So yesterday (or last Saturday as it is now Monday here in Manila), I had an afternoon to fix my things because they are scattered everywhere in my room. I had the opportunity to clean what needs to be cleaned, polish what needs to be polished and others similar to that. I also took advantage of the perfect afternoon sun diffusely shining by the window to take pictures of the things I currently own. I used to take pictures of them but only with my camera phone, and I’m not surprised that photos were better on a digital camera. The most logical way for me to post my “stuff” (i.e. bags and SLGs only) here is via size, first with the largest until the smallest:

LV Keepall 50

Gucci Army Green Weekender Tote (sold)

Gucci Canvas Duffle Weekender

Givenchy /Luggage Duffle Weekender Bag

Gucci Large Microfiber Messenger

Mulberry Wexford Messenger Briefcase

J. Peterman Counterfeit Mailbag (that is its proper name, really)

Mulberry Bayswater in Congo Leather

Gucci Gifford Tote Black Denim Monogram 

Coach Metropolitan Messenger Briefcase

LV Saumur 35

LV Bosphore GM

Prada Nylon and Saffiano Backpack

LV Montsouris GM

Gucci Coated Canvas Messenger

Hermès Fourre Tout in Gray (sold)

Longchamp Yellow Orange Coated Canvas Messenger

Prada Nylon and Saffiano Messenger 

Prada Tessuto Messenger

Comme des Garçons Homme Plus Canvas and Leather Tote

Mulberry Scotchgrain Messenger Bag

LV Nil

Gucci Black Monogram Sling

Christian Dior Pouch

Mulberry Nylon Pouch

Gucci Coated Canvas Pouch (SOLD ALREADY!)

LV Trousse Toilette GM

Prada Tessuto Pouch

LV Wallet

Mulberry Congo Leather Agenda

Marc Jacobs Coin Purse (lost)

LV Epi Noir Cles 

Lanvin Black Belt

Christian Dior Monsieur Belt

When I get two more bags later and this Tuesday, I will be adding them by Wednesday. I really hope I’ll be no longer adding anything to these.

The last time I’ve used my Keepall 50 was during our Seoul Trip. Since then, I haven’t even taken it out, unless you count that time when I took pictures of all of my stuff. Honestly, I no longer feel like owning one because I don’t get to use it and my fondness for the monogram canvas has been progressively dwindling. I now consider selling it to buy a Mulberry bag. I’m technically not buying any bag for months but I consider this move as a trade. I will sell my Keepall 50 and then get a Mulberry Bayswater in Congo leather, the same material as my agenda.

(Photo from the seller)

The color isn’t exactly feminine but my concern is that the size might appear too small for me. The seller listed the measurement and it appears to be relatively large but not large enough as my holy grail Piccadilly. I was initially concerned but the Mulberry experts from the Purse Forum deemed the item as authentic, and most especially, Bayswater sizes have varied throughout the years. I have no choice but wait for the item to arrive and judge for myself if I can pull it off. If it would be too small/feminine for my liking, then I’m going to sell it again online and find another bag.

Meanwhile, it is hard saying goodbye to my Keepall 50 as it has accompanied me to most of my travels. But I’ve got no need for a bag I can’t maximize the use and feel a bit self-conscious with its conspicuousness, especially with the monogram and size together. I’m slowly cutting the logos for less flashy leather bags.

(Photo from the seller)

It was a very stressful day just for this Mulberry Bayswater. I woke up quite early because I needed to pay for the item via bank deposit in BPI. I was hoping to settle the payment around lunch time, so that the seller could send the item before the shipping cut-off and eventually for the bag to arrive tomorrow.

I’m not normally  trustful enough of the people around me and Ebay did not change that. Back in 2008 when I was still a beginner on Ebay, I was burned really bad. I had been scammed for an LV Epi bag and it took me about two weeks to get over the experience. However, it did not stop me from buying from low feedback sellers. I wasn’t risk averse that I even bought an Hermès Nouméa last January 2011 from a zero feedback seller! I ended up sending the bag back because it was not exactly as described and the seller refunded me right away. That was a great relief.

But for this Bayswater, I was extremely wary. I’ve deposited the payment and was waiting for a confirmation from the seller that she had received it. Imagine my horror when she insisted that it was not reflecting in her account, because as far as I knew, bank payment reflect real-time. She eventually got it and sent the item the same afternoon. Now, all I can do is hope that my enthusiasm, or to be more blunt, greed, did not send me to another burning episode.

