymous handbag is going nowhere. We saw small and medium bags, slouchy totes and hobo, and strong attention to quality craftsmanship and materials. This is the investment dressing era and I am here for it!

Speaking of the anonymous handbag, are you familiar with Toteme? If you are a handbag fan like me, you most certainly are! Toteme introduced their handbag collection a couple of years ago and everyone is going nuts over them! So much so, that their T-Lock bag in both the standard size and clutch size, is blowing off store shelves. If you can get your hands on one without wait listing, you live a charmed life. I finally got my hands on one in the standard size, so stay tuned for my upcoming review! In the meantime, see if you can snag one online, or at least get on the wait list. Here are a few around the web:

The Mulberry Amberley is proving to be wildly popular on the streets. I am literally seeing it everywhere from back-to-school night to the supermarket, to the movie theater, the mall, and more! I feel like the only one carrying a black one, most of the ones I am spotting on the streets are blue, orange, and green. It is a beautiful investment bag, and I am in love with mine! If you have been on the fence, what are you waiting for?

Fall nail polish, boots, and Mary Janes are also hot right now. They are an easy way to update your wardrobe and add a little bit of fall while the weather is still in second summer mode.

Shop the BAF IT List online:

What are you loving for fall right now?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Should you go to parents weekend?

Treat your student to a meal at a restaurant and give them a break from dorm food

There is a question many parents of college students, especially first year college students, asks themselves. Should you go to parents weekend? (also referred to as families weekend, or parent and family weekend, at some universities)

Most colleges offer a weekend of activities for parents and families roughly six weeks into the first semester or quarter of the fall term. This is about the time when many students become homesick, are stressed out from mid-terms, and/or simply miss their parents. It also goes the opposite way where parents really miss their children! If you are like me, you started to miss your child at drop-off, before getting in the car, or the boarding the airplane home.

A parents weekend is a great time to visit your child, as long as you understand they cannot spend every waking moment with you. This fun-filled weekend is smack in the middle of mid-terms. Your child will likely have a big exam to study for, or have other activities they need to attend to such as club meetings, practices, work shifts, or volunteer duties. You will need to be patient and supportive of your child, and speak with them before-hand as you plan the schedule for the weekend; especially if you are making dinner reservations or there are ticketed events on campus which need to be paid for in advance.

The itinerary for parents weekend compensates for this conundrum by offering sessions for parents which you can attend while your child is busy. You can learn more about the degree your child is studying, learn about school traditions, find out about extra-curricular activities your child might be interested in, find ways for parents to be involved in booster activities etc., learn about on and off campus housing, and more. Save the fun stuff such as a tour of the football stadium, tour of all the haunted spots on campus, etc. for when you your student can go with you. These are fun bonding moments and things they might not do on their own when you aren’t there.

So, the question remains, should you go to parents weekend? Yes and no. Yes, if your child can carve out the time to spend with you, no if they have a huge mid-term and you don’t need to attend any of the sessions offered for parents. If you don’t go to parents weekend, find a weekend which works for your child and visit them at that time. This will allow you both to have fun. If your child has a huge exam on Monday and you flew across the country for parents weekend, your student will feel obligated to spend time with you and this could cause undue stress. So, before booking those tickets, speak with your student first to make sure parents weekend fits into their schedule.

Parents weekend is not just for first year parents, it is something you can attend every year until your student graduates. It is also the perfect excuse for visiting your student without looking like a helicopter parent. I love parents weekend for that reason! Haha

This is also a great time to bring your student a gift such as a squishie or homemade cookies. It is also about halfway between drop-off day and thanksgiving break, so the timing of parents weekend is genius.

Shop college student gift ideas online:

So, should you go to parents weekend? My short answer is yes, unless your student has a huge exam or other conflict, then, find another weekend where you can visit and enjoy some time with your child.

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Fall IT bags under $1000 for fall 2023

Fall IT bags under $1000 from top left: silver handbag / convertible clutch (hot IT bag) / mini tote bag / hobo bag / small satchel / convertible shoulder bag /

Although we are in an era of timeless, investment handbags, there are a few bags which are more popular than others. For example, this black clutch, which has a hidden shoulder strap inside, sells out as soon as it hits store shelves. It is priced slightly under $1000 and has been spotted on the arms of celebrities; a sure-fire way to become an IT bag.

In addition to bags which sell-out, there are a few classic handbags which are also IT bags due to their timeless appeal, and investment status. You will definitely get your cost per wear out of these bags, and they are all priced under $1000. Love that!

Well, almost all of these IT bags are classic. The mirrored bag, which is hot for fall, is a trendy look. To make a mirrored bag an investment purchase, it would have to become an occasion bag after the trend fades; which you would store in your collection. Thankfully silver mirrored bags can double as semi-formal, or formal bags depending upon the silhouette and size. Before investing in a mirrored bag, think about if you just want it for one season, or if you want it to last. That will determine the size and style you purchase.

The anonymous handbag era is hot, and it is showing no sign of slowing down; as we are currently watching the New York Fashion Week runways for spring 2024. The handbags are logoless, and they exude quality over branding. I love that timeless, chic styles are booming. I am not really a logo girl; I have always loved more of an investment look. Therefore, I am loving this era of handbags!

Shop Fall IT bags under $1000 online:

Which handbag styles are you loving for the fall season? Are you investing in bags with longevity, or going for short-term trends?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy