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Ted Baker Large Bow Ikon Bag
by jade1517
I bought this bag, when it first came out a few years back, when it was only sold in the colour cream and black. I absolutely loved this bag, as i was taking it to college at the time; it was large enough to carry all my books around and looked incredibly stylish, i could not have asked much more.
The bag is made from a cream ... plastic material with a black bow on the front, along the side it lists all the Ted Baker shops locations and inside above the pocket, the words you've got a hold on me, which i thought was quite a cute little touch.
I was slightly worried with the bag being cream it may get scuffed and dirty very quickly, especially with me taking it to college everyday, but in actually fact it never, i was pleasantly surprised. It did get a few what looked to be scuff marks on the underneath but they were not visible thanks to the plastic coating over the top of the bag.
I was very pleased with the bag, it was living up to be more than i hoped for and was only £25. As the year went on and i began putting more and more books in it, i noticed the handles where beginning to tear from the weight, so i had to stop using it as due to the material it could not be repaired and did not want to go spilling my books everywhere. I was rather disappointed that it broke, but i would say it was my fault, as there was a fair amount of weight in there and these are just fashion bags.
Overall i would say this bag is perfect, it was very chic with a sophisticated twist, and i would highly recommend this, but do not over fill it otherwise it will break.
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Asos Nude Quilted Across Body
by northernlovely
**Price and Availability**
The Asos Nude Quilted Across Body Bag is available exclusively from ASOS.com, this is a long running fashion website which used to be called as seen on screen, which decicated itself to selling look alikes of celebrity fashion, it's since shrunk to asos and now sells popular on trend clothes and ... designer inspired wear, at reasonable prices.
The Asos Nude Quilted Across Body Bag cost me £7 in the sale down from £16 which I considered a huge bargain, I had a free next day delivery code otherwise you can pay just under £4 for standard delivery or £8 for next day if you order on a weekday before 12.
**Looks**
The Asos Nude Quilted Across Body Bag is a plastic bag which is diagonally quilted and has a lined inner. The strap is long (about 50cm) and can be used over shoulder or over body meaning you can have it hands free, which I prefer in a bag as I have a child and need my hands free!
It looks a bit Chanel and it's in the very on trend nude colour, I bought some inexpensive nude pumps at the same time and they look really nice together. So overall I am really happy with the bag in terms of looks.
**Use**
I started to use the bag for every day essentials like car keys, mobile, purse, tissues and bobbles and so on. I don't carry loads so a smaller bag suits me fine.
There are a few niggles with the bag though which have annoyed me.
Firstly the nylon inner lining of the bag is very baggy and seems a bit too much material for the inside of the bag. So when you are searching for something small like an earring or a hair bobble it can get caught up in the folds in the corners of the lining, really annoying.
Secondly the overall build quality of the bag from glued parts to stitching really isn't that good quality - OK I paid £7 so I really can't complain that much but if I'd paid over £15 for it like the RRP of this bag is then I'd be really disappointed actually. It has a lot of loose threads and blobs of glue, it doesn't really look much better than a bag you'd buy on a market stall and I'd expected more of ASOS which I've bought some really nice things from in the past.
I now use the bag to pop to the shops etc, there is no way I'd take this out to the theatre or use for a formal occasion like a wedding.
Also even though the plastic finish isn't too bad to look at and does take the quilted effect well, and at least it's waterproof and wipe clean, it does mean the bag has a bit of a cheap plastic smell, again not great. For £7 I've made allowances I suppose.
**Overall**
Overall I can't say I'd recommend the Asos Nude Quilted Across Body Bag because unless you can literally pick it up for a fiver or less it's not really worth the price given that if you were to buy it on it's own it would incur a post and packing charge and you can buy a similar or better quality bag on your local market, or on eBay.
Two stars out of five. An OK looking, wannabe on trend bag which would be so much nicer if the quality and the little niggles were sorted out.
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Kipling Reth Shoulderbag
by sas87
An introduction to Kipling -
Kipling is a Belgian brand, founded in 1987 in Antwerp. It was originally just a luggage company - making lightweight functional travelling bags, with lots of space and organisation. But over the years it's expanded significantly, making bags and purses of all shapes and styles, in different ... colours/prints, fabrics and even leather. Kipling also make accessories and stationary too! They have many different bag collections including -
Basic - the original best selling collection, made of their famous lightweight crinkle nylon in endless colours and prints, with a fluffy monkey.
