Presenting the Best Louis Gift for Him!

It took me a while to understand why my husband needed to get himself a Rolex Submariner when his Omega watch looked nearly identical until I got one myself, errr... sorry I got distracted. It's actually until he explained that men can only wear so much so he might as well have the best.

And it did make perfect sense! My husband is the type of person who can have a nice flat screen TV on his wall and he'll be fine in an empty living room. Actually make that an empty house! His minimalist approach in life reflects in the way he dresses up and, oh, isn't that Rolex handsome!

Olga of All Women Stalk knew exactly what she was doing when she got her husband the pochette cles in black Suhali leather. Made of goat skin, Suhali rules supreme over all of Vuitton's permanent collections. The pochette cles in English means key holder and Europeans actually use it for this purpose, and to hold change as well. But we Americans use it more for credit cards.

So if you want to get your boyfriend or husband the best (the holidays are coming!) here it is, ladies! I just realized too that this might be the solution I've been looking for for my husband who's always missing his keys and wallet. Trust me, get him this and he'll never need another one in his life. Afterall, who wants a husband who shops more than the wife?! Disturbing!

Do you have the Suhali pochette cles? Love it? Hate it? Is it worth dropping $310 for? Please share your thoughts!

Five Reasons To Buy Louis Vuitton Speedy Bag

I stumbled upon this article the other day and if this doesn't send you "running to your nearest boutique (or online via vuitton.com or eLuxury)" I don't know what will. Well, granted you don't have it yet :)

This article was written by Olga Moore of All Women Stalk on August 28. I edited it very minimally to shorten the paragraphs but if you would like to read the original post please click on the link.

You know how men think that we spend too much on clothes/shoes/bags? As sad as it is, they might be right, unless… we want to buy some iconic item, like Louis Vuitton Monogram Canvas Bag! If you consider buying a designer bag, but still haven’t decided which one, here are the 5 reasons that will make you run for that Speedy Bag to the nearest Louis Vuitton boutique:

Reason 1
[The Speedy], with its notorious Monogram Canvas and classic silhouette, has been in style for years and years now, so once you get it, you can be sure it will look fashionable and [remain] in style as long as you have it (which is not always the case, especially with the “it” bags of the season, like this summer’s Prada stripe hobo etc.)

Reason 2
[It] comes in four sizes, which means you will definitely find the very right size for you ( I personally think Speedy 30 is the best as it is neither too small, nor too big).

Reason 3
[It] goes with EVERYTHING, from jeans to cocktail dresses. The only thing you can not pair it with is a red carpet gown. But when it comes to that, I think you will splurge for a nice clutch, will not you?

Reason 4
[It is] made of calf skin and is extremely good in use, here is what Louis Vuitton says about it:

"[the] Monogram canvas is lightweight, supple, strong and sturdy. Completely waterproof, it is highly resistant to surface scratches - perfect for travel and contemporary lifestyles."

Which is always a good thing, because getting a new designer bag made of soft leather and having it scratched the same day is the worst post-shopping scenario!

Note: I would like to correct this information. The Monogram Canvas literally is a canvas and as LV claims it is lightweight, supple, strong, sturdy and everything else it promises. However, leather it is not! The only leather (calf skin) you will find on the Speedy would be the handles, chapes and piping.

Reason 5
[It] is perfect for travel. It holds all your valuable belongings and at the same time makes you look stylish, which is not [easy to pull off], [after] hours and hours of [traveling].

Extra Reason (aka The Money Reason):
Last but not least - [the] Louis Vuitton Speedy is one of the very few designer bags that says Style and makes you look fantastic and fashionable 24/7 without making you go bankupt. The price [starts at] $675.00 and [goes up to] $750.00, which pretty much makes it the best investment a girl can make!

Oh, and [although] being the biggest fan of eBay, [I recommend you] opt for a Louis Vuitton boutique to make sure you get an authentic piece, [and not something from] NYC's Canal Street.

Marais, the Bucket in Damier

Aside from the small leather goods there isn't a lot of styles in the classic Monogram available in Damier. There's the Speedy (in 25, 30 and the recently released 35), Alma, Sac Plat, Papillon (in 26 and 30), Pochette Bosphore and my little cutie pie, the Marais (known as Bucket in Monogram).

The Marais is the very first Louis Vuitton my husband gave me. It was Valentine's Day of 2004. I can't exactly remember what drew me to the style, but I know I loved the shape and the fact that it came with a little pochette. The orange microfiber lining added charm and a touch of luxury because it simulates suede. And anyone familiar with this water-repellent fabric knows how easy it is to clean!

Now four years old, I still love it and use it if I want to be a little bit more organized. I've found that the bigger the bag the more junk you put in there. And also because of the tanned leather present in all Damier pieces it doesn't show much age. If you're not as careful with your bags as you want to be this is a purse I would recommend, because it has feet to protect the bottom. The pochette holds your makeup or anything that could spill (ie, perfume) or stain (ie, pens).

The Marais is a permanent piece from the Damier collection and is available at your local boutique, eLuxury and vuitton.com for $1040.

Do you have the Marais? Love it? Hate it? Would you recommend it? We all want to know! :)

Speedy Beauty

A lot of women regard the Speedy as the best way to enter the Louis Vuitton world. For others where price is an issue the Speedy, along with the Neverfull, is the most affordable full-size purse that Louis Vuitton offers as of yet. But price aside there's endless reasons to love the Speedy.

Louis Vuitton's most recognizable piece, the Speedy was first made in 1930 and it's not unusual for us to see them on the arms of many celebrities like Jessica Simpson, Hilary Duff and Nicky Hilton. But timeless pieces such as this one always go hand-and-hand with one classic figure and this is none other than Miss Audrey Hepburn herself, whom the Speedy 25 was made for.

I myself own two of this classic satchel, one in the classic Monogram (25) and the other in the fuchsia Perforated Monogram (30) that was part of the show collection of spring 2006. With my growing collection they remain to be among my favorites!

Do you have the Speedy? What size, and from what collection? Would you recommend it? Everyone wants to know! :)