Packs a Punch

(Image via Deadly Ponies)

For the last year I have been loving my Deadly Ponies bag that I bought from my good friends at Found in Bath. (It is like the one above but a delicious burgundy colour.) However, in Bath I don't tend to lug around lots of stuff. Now that I am considering moving back to London I need to rethink things slightly. Because in London I like to walk. I like to avoid public transport as much as possible and that means Shanks' pony. You know, the plates of meat... Erm, you know, walking.

Old woman that I am I seem to have aches and pains most days so adding the strain of a bag slung over my shoulder while I pound the pavements doesn't exactly appeal. So the solution?

A backpack.

I have been using one for the last couple of weeks and it does mean that I can heft my stuff around in relative comfort. I would like to stress that I take it off when on public transport and endeavour not to make any sudden moves and knock people over with it. Both of which are a major bug bear of mine. But the bag I have been using also travelled with my around South East Asia. IE. it is very functional but not so pretty.

Soo, oops! I guess I'll just have to have something new. The good news is that Lady Fashion is having a serious flirtation with back packs at the mo, so there are stylish treats to be had.

Now I just need to decide whether I want stylish but mostly functional/practical/comfortable or be superficial and go for something that looks beautiful and stylish and will work with my look, particularly a more corporate look that will probably be necessary, and hope that function is also catered to.

Here are some of my options. What do you think, form or function?

3.1 Philip Lim

Alexander McQueen

Christopher Kane

Fjallraven

Herschel

 Jerome Dreyfuss

Longchamp

 Marc by Marc Jacobs

Proenza Schouler

(Images via Found, Net a Porter, Selfridges)

Walk the Line

If it was reasonable to buy a fabulous pair of sunglasses every year (this time last year I bought the Prada Baroques when I was in New York) then any of these by Karen Walker, stocked by my friends at Found Bath, would be top of the list. I particularly love the turquoise circular pair.

Grrr, must resist.

(Images via Found Bath)

Lost and Found

One of my favourite things about Bath is that it is home to some lovely independent boutiques. The best of which, in my mind, is Found. It is run by a delightful couple and they have some real treats.

Not least of which is the jewllery collection.

My favourite pieces are by Sabrina Dehoff and Wing.

I could very easily find myself in a lot of trouble in there.

(Images via Found)

Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice

I am a cynical girl. I haven't yet shaken off many years of hard earned London toughness, although Bath is doing a very good job of softening me.

But I confess the idea of niceness is still one that I find saccharine and off putting. Not that being nice is in any way bad but the concept of niceness so often seems twee and uninteresting.

So when I wondered in to the lovely boutique Found in Bath I came across some fantastic clothes by unknown to me designers. One of which was a Spanish label called Nice Things. Now, to me as literal as that might be, calling a company Nice Things is like voluntary damning it with faint praise. Hmm, yeah, it's nice is hardly shouting about how great it is from the rooftops.

But I won't bore you with semantics. Because their clothes are super pretty, wearable and affordable.

And, indeed, very... well... nice.

(Images via Nice Things)