Basic Elevated - a more dressy version of the basic, with patent trim, metal tags and padded/quilted areas
Basic Leather - the basic designs made in leather with a metal monkey
Kipling Signature - like the basic elevated, with Kipling wording woven through the fabric
Kipling City - a smoother nylon, dressier version (aimed to appeal more to working women)
Kipling Vintage - a more utilitarian/cargo style (have more unisex styles) with a fluffy monkey with a mohawk hairdo
Kipling Sport Intense - a retro quilted nylon sporty design with metal tags
Kipling Lacquer - the basic designs, with a lacquer sheeny or metallic coating
The Kipling bags vary hugely in price, according to finish (leather, lacquer and prints are more expensive obviously) and size. All the basic bags come with a monkey, and all the colours have a different named monkey, named after a Kipling employee somewhere in the world. The monkeys are a homage to King Louis from Rudyard Kipling's 'The Jungle Book' - with the company being named Kipling in reference to Rudyard Kipling's travels.
Back to the review of the Reth bag -
I am a massive fan of Kipling bags, and own several different styles. The Reth however, is my "go to" bag and I use it far more than any of my others. It's from the basic collection, and a best seller so clearly others share my opinion.
The Reth measures 27 L x 17.5 H x 15 W cm and has a capacity of 6.5 litres. This may sound quite small to those ladies who carry a massive "everything but the kitchen sink" bag - but really the size is quite deceptive as it holds an awful lot more than looks would have you believe. Kipling bags in general are often referred to as being like a "tardis", and once you use one it's easy to see why.
Kipling pride themselves on making bags with excellent organisation, and the Reth is no exception. It has two main top zipped compartments, one of which has an interior zipped pocket and key fob (I love the key fob as I never have to rummage for my keys anymore!). There's also a back zipped pocket, which is the perfect place for your purse as it's hidden against your body when the bag is worn. And finally there is the front zipped compartment, which is easy to dip into and has individual pockets for your phone, ipod and 2 pens/pencils - and lots of extra space for anything you might need to have to hand, like your passport for example.
The Reth has a comfortable strong canvas strap, which allows it to be worn as either a shoulder bag or an across body bag. The strap can be adjusted to 120cm long, which allows plenty of room for Winter padding (or excess calorie padding if you are like me!). It adjusts using metal slider, and it's incredibly easy and smooth to slide into place, and stays exactly where you want it to be with no slipping.
Kipling are also famed for their zips (on the basic range), which are chunky and excellent quality, and very easy to do up and undo thanks to the equally chunky metal and rubber zip pulls. These are fabulous if you have dexterity problems, but regardless of that look really cool and set the bag apart for others. The zips have always make me think of biker jackets!
The range of colours Kipling offer is endless, with them bringing new colours out every 6 months, including limited editions and prints. My Reth bag is in the 2012 Light Brown colour, with a monkey named Manuela. The light brown is a lovely mink-brown/taupe colour, which is a perfect neutral shade that makes a change from boring black, dark brown or navy. If you are into your fashion/beauty then I would compare the colour to a slightly darker 'Kelly Hoppen taupe', or Nails Inc. Jermyn Street.
The size of the Kipling Reth is, for me, perfect for everyday/work use (assuming you don't take files/laptops to work). I'm a mum, and I can fit my purse, keys, phone, pack of baby wipes, 3-4 disposable nappies, a bottle, carton of milk, spare top for baby, bib, umbrella (if necessary) and small make-up bag. It would easily fit a book or kindle, small bottle of drink, tuppaware lunch box and the standard phone/purse/keys with room to spare. I think anything bigger than this either leaves wasted space, or encourages you to carry things around that you don't really need!
The Reth is a boxy shape, with a very wide base which allows it to be packed very full whilst remaining compact. The nylon fabric is almost weightless, which means it's really light to carry even when full, and it's also water resistant so the contents won't get ruined in a sudden shower. The lining is also water resistant so you could, in theory, put a damp umbrella in one compartment without the moisture seeping though to other sections (I haven't done this personally). Being water resistant makes it incredibly easy to wipe clean with a damp sponge, although I have on occasions put my bags through the wash on a 30 degree 'handwash' cycle with no problems (just remove the monkey first). If it was a print or lacquer finish I probably wouldn't would stick to wiping it clean.
In conclusion, I love my Kipling Reth, and the Kipling brand in general. It offers everyday practicality, organisation and trendy styling at an affordable price compared to other designer brands.
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