The Perfect Yoga Bag(s)

Yoga is so ubiquitous these days that you can barely swing a cat without hitting someone in downward dog. Even I have finally succumbed to it, after much haranguing by my personal spirit animal, Tamar. So you'd think that manufacturers would have figured out how to make a decent gym bag for yogis. You would be wrong. I can hardly believe it, but most yoga bags are made to carry only your mat, with maybe a pocket for your keys and a few bills (and most of them are made of truly regrettable fabrics). But if you also want to throw in your own hand towel or water bottle or even if you just carry a large wallet, your options are limited. If you want to bring all of the above and your workout clothes because you're heading to yoga from work, forget about it. There are a few bags that allow you to strap your mat to your bag, but that just looks dumb, and if you need to set your bag down on, say, a dirty subway floor, well, why even bother bringing your own nongermy mat? (Answer: to save the $2 rental fee, but I digress.)

Anyway, I've been searching for days, and I only found two bags on the entire Internet that fit my criteria. Here they are:

Lululemon convertible Yogi tote, $54 (and free shipping!). Freakin' Lululemon, home of the $98 stretch pants: I never thought I'd buy anything from there, but this is the one I got. The mat goes in the bottom part, and you put your other crap in the top part. If you just need to tote the mat, turn it inside out. Genius. It supposedly has tons of pockets for little stuff, too. The reviews say the handles are too short, but I'm hoping I can deal. If not, or if it's just way too big, I'm going to plan B:

Sundara Studio "Urban Yogi" bag, $65. This one's handmade and designed for a casually rolled-up mat, with room for a few extras. I like the colors of this one—most yoga stuff on the Internet is so cheesily hippied-out you feel like you need to confirm it came from a patchouli-free home. If the Lululemon needs to be returned, I'm totally trying this out.

I Heart Pendleton Everything! + Weird '90s Flashback

I don't necessarily think Pendleton's Native American designs really flatter me, but that doesn't stop me from admiring their resurgence and their wonderfully wooly winter undertones.

Two Pendleton pieces that are on my fantasy shopping list (things I'll never buy yet would graciously accept as... you know... donations or something) are this Pendleton wool and leather weekender bag. It's so ruggedly handsome. It's like the Javier Bardem of bags, you know? But less scruffy:

($216, Pendleton, Shopepaulet.com)

From the sturdy, strapping leather details to the please-don't-get-me-all-super-dirty metal feet, to the luggage tag, I fully endorse everything about this Pendleton bag (as well as the lovely Epaulet, which you should visit in person or online.)

I ride a bike approximately once every... never. Seriously, I NEVER ride a bike. I haven't been on one since approximately 1997, and that was only for a brief moment to determine that up until then, I hadn't been on one since 1991 and since it was 1997, well, I sure as hell wasn't about to take up bike riding again. Hm. I wonder what I was wearing in 1997. Probably some really horrible "relaxed fit" DKNY jeans with zero shape. And a thrift store t-shirt that said "John Deere." And possibly a flannel.  Lovely. ANYWAY, I completely digress. If I WERE to ride a bike, Urban Outfitters' Pendleton bike (available early October) would be it.

BTW, here's me in the '90s. SO style-less that I HAD to share for the sake of comedy. Can you believe people actually COME TO ME for style advice now?!? Oh, and I'm pretty sure that was my "going out" shirt, and it was special because it was one of the sole things I owned from The Gap. I took good care to iron it. And those spoon-shaped gold sunglasses? THERE ARE NO WORDS capable of describing "the bad." I remember being CRESTFALLEN when they disappeared... Little did I know it was truly for the best. Live and learn, people. Live and learn.

Hideous/Awesome Bag Alert

After, what, five years of friendhood, it's safe to say I know my co-blogger. Consider the following text exchange.

MK: This hideous bag is at h&m. thought u might like

TL: Yeah get it for me! Wee

Ladies and gents, the bag in question.



Just thought I'd share.

Hayden-Harnett: Surprise Sample Sale!

I left the last Hayden-Harnett sample sale empty-handed, but they made up for it with this sale. They announced it on Tuesday afternoon on Facebook, but sadly I wasn't able to get down to the Nolita store until last night after work. It was obvious from the largely empty racks and the disaster-zone dressing room that they'd had quite a crowd during the day. Amazingly enough, the sale featured actual samples from the fall 2010 line, meaning mostly small sizes. And yet...she shoots, she scores!


