New Season Bags - Sophie's Choice

Autumn's well and truly set in now and we suddenly find ourselves with the uncontrollable urge to accessorise... Yesterday we brought you a whole lot of boot lust and today we're onto bags... 

We can only imagine that it has something to do with the fact that this time of year used to mean back to school time. The going back to the classroom part was obviously rubbish, but there was one little upside - the bright shiny silver-lining of a new school term was a whole raft of new things...  There were the brand new pencil cases filled with brand new stationery; the brand new school shoes and of course, most importantly the brand new school bag.

I liked to think of my new bag as a declaration of who I was going to be that school year. Was I going a bit brit pop with a record bag? More old school with a satchel? Or maybe a bit of skater-girl courtesy of a Janssen rucksack? 

So to bring that new year dilemma into 2013, we've fallen hard for two bag brands and we're having a very tough time making the call between which girl we're deciding to be this season. The designers are coincidentally both called Sophie but the looks are poles apart. 

So, are we going to go sleek and sophisticated with a the stylishly simple Sophie Hulme...

Sophie Hulme Snakeskin Envelope Clutch £450 

Sophie Hulme Arrow Clutch £333.33

Sophie Hulme Burgundy Envelope Clutch £245.83

Sophie Hulme Textured Leather Envelope Clutch £415

Sophie Hulme Pony Hair Cross Body Bag £425

... or channel our Gypset side with a touch of Sophie Anderson's colour-popping, louche luxe?

Sophie Anderson Lea Cross Body Bag £195
Sophie Anderson Hermana Embroidered Bag £165

Sophie Anderson Fina Clutch £130

Sophie Anderson Sophia Bag £202

Sophie Anderson Lando Clutch £190

Sophie Anderson Aldo Clutch £124

Completely impossible to choose, no?! So choose we won't... we're grown-ups (ahem!) with credit cards, we'll just take both...

Accessories Update With Zalora

The magazine stands are stuffed with weighty September Issues, Fashion Month is fast approaching and we're gleefully eyeing up all the gorgeous autumn pieces that have just dropped at all our high street favs. We're still hoping for at least a glimmer more of summer but in the meantime its vital to get our winter wardrobes stocked before all the best pieces sell out (or at least that's how we're justifying the large dent in this month's pay cheque...).

That being said, we've always been big believers in the more savvy way to get a new season wardrobe refresh - step up the accessories update... Take a few trusty staples - let's say a little black dress, the perfect pair of skinny jeans, a few basic t-shirts and a well cut blazer - and with a sprinkling of the right accessories you can look bang up to date for less than the price of the zip of that lickable orange Balenciaga leather jacket on the cover of British Vogue...

We've always found Zara and ASOS great sources to hit up for a little accessories lift, but we've recently come across a gem of a website for all you Asia-based fashionistas looking for a touch of purse friendly accessorising, Zalora. This haven of e-bargains has until now been unchartered Mice shopping territory. Let's just say we sorted that out pretty quickly... 

I recently snapped up a couple of new treats, you know, just to test the site out... 

House of Harlow Necklace

HK$369

Velvet Clutch

HK$194

Test run completed, it's now time to draw up my next shopping spree wish list, here are the bits and pieces currently hanging out in my shopping basket...

 1. House of Harlow Sunglasses HK$1,019 /2. Lavina Necklace HK$149 /3. Mexx Square Scarf HK$369 /4.  CC Skye Earrings HK$369 

/5. Shoemint Pumps HK$395 /6. Velvet Clutch HK$234 / 

Zalora has sites in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan - what are you waiting for? Get shopping....!