I was expecting the arrival of the Mulberry Bayswater in Congo leather today but to my horror when I called their hotline, it was not to be delivered until Tuesday or Wednesday next week! So here is the true reason why my review session got cut off much earlier — I went to JRS Express’ Headquarters in Mandaluyong City, their mother ship.

I was astounded by this big warehouse of deliveries, full of pile after pile of boxes from all over the country. I was then whisked away to the receiving area to get my item. It turned out that the seller did not send the bag through the Express option, which usually takes overnight. Hmm. Fishy.

Anyway, I got the bag and hopped on a cab bound for work but I still did not open the parcel. I still have a substantial amount of EQ left in me. I’m surprised. Or maybe, the cab driver and I have been talking about very interesting issues and topics that I forgot about opening it. You know: dialectical materialism, national debt, political economy. O_O More on that on a separate post.

When I finally opened the item. My first reaction was horrified. WHERE IS THE POSTMAN’S LOCK?

I was really upset. First, the bag’s measurements were clearly misrepresented in the description of the auction. The seller has added an average of two inches per dimension, making the bag appear bigger than what it really is. Then, the postman’s lock is missing, which basically forms half the identity of a Bayswater. I was already close to tear, honestly, and I tried my best to calmly describe the situation to the seller. She was insisting that I got the bag at a good price but I retorted that I expected an item categorically described as “EXCELLENT USED CONDITION” and “NO FLAWS TO BE EXPECTED” to be really like that. I don’t think that a missing postman’s lock falls under the excellently used condition category.

I really like the bag. I just feel quite disappointed of the missing postman’s lock. We don’t have a Mulberry store here in the Philippines, and I’m not also sure if Rustan’s (which carries the bags here) would accept repairs for it, especially the two-way shipping may even cost more than the replacement cost of the lock.

I did not reply to the seller’s last message because I did not want to lash out at her. That was a first and I’m proud of that improvement. She turned out to be apologetic about this deliberate oversight even if I’m still quite upset. She offered to help look for a replacement lock, but I might as well expect that nothing will really happen about it.

And now, the ultimate question is: will I be keeping the bag? I’m veering towards ‘YES’. I think I can live with it and I know that I will sooner or later find a remedy on this. It’s not everyday that I can find a Mulberry Bayswater at a good price. I can sense Mon’s apprehension over the style of the bag but I still would want to carry it.

I think it will be much better to stretch the sides out to make it look wider. I don’t mind a slouchy, beaten-up Bayswater. Still, I hope to find a remedy over the missing postman’s lock. If only there were Mulberry stores here.

I was really upset last Friday when I saw that the Mulberry Bayswater I received had a missing postman’s lock. I thought of ways on how to remedy this because I just don’t feel like carrying a Bayswater without a lock. I had two options with polar consequences: 1) send the item to Mulberry to repair it; however, this means I will be shelling quite a sum of money not only for the repair, but also for the two-way shipping since we don’t have a stand-alone Mulberry store here in the Philippines (and the total price may even cost me more than what I paid for the bag); or 2) have the postman’s lock replaced by myself by getting the necessary part. But where do I get it? It’s not like they would send out parts upon request because of the fear of counterfeiters. *DING DING DING* Counterfeiters.

I have combed online shopping sites here in the Philippines looking for the cheapest Mulberry bag with the postman’s lock I was looking for. When I found one, I have contacted the seller of the Mulberry Bayswater in Congo leather and asked her if we could divide to cost between us and she gladly agreed. So yesterday, I met up with the seller of a fake secondhand Mulberry Alexa just to get that turn lock!

When I got home, I inspected the bag to see how to accomplish the job. Well the first thing I thought of was how different this fake really is from the authentic one. And I think it merits a separate post. It left me with no choice but to just force that particular turn lock. In doing so, I know that it would make the part unusable but it did not bother me. You see, all I wanted is to fill that absence of the turn lock in my Bayswater and it was just a problem of aesthetics. That was the most cost-efficient solution I can think for the moment, and maybe I would have this properly repaired by Mulberry in the future when they already have their own store in the Philippines. =) As for the fake Alexa, it was then stashed somewhere it won’t be seen by anybody in my house.

I pulled the metal plate with the turn lock from the bag using two longnose pliers, and separated the turn lock itself after. I then used a tube of this Mighty Bond Extreme superglue, which claims to work on metal as well.