The salesgirl was sort of instrumental in convincing me to buy this cool bomber, the Cromwell jacket, in charcoal herringbone. It also comes in brown (below, far left):



Only $60, and guess what it retails for? $538! Jeebus. (Methinks H-H's price points are a wee bit high, but their sample-sale prices, in this case, were just right.) In any case, I win. Is it time for wool jackets yet?



I also got a cozy, cropped sweater vest (above right, worn open). Love that scoop neck! And the zipper! Needed no convincing. $60. No word on retail price, as it's not on the H-H site yet. After a long, annoying day, that's what you call retail therapy, folks.

Some other things from the fall collection that I'll be on the lookout for at the next sale:


Welles large hobo tote, $544, and I guess a Welles hobo/cross-body bag (as yet unavailable)—love that poppy color!



Pistol & Dagger scarf, $95, in many awesome fall colors.



Coats and jackets galore!

The sample sale is at the Nolita store in NYC, on Elizabeth between Houston and Prince, and runs through Sunday, from 12-8 each day. Everything is $20-$70. Long live Hayden-Harnett!

Um, Seriously? What Happened Here?

($585, Maurizio Pecoraro, Luisaviaroma.com)

WTF is this macrame cage bag thingie?? It looks like a lab dissection gone wrong meets an arts and crafts project gone wronger. And is that an abstract vagina down the middle there?

Fashion Facts I Slept On: Rebecca Minkoff At Bluefly!!!!

Shame shame SHAME on me for not knowing that Bluefly.com has MAD Rebecca Minkoff bags!!!

($170, Rebecca Minkoff, Bluefly.com)

You ought to be adding this black-and-blue Rebecca Minkoff Morning After Bag post HASTE!

($285, Rebecca Minkoff, Bluefly.com)

SAMESIES for this black embossed suede Morning After Bag. So soft I could rest my head upon it and use it as a pillow.

Marc By Marc Jacobs USA Beach Bag

Not that I even KNOW from a beach these days, and seriously, if I see ONE MORE FUCKING FACEBOOK UPDATE about how you can't WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIT for your effing trip to Cabo Wabo or Sea World or Seven Flags or the beaches of Beantown or P-town or the Emerald Isle or whatever I will probably not be able to restrain myself and I will probably punch you. It probably won't hurt, and I'll probably be really because it's really immature, but still. What I'm trying to say is that A VACATION WOULD BE REALLY NICE! ONE THAT DOESN'T INVOLVE A WEDDING, FAMILY, OBLIGATIONS, OR SPENDING MY OWN MONEY. Not that weddings and family aren't nice. They are. But if someone wanted to give me a trip to somewhere with a beach and a bucket of Freeze Pops, that'd be fanfuckingtastic. I wouldn't know Montauk if it knocked on my door and evicted me.

Now what was I saying before I let out some pent-up aggression in an inappropriate setting? OH YEAH! Just that this vintage-inspired Marc by Marc Jacobs USA Tote is really cute. NOT THAT I HAVE ANYWHERE TO BRING IT.

($18, Marc By Marc Jacobs)

Binge Bag: Life With Bird Bag

($130, Life With Bird, Refinery29.com)

Granted, I need a new bag like Park Slope needs another Maclaren, but if I were in the market for a superfluous new bag, I'd go with this very '80s geometrical tote. Geotote! Actually, I COULD use it as a gym bag for my new CrossFit habit. And yes, I've read the Times piece.

This Old Navy Tote Bag INFURIATES ME!

($4.99, Old Navy)

WHO! Not "that"... it should be WHO! "I Heart Boys WHO recycle!"

THAT/ WHO Grammar Rule =
WHO = PEOPLE
THAT = THINGS

I refuse to believe it should be any other way!!!! Grrr!

Star Light, Star Bright...

Please let this Gustto bag get marked down even more -- preferably by like 70% -- tonight!

($199, Gustto, Tobi.com)

Cute Reusable Dinosaur Bag From ModCloth!

