I have chic friends

At a recent party for a friend's engagement I was wowed by the style some of my friends have. Just look at these outfits:


Above is Tiffany, and she gave me the lowdown on (almost) her entire outfit.
Dress: Free People
White corduroy jacket (pictured on her below): American Eagle
Purse (a lookalike of the timeless Coco Chanel chain shoulder bag): Etsy

Can you believe Tiffany scored this purse on Etsy for only $12?? It is vintage and real leather. Love!

I am unsure about the shoes and belt, but she is right on trend for this season with both. Wedges and espadrilles made of natural materials always work for summer, but there is definitely a focus on them this year. The belt is brown and leather, and is perfect for giving this sweet and girly flower print some edge.


On the right is Candice, who always manages to look beautiful. She obviously knows you can't go wrong with the little black dress. I forgot to ask her where she found it, but it looked great on her, especially paired with her sky high strappy platforms!


This is Brittany, our host and the guest of honor for the event. She said the dress is BCBG, and the shoes are Manolos. Aren't they beautiful??? I wanted to rip them off her feet!

Do you have stylish friends too?

The purse collection

I love purses, hand bags, whatever you want to call them. I can't get enough of them, and I secretly feel I need them in EVERY single color. Yes, I know, a bit obsessive. I am also picky- I like buttery leather (or really soft suede) that looks high quality, and I like the purse to be well designed and constructed. I don't however need the purse to be a particular designer or design house. I know a lot of girls who love Coach, Dooney and Burke, Louis Vuitton, etc. I think such purses are beautiful and well made, but I don't feel loyal to any brand.

Since I am also cheap and (usually) broke, and these qualities usually cost a lot, I don't buy purses as often as some of my friends. But I would like to think my collection is well edited and suits my taste and the rest of my wardrobe.

Check it out:

Nine West doctor's bag, found at TJ Maxx for only $30.


Nine West- I found this one years ago at Marshalls.


I found this one at Lane Bryant one time when I should have been shopping for a gift for my mom, haha.


This one was a gift from my sister at Christmas 2 years ago.


I have had this one forever- it only makes an appearance when I need a small black evening bag, since it has a bit of intricate beading.


This one was a gift from my sister in law. She loves Dooney and Burke.


This was a gift from my best friend Lauren- cute right?


Believe it or not, these are from Bath and Body Works. They came with little body lotions inside. I loved them so much I bought three- I didn't even care about the lotion inside, haha.


I found this one at the Wilson's Leather outlet when I was on a yellow kick. Too bad Wilsons is going out of business! This one has a wallet built in on the front of the purse. Convenient, but I don't use this one when I go to NYC or Philly or somewhere else crowded and busy, since the wallet could easily fall open if I wasn't careful.


My mom gave me this one- who knows where she got it, though. Doesn't it have a late 80s, early 90s vibe about it? I love over sized clutches, especially envelope style ones.


This is the one I blogged about recently in the piping post.


And this is the one I got recently at Topshop.


I realized only just now that I don't have too many wallets. I think this is because changing a purse is so much easier (for me) than changing a wallet. Also, sometimes I will use some of the small clutches pictured above as wallets. The Coach one was a gift from 4 girls I had as residents on my floor my senior year of college (I was an RA.) The orange and green ones I got at the Liz Claiborne outlet a year ago.


What do you think? Is there a certain style or color I am missing? Do you have a love for purses? Are you loyal to certain brands or stores? Share :)