Et voilà! The postman’s lock looking much better now! I know I can no longer turn it but that’s the least of my problem. It closes on itself without the turning action and I can always put the provided padlock if I want to. Then what followed was taking an official photo to be added on my collection post!

And as I’m the messenger-bag-with-the-top-handles type of person, I decided to give this Bayswater a twist. Well, I technically can’t carry a top handle bag all day long and will eventually sling it on my shoulder.  My remedy was to attach a detachable Gucci strap in the leather straps inside the bag.

Pretty nifty huh? =) I have also stuffed the bag all day to make the gussets open wider to add width to the bag and make it less structured. I hope so. My mother has been eyeing the bag since yesterday and I have told her she can use it whenever she wants to because I will most probably use the bag every weekend when I’m wearing very casual clothes.

When I was still deciding whether or not I would be buying the Mulberry Bayswater from Ebay, I did a thorough and exhaustive search online using Google on men carrying a Mulberry Bayswater — and its permutations. My search did not yield anything substantial and it was really frustrating. What I saw were photos of men carrying the the Mulberry Piccadilly because it was described as large Bayswater.

As an academic (yikes, LOL), I wanted to add to the body of knowledge and information about guys with Mulberry Bayswater so I am now including this picture of me carrying the bag.

Similarly, even if I am not the type who carries top-handle bags on the crook of my arm or over my shoulder, I am showing them below just for reference.

A very nice addition to my small Mulberry family!

Whenever I buy something online or offline, I always tend to think that I know my size. I was previously able to get these two amazing dress shirts: an Ermenegildo Zegna and a Givenchy Paris.

Unfortunately, both of these long-sleeves are about a size bigger than what I would normally wear. I even neglected the tag saying Size 16, when I know for a fact that I wear a Size 15 or 15 1/2. Fortunately, it won’t go to waste because Mon was happy to accept these two as he is also running out of clothes to wear for work. Minus two for me and plus two for him.

I have sworn not to use this Bayswater on a weekday because I tend to carry more things than usual, compared to when I go out on a weekend. It was almost a stupid idea because it almost rained on my way to work. I’m actually always dressed for any unprecedented rain lately, but my bag choice was really questionable. I just can’t resist taking it out while wearing shoes for once.

Compared to my previous attempts to study in the library these past two weeks, this Saturday was far better than what I originally expected. I was able to read one of the crucial things that will probably come up in the examination and I was happy that I more or less got a better understanding of ontology and epistemology in IR theories compared to the days before. I hope so. LOL

There were no coffee at home when I left (my mother’s decaf does not count) and I just first bought a can of iced coffee and another round of both iced and hot coffee. The students eating near me might be thinking that I was quite mad. But I needed to stay awake because all that reading made my head quite heavy. Words swimming in my head always do tend to become potent tranquilizers.

After studying from 11:00 AM until almost 5:00 PM, the weather was perfect when Mon arrived. It just drizzled few hours back and the skies were quite cloudy and was on the verge of another rain. And then I jokingly asked Mon if we could go to UP Lagoon to do something I’ve been thinking of since last week. Well, I posted last time that I’ve seen a nice spot in the campus that reminded me of that ‘Where the Wild Things Are’-inspired Mulberry F/W 2012 ad campaign with Lindsey Wixson. I just did it. I needed to do something silly because I’ve been seriously reading for hours!

Armed with just a digital camera and braving the quite muddy leaf-strewn and grass-covered ground, Mon and I had several photos and we were laughing hard with this crazy idea. The people jogging around might be shaking their heads but we did not care. They won’t see us tomorrow anyway but maybe some of them won’t forget how we were washing our feet with bottled water because they were really muddy when we reached the elevated pavement.

Move over Lindsey. I’m about to finish your career. Just kidding. I really love Mulberry’s latest ad campaign. <3

Three months ago, I ruminated over selling my Keepall 50 for a Mulberry Bayswater. But turned out, I ended up NOT selling it at all. I told myself “How dare you consider letting this go, after all of those memories?“. However, for our Seoul trip this December, I actually consider not using the bag because I might have excessively packed it last year and remembered that it was extremely heavy, considering it has no shoulder straps.

