My Fashion Juice

So I know I owe you the story behind the MICHAEL Michael Kors large Hamilton tote! Can’t remember? How about this photo from the sneak peek?

Still doesn’t ring a bell? Well it’s the bag below that I introduced in one of my weekly wear posts: Weekly Wear 72: Wild at Heart.

Oh yes, that’s what I’m talking about! I know I haven’t fully told the story behind this Michael Kors bag – how I got it and why I didn’t pay a single cent. Yes it has been long overdue, I know. I actually sort of answered your questions in the comments section but didn’t get around to explaining the whole story behind it! Well, I finally found the time! And since I still have unpublished outfit posts featuring the bag, I thought this would be the perfect time to update you my dear readers and fellow bag lovers.

I previously mentioned that I have outstanding shopping credits from Avelle, the new Bag Borrow or Steal. If you watched Sex and the City Part 1, the movie, you should have heard them talking about this website where you can borrow bags and return them when you’re done. Carrie Bradshaw’s (Sarah Jessica Parker) assistant, Jennifer Hudson, mentioned she can’t afford Louis Vuitton bags so she borrows from the site. That’s why when the holidays came, she gifted Jennifer this gorgeous limited edition Louis Vuitton bag – so she won’t have to borrow and return the bag. It’s hers to keep! What a boss! Wish I have a boss who would give me LV bags too! LOL! But going back, Avelle’s service is perfect for those who cannot afford to buy the bag they love but be able to rent it for a special occasion, eg. Wedding.

Personally, I wouldn’t borrow because I want to keep the bag of course. However, I earned a lot of shopping credits to use at their site.

TIP: How did I earn? Because of you readers! All I did was share invite links to Avelle. Whenever a friend or reader joins Avelle through my links, and buys or rents something, I earn $25 shopping credits. You too can. All you have to do is to join AVELLE and start inviting your family and friends to join too. When they make their first purchase or rent, you’ll instantly be rewarded $25! Wee!

So what to do? The great thing about Avelle is that they have a section where they sell designer bags and accessories too. They can be used, gently worn and even brand new – those that were not even rented once! So I said hey, that’s great! I can use my credits to buy whatever I can buy. But alas, the shopping credits I earned can only be used for borrowing. So I went ahead and looked for a couple of bags that I can borrow so my shopping credits won’t be wasted. After all, who am I to refuse free bag rental? I love bags and I could definitely use them for my Weekly Wear posts. I didn’t pay anything at all because shipping is free for rentals! Thus, I ended up borrowing this gorgeous MICHAEL Michael Kors large Hamilton tote. I’ve always wanted to get a bag in this shape and in this gorgeous color that has a shoulder strap and a handle to carry by hand. Oh, and let’s not forget, I love big bags! So here are some photos of me foolin’ around with the Michael Kors large Hamilton tote!!!

On MFJ (left): Zara green polka dot tank top; Paris Blues boyfriend jeans; Bobbie Brooks Petite white linen blazer; Cynthia Vincent for Target wedges; Ralph Lauren belt; Callanan fedora straw hat; Chico’s layered necklace; Chanel bow drop earrings; Kenneth Jay Lane bangle; Forever 21 cord bracelets; Jacques Lemans gold chronograph watch; Landmark leopard bangle; gold wooden bangle from Tiendesitas. Right photo outfit label below. Watch out for a goofy pic! LOL!

On MFJ: Saint Grace dress; Tory Burch belt; Callanan hat; Amrita Singh gold bangles; Amrita Singh tri-color bangles; Landmark animal-skin print bangle; Philippe Charriol earrings and ring; and a beautiful necklace from Hawaii given by my lovely friend Maryann (thank you)!

On MFJ: Rogan for Target zebra print sleeveless top worn as vest; Forever 21 gray tank top; Forever 21 jeans; Dolce Vita lace up sandal booties; Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses; Chanel earrings and necklace; Forever 21 black bangles and black ribbon necklace; Landmark leopard bangle; SM silver beaded bangle.

So there… I was able to use and play around with the MICHAEL Michael Kors large Hamilton tote for a week. I only borrowed it for a week so I can still use the rest of my shopping credits for other bags. That is why I was able to rent this gorgeous Chanel Grand Shopping Tote in bronze too. Too bad there was no other available color and I had to settle with the bronze. It was beautiful in person but I wouldn’t necessarily buy it in this color. I suggest getting it in black with gold hardware. As for me, I’m still going for the beige when I get myself this GST since my Chanel Medallion tote is already in black. Well, it will take me a very long time to get myself another Chanel bag… so borrowing one for free wasn’t bad at all!

On the other hand, the bronze Chanel GST above arrived with this black Prada shopping tote pictured below! This one is not borrowed. THIS IS MINE! Oh yes, and I don’t regret this decision at all. I know I previously mentioned about my black Gucci clutch being left in its dust bag for years. Yes, I can literally count the times I’ve used it – 3! The first time to a Filipino event in Maryland. The second time was Thanksgiving in 2008. The third time at a Manny Pacquiao party in Dallas. I think that’s about it. I’m pretty sure it’s less than 10 times. I know I used it in one of my outfit posts that was shot here at home. So you see, that Gucci clutch wasn’t worth the purchase at all. I know it’s for evening, cocktails and formal events. But once I get my hands on a Chanel flap (hoping for a medium and jumbo, hahaha), I’m pretty sure that will be my go-to evening bag and the Gucci clutch will long be forgotten. Heck do you know how small it is? It can only fit 2 iPhones! So what did I do?

Another great service that AVELLE offers is that they BUY bags. You send them the info and photos of the bag through their online form and they get back to you with a quote. It’s up to you if you want to accept the offer or not. When they gave me the quote for the Gucci clutch and saw several good-looking designer bags (not to mention in great condition) priced close to the quote price, I knew it was the right thing to do. I accepted the quote, sent my clutch via their shipping label (you don’t have to pay shipping) and waited a few days to receive store credit in my account. This time, the store credits can be used for buying the bags on their site. You can also opt to receive a check but they pay more when you choose store credits (obviously). When I did, I didn’t buy anything right away.

It was after 2 days I think that I found this Prada shopping tote that is similar to the one I like, same shape but with a PRADA Jacquard logo design in the middle. It says in the description though that you can see signs of wear in the straps and that the inside lining is faded. But knowing I can get this for almost nothing (only added a few bucks) and this usually retails for about $600-700, I didn’t think twice. I immediately added it to cart. And guess what! Someone beat me to it! Perhaps someone added it just a few seconds before I did and I was sooooo mad! I didn’t give up though. I kept on refreshing the page and went back to the site every now and then. Perhaps that person didn’t push thru with the purchase because it was back only after a few hours! YAY! So here it is…
and it’s not bad at all! Yes the leather show a bit of the wrinkles from normal wear but I can totally live with that! It still looks gorgeous and I’ve been using it to run errands. It’s so easy to just grab and go!

And this inner lining? To me, it doesn’t look faded at all – it’s actually cute because it just looks like a salmon pink color! I love it! I actually have some outfit posts carrying this bag that I haven’t posted yet. Soon! I really had a fun and enjoyable shopping experience with Avelle. I still have some shopping credits left so I’m definitely going to use their service in the future! So what are you waiting for? Join now and start inviting everyone you know so you can earn shopping credits too!