($7.99, Modcloth.com)

I've got about four trillion (and counting!) reusable bags. You really need to get one. Some of them come with little pouches, and other ones, like this one, roll up all nice and neat-like AND have dinosaurs on 'em. Use 'em instead of getting yet another crappy drugstore bag every time you run to the corner for like TWO little items you barely even need a bag for. Sure, you'll feel like a bit of a yuppie, but at least you're not extinct, right? Now roll one up, stick it in your purse, and STOP thinking about yourself so much.

Old Navy Stripey Yoga Bag

($14.50, Old Navy)

I am the world's worst yoga-er, probably because I'm super impatient, and if I'm laying on my back, it'd better be in a bed. But I do love this fun Old Navy yoga bag because it doesn't have that super granola-y goddess/ mung beans look. Instead, it's got a nice, bright "Get In Shape, Girl" '80s style. Do it!

Alexandra Cassaniti Continues To Woo Me, Wow Me

($230, Alexandra Cassaniti)

The first obviously great thing about Alexandra Cassaniti's laptop bag (via Refinery 29) is that it's got a built-in smiley face! Next best, it's covered in fake hair! Well, it's a print, but it looks like stubble! Hee!

I don't love it AS much as I love her pink eye tote:

... But it's still great. Not so practical at $220, but still cool and LOL-arious.

Bag Up Your Sample Sale Goodies In Yak Pak's Geometry Tote!

So, if you do go to ALL those sample sales this weekend, you're gonna need something to SCHLEP your haul in, no? Yes. Not no. YES.

Therefore, I HIGHLY recommend Yak Pak's funnnnn grey geometry Tara tote, which is basically the unofficial mayor of Adorbstown, which is just down the road aways from Affordability Junction. It's also made out of like the same stuff they build space shuttles out of, but softer. You could also use this as a laptop bag, diaper bag, gym bag, whatever. It's a free country!

($24, Yakpak.com)

One thing you are NOT free to do, however is carry this bag with Fred Flare's Animal Bandido sweater! OR ELSE!

I Am Such A Bag Hag: Henry Road Bags!

Ironically, this mod flowered roomy tote couldn't even hold all of its innate adorability. It's by Henry Road.

($76, Henry Road, ThreePotatoFour.com)

And check out this one, in more muted, mustardy '70s-tastic earth tones:

($105, Henry Road)

I wanna bag it up! No diggity!

Blackstreet - New Music - More Music Videos

Fashion Binge Says NO To Fringe!

Unless you are Cher circa '73, you SHOULD NOT be wearing fringe. I cannot make this clear enough.



Case in point:

($389, La Rok, Singer22)

Fringed hoodie? I think not. No, wait. Actually, I KNOW not.

($78, Urban Outfitters)

0% love for this.

And as much as I LOVE Hayden-Harnett, I'm torn betwixt barely and not even making an exception for their Wyeth fringed hobo:

($475, Hayden-Harnett)

Eh? Yay? Nay? I'm sorta like 60/40. But in general, wearing fringe on your person, again, unless you are Cher or wrangling steer is SUCH a nein.

Rebecca Minkoff Bread And Wine Bag Equals I Know What You Did Last Night

($185, Rebecca Minkoff)

If the other side of this market bag had a compartment that said "cheese" and one that said "circus," and a little mention somewhere of Real Housewives of Atlanta, then it would perfectly capture everything I did last night. As it is, the Bread & Wine bag is everything I WON'T be doing tonight during Yom Kippur. Sadness!

The Rebecca Minkoff market bag's a widdle pricey for gimmicky bag, but it is leather, and 5% of the proceeds benefit the Earth Foundation.

Anyway, happy fasting!

Ring a Ding Ding: Betsey Johnson's Telephone Tote

I saw this several months ago on Fashion Addict Diary, and then just the other on Smith Street, I saw a girl carrying a similar Betsey Johnson telephone bag, and I almost chased her down and asked her for her number just to call her to see if the bag itself rings. I know it's absurdly gauche (consider the source), but I have little problem with over-the-top bags.

($98, Betsey Johnson)

It reminds me of my beloved Paul's Boutique peacock bag, RIP.