(Screencap from http://www.louisvuitton.com)

I then found myself on Louis Vuitton’s website because I was looking at the dimensions of an Epi Cles as I saw one listed on Ebay (I still can’t get over my lost/stolen coin purse). Then I stumbled upon this interesting and interactive tutorial on the “Art of Packing“. First of all, it never occurred to me that you can position your shoes like that inside a keepall or any travelling bag. I had a constant mental “Ooooohhh” while watching the video and picked up a few tricks while the invisible hand (definitely not of Adam Smith) place an item after another inside the bag. Just as I thought that the usual rolling up of the clothes to avoid crease does the trick, I saw this tutorial which proved to be helpful in packing things for travel.

But then again, my Keepall still doesn’t have a strap but I will be taking note of the tips in the video when I pack another bag I can sling over my shoulder.

The month has barely changed from November to December and it was already our company’s yearend event a.k.a. Christmas party. On one hand, why was it so early? Other companies might not have even released their 13th month pay and yet we already had our party. On the other hand, I was quite delighted with the date because it meant less traffic and it would be easier to go to-and-from the venue. And for the first time after four years, I went to the party without Faye as she was still out of the country!

Mon and I were really pinching the penny because of our trip next week so we decided to keep our outfit simple. I was initially over the Moon with the supposed Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme top that I was about to wear, but the cancellation of the transaction meant that I had only a day to look for something to wear. Then, why bother? Let’s just wear a similar shirt!

We have a knack for coordinating our outfits and the last time we did so was in 2010 during a ‘masquerade theme’ Christmas party.

Anyway, we traditionally invite a guest host every party (a celebrity) but this year, we invited two hosts. First was Rovilson Fernandez (from the ‘Amazing Race Asia’ fame, whose partner Marc Nelson has coincidentally hosted our party last, last year) and Joey Mead (current judge on ‘Asia’s Next Top Model’). Rovilson was unexpectedly funny because I thought that he’d end up being like Marc, who was eloquent, but lacking in the humor department. I had high expectations with Rovilson because Luis Manzano really carried the whole event last year, so the former had big shoes to fill and it was surprisingly well-done. As for Joey Mead, the girl was a goddess. My jaw dropped because I did not expect her to be that beautiful, and the girl can really walk. O_O

Anyway, more than the hosts, I had a great time seeing interesting looks from others who attended the party. There were several fashion contests/segments and there were two outfits that really caught my attention. The first one was a girl wearing a tuxedo and I think that it was an excellent take on Yves Saint Laurent’s ‘le smoking‘. What I loved most about it was the fact that she was not tall nor extremely skinny but she did not end up looking like a penguin. I was living for her! Her ensemble reminded me of one of Minzy’s (from 2NE1) look from the ‘Can’t Nobody‘ music video. And the second one was this, let’s admit it, costume and replica of Lady GaGa’s infamous red lace outfit from 2009 MTV VMA. I was not familiar with the candle thing but maybe GaGa carried something similar to that but the people went crazy when he got at the end of the runway and blew the flame off. Werq!

(Photo from forums.allkpop.com)

But I was more happy to see Mon go up the stage with his teammates, to accept an award recognizing their efforts. I really liked how he looked on stage with a leather jacket and white skinny jeans, together with that black shirt. I had been pitching to him the idea of wearing this leather jacket I personally intended to use for our trip to Seoul and he only agreed last minute before we left the house.

The food was great as well. I couldn’t remember who was the caterer last night but we had several trips back to the buffet table. I didn’t even care about dieting nor the fact that I was still drinking CarbTrim — let’s now see your efficacy! Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, I was unlucky with the raffle. I was so unlucky that my ticket number 1414 was almost picked several times. The numbers, 1412, 1413, 1415 and 1417 were picked out of the bowl, as well as 1424, 1434 and also 1484. Fate has to remind me again that I should work hard if I want something and not be dependent on luck.

To make matter worse, the committee in charge of the program had to drastically and deliberately delay the raffling off of the MacBooks. There was a band who sang non-stop for more than 30 minutes, as if it was a shaking-off medley to test the people waiting for the raffle. It actually worked because when they began drawing out stubs, a string of names had been called and the people were no longer present. It was literally a drawn out event that the whole thing had not finished until a little past 2 AM.

(The best picture that our crazy and energetic officemates can take, given the festive atmosphere)

I just dragged Mon to the ‘wall’ (or whatever you call it) because we haven’t had our picture taken with it. The raffle was almost over when we positioned ourselves to take pictures and we had to rush taking each others’ photos. We then ran out of the venue, a time-tested tactic of ours, to avoid the rush of people scrambling to go home.

