outfits

The return of the soft hobo

December 6, 2021 in General Fashion / Handbags / Trends tagged casual style / holidays 2021 / outfits / street style trends / winter 2022 by Bay Area Fashionista

Wearing: sunglasses / large hoop earrings (under $100) / small red soft hobo bag / black long sleeve top (on major sale!) / fall nail polish / G buckle belt / dark wash skinny jeans / ivory faux fur boots /

Well, the return of the soft hobo bag is here! The last couple of years we have watched as the structured hobo bag remerged from IT bag hibernation. As it became one of the most important styles in the handbag world over the past year, the soft hobo decided to join it, and return to the world of must-have handbags; and I’m here for it!

The soft hobo is the ultimate street style IT bag. This handbag style has a naturally casual vibe to it, and soft hobo bags also happen to be extremely popular as an everyday, go-to handbag. This makes the soft hobo bag very common on the streets, and well loved by people everywhere. This is the people’s handbag.

Soft hobo bags were extremely popular in the 1990s, and they trickled into the early 2000s. Sadly, they were replaced by the rise of the structured satchel which enjoyed popularity for well over a decade. As the structured satchel moves back into office-gear, the hobo bag remerges as the bag to own.

Hobo bags are fabulous because they are lightweight, can be worn on the shoulder, and can easily be placed on your lap, or behind you on a chair while at a restaurant. They are easy, everyday handbags which generally fit everything we all need to carry around on a daily basis. Love that!

Structured hobos reemerged first, and they were a great transition from the satchel since they offer a structured silhouette which can be worn casual or dressy, as well as with office attire. As we move into 2022, we are looking to expand our hobo bag wardrobes, and the soft hobo bag fits the bill. This unfussy handbag style gives us a go-to, casual look which has an effortless, chic vibe. Plus, who doesn’t love the soft fabrication of the hobo bag?! Love!

Although I have a large, soft black hobo in my archives, I wanted something smaller, with a pop of color. My clothing choices have been neutral and dark lately, so adding some color to my capsule through a handbag seemed like a fun way to jump into the soft hobo bag trend. Isn’t this a pretty red?

I love this small, soft hobo bag for everyday use. You can check out my review here. It has an effortless chic vibe which I love; especially when I really don’t want to try! haha

This top and jeans are my go-to look right now. I have been changing it up with different shoes and handbags. I wore this look to go Christmas shopping with my daughters the other day, and we also popped into Din Tai Fung for some yummy dumplings. My bag fit nicely underneath my napkin, on my lap. If you are always wondering where to put your bag when you dine out, check out my post about it here.

What are your thoughts on the soft hobo trend emerging for the new year? Are you excited about it too? Do you plan to rock it?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Casual holiday street style

November 29, 2021 in General Fashion tagged casual style / holidays 2021 / outfits by Bay Area Fashionista

salmon poke bowl the palms los gatos dinner

wearing: gold hoop earrings (under $100) / long sleeve, green satin top / G buckle belt / dark wash skinny jeans / black structured hobo bag / green nail polish / black lug sole loafers /

One of the many things I love about the holiday season is all of the beautiful lights on the streets. Downtown Los Gatos has such pretty holiday lights this year, and this walkway was no exception. Aren’t the hanging lights fabulous? Of course, my iPhone photos don’t do it justice, you have to see these pretty decorations in person.

We snapped these photos after enjoying a yummy dinner at The Palms restaurant in downtown Los Gatos. The restaurant is inside of a beautiful historical mansion, which legend has it-is haunted. I have never seen a ghost there, but I won’t doubt what others have told me about the bathroom ghost! But I digress. . .

Can we chat about how yummy the food is at The Palms? Oh my goodness! It’s so good! My husband I were twins on this particular night, we both ordered the poke bowls. I had the salmon poke bowl, and he had the tuna poke bowl. They were both really good. The menu has so many delicious options, we will definitely be going back to try more items on the menu. If you are local, be sure to stop in for dinner! They also serve lunch on the weekends.

My hip injury is almost completely healed, so I wore shoes I could walk around town in. We were able to walk around for roughly twenty minutes before I had to stop. That’s good news! This outfit was perfect for walking around, although, I should have brought a jacket. The nights are definitely getting cooler around here!

I am looking forward to more walks around town, without any pain! Hurting your hip is no joke, it really takes a while to heal. If you ever feel pain in your hip, slow down and rest. I made the mistake of continuing to workout, and it has taken almost three months to heal. Ugh!

Are you enjoying all the holiday decor this year, now that things are open and we can enjoy our hometowns again?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Fabulous faux leather pants

November 22, 2021 in General Fashion tagged holidays 2021 / jonathon simkhai / mansur gavriel / outfits by Bay Area Fashionista

Wearing: sunglasses / green statement earrings / black sparkling puff sleeve top / gemstone bracelets (local designer under $50) / gold bead bracelet (use code BayArea15 site-wide to save 15% off) / green metallic nail polish / mini gold clutch / self-tie faux leather pants / chain detail black boots /

Ah, the pants! If you are a fan of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, you know about these pants! While they aren’t the exact brand worn by Crystal, they are the closest pair I have found. I absolutely adore these pants! They are fairly thick, so these faux leather pants are warmer than jeans during the colder months. They are also as comfortable as pajama pants, so I find myself reaching for them often. It is possible I could have gone down one size. With my new weight, I am still figuring out my sizes.

How fun is this sparkling black top! I wish you could see how sparkly it is in real life. These photos do not do it justice. If you want a fun top this holiday season, pick up one of these! I also have one in red, and they have other colors available too! This top is also a great way to make jeans festive. Love that!

OK, I know I have a lot of Mansur Gavriel fans here with me! If you love their cloud clutch, this is the mini. I wanted to jump on the gold handbag trend, but didn’t want anything too bold. This mini size is a great way to be understated, yet still rock the gold bag trend. I have to say, it is very mini. I need to switch to my small travel wallet, and my iPhone does not fit inside. My full review will hit the blog tomorrow. If you want to pick up a small, gold clutch, but need to fit your phone inside, I recommend going with the middle sized cloud, which can be found here.

Shop my faux leather pants outfit online:

Have you ever had an outfit inspired by a TV show? More specifically, have you ever designed an outfit around a piece you saw on the Real Housewives? This outfit is exactly that! haha

Well, this is my version of a little-black-dress for the holiday season. I can wear this outfit for dinner, to the theater, and to a party. It’s dressy enough for holiday festivities, yet feels like a comfortable pair of pajamas. haha, love that!

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

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