($118, Paul's Boutique, Asos.com)

I say RIP both because I wore mine into the ground and because the top had an unfortunate incident with a lit cigarette in Las Vegas (err... not that I was on the filtered end of that cigarette, nor that I, nor alcohol, had anything to do with the events of that evening... remember, what happens in Vegas... happened, as I like to say), which melted the plastic zipper, rendering the bag zipperless and unusable. I had the zipper replaced, but the bag had just seen better days. It is available again at Paul's Boutique, but I'm holding out in hopes that A CERTAIN SOMEONE READS THIS, IN CASE HE'S WONDERING WHAT TO GET ME FOR MY BIRTHDAY, WHICH IS LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY, AND ALSO ASOS.COM HAS REALLY GOOD, FAST, RELIABLE SHIPPING TO THE US, MATT!

Annnnnnyway, my willingness to carry garish handbags does NOT extend to Betsey's cute but overly literal telephone bag:

($65, Betsey Johnson)

Cute, sure, but a little too kawaii for my likings. Also, a direct reference to those '60s novelty telephone bags, which, again, are cute, but are best left to the '60s:

($295, Lapochette.com)

Oh, so back to the Betsey bags, I could totally use this Betsy cosmetics case:

($39, Betsey Johnson)

Because what I really need is something to help me overpack even more than I already do.

And speaking of tacky bags:

($29, Whatonearthcatalog.com)

Finally, my prayers have been answered!

Lastly, an appropriate vintage video to go along with Betsey's "Call Me" bags:

And, speaking of calling, listen to this guy completely unravel into a downward spiral into the deepest, darkest recesses of loserdom in this series of depressing phone messages:


(Thanks to Las Vegas Pam -- who had nothing to do with the Paul's Boutique bag incident -- for the chicken bag and depressing phone messages link! Airkissesloveyameanitnoyouarenoyoudoseriously!)

** UPDATE: Clothes Line Finds previews Betsey Johnson's Fall 2008 RTW collection.

Random Hump Night Binges

Y'all, first of all, my sincerest apolomagies for not Binging as hard or efficiently as I have in the past. I've been blogging my ass off for work, and while my heart remains in the Binge, work, well, pays the bills. Ah tries mah hardest to come up with some fun, semi-thoughtful and cohesive, subject-driven posts with lots of fun shit to look at/ buy/ dream about, but that's the Type A-er in me. At the risk of creating Bingeorexia and leaving you starving without much Binge at all, perhaps I should try being more Type B and just throw some shit up there? Your thoughts in the comments -- less frequent posts with more ZING or more frequent with less ZIP, if you will?

Okay, that said, here are three random Binge wants on this Hump Night (the night OF hump day, and not, to say, a night during which I'm humping, because I'm not, because I'm blogging. Ew. "Humping" is gross but funny!)

($99, Anthropolgie)

Oh, Anthro, you heartless, overpriced little bitch. Your sales are hardly even. Yet you keep drawing me back in.

($140, Nine West)

My ongoing love affair with grey heels continues. These are perfect summer shoes (with easy warm-to-cool seasonal conversion capabilities!) and almost have a Chie Mahara feel. But cheaper!

($175, Brian Bowie, Refinery29)

This messenger bag is supposed to be for guys (which fulfills one of my Type A goals of doing more men's stuff on the bolg), but I'd rock dat. Each bag is handmade by designer Bryan Bowie (best last name ever!!!! besides Rockwell) and thoughtfully comes with a detachable laptop case. Noice! They're supposed to be available at Bowie's site, Nostalgiecloth.com, but that site looks like it's slightly busted, so yell at Refinery29 and not me, k?

Bags: Want Vs. Do Not Want

Inspired by a Bagtrends.com feature filled with bags I either love or loathe, plus a few other bags that have inspired in me extreme reactions in opposite directions...


WANT:

($1295, Marc Jacobs, Net-a-porter.com)

Delicious.

DO NOT WANT:

($128, Anthropologie)

Raffia disaster.


WANT:

(Price available upon request, Lizzie Fortunato, Refinery 29)

Dream of a bag at a nightmarish price.


DO NOT WANT:

($3395, Jimmy Choo, Net-a-porter.com)

Too Heidi Montag.


WANT:

($1954, Chloe, Asos.com)

Unrealistic for many reasons, one of which is because I am not represented by CAA.


DO NOT WANT:

($145, Aksuona, Bagtrends.com)

Oh no. Goodness, no. It's like a gay mollusk threw up on a gem-encrusted clutch.


DEFINITELY WANT:

($675, Botkier, Saks)

That's more like it.