We got home in about an hour, which was pretty fast, considering we went all the way to Marikina. I just felt a bit nauseous, maybe because of the glutton-fest that had happened a few hours back that I had to drink a can of pineapple juice. When I was already checking over my bag from last night, I was mortified to see that the bottle of alcohol inside had accidentally opened and spilled on the bottom of my Bayswater. >_< I was hoping it would dry off but as it has already happened last night, then the mark will most probably be permanent. Why haven’t I checked on it last night? I could have done something to prevent it. Big consolation: the liquid hasn’t penetrated the leather and the finishing/sheen from the outside was not affected.

All in all, the alcohol stain hasn’t dampened my spirit. I had a fun night even if that raffle has annoyed the hell out of me.

Last Friday, I asked my sister to drop by this leather supplies store in Marikina Public Market to buy a leather dye. I had a DIY project in mind, but it was so simple that it would probably not take more than ten minutes of my life to finish it. Since receiving a Bayswater from more than two years, I have only used it less than five times. As much as I love Mulberry and this Bayswater, I just can’t bring myself to lug it around each time by the handles. I wanted a nice leather strap to convert it to a messenger bag and breathe new life to it and end its eternal damnation inside the storage bin.

I was previously using a strap from another bag, but the “canvasness” of it just felt so wrong. Mulberry does not sell separate straps unlike other brands (i.e. Louis Vuitton). And even if they do, we no longer have any Mulberrys here. Rustan’s used to carry it before and I remember looking at two Elkingtons and a nylon clipper. But look at me blabbering about all of these — if there were Mulberry stores here and even if they sell straps separately, I don’t even have enough money to spare to buy one. My point was completely moot to start with. >_< LOL

Bye bye brown

Re-dyed leather strap

The smallest bottle available from the store was 350 mL. It costs Php 100 and it comes in different colors. I wanted black because, well, the Bayswater was black. Duh. The strap was dyed black from dark brown, but it was originally light brown when I first got it in 2008. Then after an unfortunate staining incident, I had dyed it to dark brown so that my sister can use it. But alas, the bag has served its purpose, and because of a couple of torn parts, the bag was finally retired. So I asked my sister to look for the strap so I can give it a makeover. Mulberry on Mulberry does not sound blasphemous to those purists out there, I guess.

I used an old toothbrush to apply the dye on the leather parts. I was initially worried of staining the brass hardware black, but I was able to wipe them off clean with just a slight scratching of my nails. I also thought that I needed two applications of dye on the leather for a better finish, but I was actually contented with the first coating. Besides, I have a feeling that congo leather is not plain black but has a brownish undertone. But don’t take my word for it! I am colorblind, remember? The brass clip buckles were significantly larger than the old Gucci ones and the straps of the Bayswater slipped securely inside them. I think this would hold better on congo as it is a very hardy leather. However, I am not too sure if the same thing would yield the same results on other leather types. Imagine doing this on delicate leathers such as the silky snake!

The separate Mulberry strap inside the Bayswater

Bayswater in congo leather with a separate strap

A much better strap

I had a brainwave for refurbishing this strap when I saw Cara Delevingne in the recently-concluded Wilderness Festival with her oxblood leather Cara bag, which, by default has shoulder straps and D-rings for backpack mode on it. Again, I am not Cara’s biggest fan as I adore Lindsey more for Mulberry. But I would be kidding myself thinking that Mulberry would have her for more than three campaigns. Anyway, who needs a small Bayswater if you can re-update a Bayswater on your own. =D

Cara Delevingne with her oxblood Mulberry Cara bag in Wilderness Festival

What would push me to go back writing here? Yeah, a bag post! To say that I am heartbroken is an understatement. For years, I have been searching for a Mulberry Piccadilly in Oak Darwin that won’t break the bank.… Continue Reading →

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So yesterday (or last Saturday as it is now Monday here in Manila), I had an afternoon to fix my things because they are scattered everywhere in my room. I had the opportunity to clean what needs to be cleaned,… Continue Reading →

The post My “stuff” — extremely picture heavy! appeared first on BRYOLOGUE.

Aside from the Bayswater, the Roxanne is considered as one of the iconic styles from Mulberry. While the design itself has a smaller (Blenheim) and bigger (Rosemary) variety, the Roxanne hit the Goldilocks’ zone for being ‘just right’. Imagine my… Continue Reading →

The post Mulberry Roxanne Bag as a Messenger Bag appeared first on BRYOLOGUE.