Monthly Archives: May 2016

How To Combine Prints

Posted in beauty, clothing, handbags, personal style, tips and tricks by

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One of the things that intimidates us is knowing how to combine prints.  Most of us avoid it, but we shouldn’t.  Prints help give depth and interest to our outfits and combining them is easier than you think.  The simple rule is: you can combine two different prints if they both have the same colors.

Consider the floral print combined with the jacket in the picture above.  Because the jacket has a simple line print that is on a grey background and accented by blues, it lends itself well to being combined with the much busier floral print in the Vera Bradley makeup case.  Ultimately, though, what makes it work is the fact that both the jacket and the makeup case have the same dominant dark and light blue.  Even if the jacket was plaid, if the colors in both prints were the same, you could combine them.

You could, for example, wear the cross body purse in the picture with the jacket if you paired the outfit with a solid grey slack.  The neutral grey helps balance the prints. Smartly combining prints in this way allows you to create totally unique outfits that express your personality.  Play around with this a little in your own wardrobe and break out of the one print only rut.  You’ll be amazed at what great outfits you create!

Don’t Match Your Denim

Posted in clothing, fashion, handbags, personal style, tips and tricks, trends by
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These mannequins in our window demonstrate pairing chambray denim tops with darker denim jeans.  The Vera Bradley handbags add yet another blue into the mix as well as a punch of print to complete the whole look.

Do you remember the days when your denim needed to match?  I do.  I can recall spending inordinate amounts of time with a customer trying to find the jean that would match her denim jacket.  Pull your hair out frustrating, it was.  Thank goodness we are in a denim trend now when the coolest ladies have denim that doesn’t match.

So here is my fashion advice for the season.  First, get yourself a denim shirt or dress!  It is a must have item this season.  Next, pair that puppy with the opposite flavor of denim.  For example, pair dark denim with chambray.  Also try heavily stone washed denim paired with a clean denim with no stone washing or whiskering.  One of my favorite looks this season is to combine white denim with blue denim.  I’m fond of chambray with white for a washed out look or dark denim with white for a strong contrast; the choice is yours.  Wear your jeans cropped to ankle length and your shirt out.  Add a pair of Chuck Taylors, a great handbag and a cute hat, and oh mama – fabulous summer style!

Love the Artistry

Posted in handbags, personal style, product review, quality, store event by

When I go to market, the sheer immensity of choice is overwhelming.  There are an infinite number of products out there to buy.  The diversity in our world is reflected in the millions of ways we can conceive to re-imagine and design products that have existed for hundreds of years.  Consider the handbag, as an example.  Think about all of the different companies out there today making purses.  It is truly mind boggling.  From over-sized to small, from vintage to ultra modern, from classic and boxy to slouchy, from shoulder bags to cross body bags….the shapes, sizes, functions and choices are never ending.

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With so many choices, customers often ask me how I choose.   The answer is: I pick what moves me.  When a handbag stops me in my tracks as I wander endless isles of handbag booths, I buy that line.  It’s totally subjective, of course.  What stops me may not stop you, but as a buyer, I have to trust my instincts.  If it makes me say, “Wow!” there is a good chance it will make one of my customers have a similar reaction.

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Anushka is a handbag line that made me take notice.  I have to admit, I am a sucker for artistry.  Maybe the artist in me has a special appreciation for workmanship that goes above and beyond the ordinary.  I appreciate creativity.  I love lines that demonstrate some inherent quality of their creator.  Anushka handbags are hand painted by artists, and the designs are retired after a year of use never to be re-painted exactly the same again.  So, when I carry my Anushka handbag, I am wearing someone else’s art, and it is as personal to me as it was to them.  The bag I choose to carry for myself has artwork that moves me.  I love the color combinations, the subject matter, the composition.  It represents something about who I am.

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But is isn’t good enough for only the outside of my purse to be meaningful.  I am a neat nick and an organization freak.  I cannot stand the inside of my handbag being a disaster.  Therefore, I have to be able to find things quickly and efficiently which means the inside has to be as functional as the outside is beautiful.  The Anushka bag I chose for myself is “The Shopper” which has two separate interior pockets that zip closed.  Both are lined with additional side pockets to store and organize all of the random things I carry around with me everyday.

When I can find a line that meets both my “wow” needs and my functional needs, then I know I have happened upon a winner.  If you have never explored the world of Anushka handbags, we have a wonderful opportunity for you.  We are having a trunk show this coming Saturday May, 7th from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Our Anushka Rep will be in the store with her sample line that will be available for purchase.  Find out more on our website.