I have never had a strong affinity to brown. Which baffles my mind since brown looks less harsh against my blond hair, blue eyes, medium color skin. It is not that I am a huge lover of black, but I really just float around in the color world. But I need a new brown bag. One of my last brown bags was my Fendi Spy (yes 2.5 years ago), in honey, which is a perfect shade. And now I have found my new brown bag obsession, and am quite surprised that it is a Burberry Bag. Burberry is synonymous with its check pattern, which many tire of quickly. I like it here and there, loved my Burberry scarf, but I can only handle it in doses. When Burberry creates a stunning leather bag and leaves the check pattern to the interior lining, they can end up with a fabulous handbag. And this is precisely what has happened with the Burberry Belted Leather Tote. The pebbled calfskin looks soft in pictures, which typically means that it is indeed sumptuous. What I love about this bag is the casual look, the belted accent which gives such a nonchalant finish. No need for crazy amounts of hardware, like in the Burberry Warrior, just simple with a nice touch. This look has me feeling fall already, it will be perfect with hues of green, purple, and brown. The golden hardware is a much better option than silver, giving a refined feeling, which I always feel in fall. Don’t you see that? The long coats and boots dress people up in the fall, making an effortlessly chic ensemble. There is also a detachable shoulder strap, double top handles, and many pockets on the inside. I simply can not argue with this handbag. Price is US$1,195.

FAEZA ELAI - STAR OF OTAI (Image: Hmetro)

I’ve been a casual watcher (although, admittedly, not buyer) of Louis Vuitton jewelry for several years now. My thoughts are normally mixed; they have some very chic, very wearable designs, but I’m not entirely sure that I’d want to buy a piece of obviously branded jewelry (this goes, as well, for Chanel’s beautiful but logo-clad costume jewelry line). I particularly like their resin bracelets as a cute pick-me-up to an otherwise basic casual outfit without piling on an inappropriate amount of bling. Logos always present a sort of mental block for me - no matter how much I would like something otherwise, I always manage to talk myself out of it if it’s got an obviously displayed brand name. Perhaps it’s because it makes me feel like I’m being somewhat of a bad consumer; if a brand name is obviously displayed, are the odds higher that I’m paying extra for only the name? And as a serious fashion watcher, shouldn’t I be more conscious of such ploys for my extra cash? More importantly, am I in the financial position to pay $400 for a resin bracelet? Heavens, no. But if I were, I think I’d get over my logo phobia and get the Louis Vuitton Farandole bracelet. I like the lack of sparkle, and I also like that it’s in the colors of their recent camo collection, which don’t often show up in high-end jewelry. This would be wearable during the daytime with jeans and a cute black top (or any similar variation on that theme). Is it subtle? Not particularly, but Louis Vuitton devotees (at least the ones I know) are not subtle people, and if I’m paying that much for something that’s not jeweled, I wouldn’t mind if a few people noticed it, logos and all.