Showing posts with label Accessories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Accessories. Show all posts

7/29/2023

Timex Women's Weekender 31mm Watch

This is my third Timex Weekender. I bought this brand and line because I've had years of awesome experience with these watches and I know what to expect; also because I wanted to replace my first weekender, which, after years, isn't working that well.  
 
As per my photo, this Weekender is targeted to women and it's slightly smaller than my previous Weekender. It looks perfect on my small wrist, not too big, not too small, and I can read the time without squinting. For the rest the watch some features I love:
 
The blue band is made of threaded nylon. I love the blue tone as it gives it an elegant look, even though this is a sport every-day watch. The best thing about this band is that is fully washable with water and hand soap, dries quickly and the color doesn't ran out.
 
The button battery lasts for a long time and is a standard battery so I can buy it  anywhere.
 
The afterglow feature is wonderful when I wake up in the middle of the night as it allows me to check and see the time perfectly.  
 
I can wash my dishes or deal with water without worrying about a water splash damaging my watch. I would not be swimming with it, but if I forgot to remove it, it is 30m water resistant. 

The instructions leaflet comes in different languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Dutch, Japanese, Mandarin and Russian,
 
Good value for money overall and I love it.
 
DOWNSIDES
> You'll notice that the battery is running out because the time starts to get imprecise. Said differently, the battery doesn't have a capacitor that holds the power consistently, so when the battery is low, it affects the time reading.
> The same can be said of the after-dark glow. You'll notice that the battery is low because the glow barely lights up. 
>  Packaging is poor and the methacrylate holder is not the best; the quality of the plastic is good but not the design. The cardboard box is bad quality and arrived in a bad condition.
> The multi-lingual booklet of instructions is wrapped up tightly around the watch holder and it is written in tiny-winy font size, so I need to use a magnifying lens to read it.  

 

10/20/2014

Her Message (Claremont WA, Australia)

Shop 3, 50 Bayview Terrace
Old Theatre Lane
Claremont WA 6010
Phone: 0430 065 152
Website

Located in the cute Old Theatre Lane, Her Message is a cute shop selling cute things by a cute lady. They specialise in cult-following shoe brands: the Brazilian brand  Zaxy's jelly shoes, and the Venezuelan brand "Chocolaticas" (Hot Chocolate Design). They are statement comfortable unique shoes. They also have some others flats and ballerina shoes that I like a lot. They also have children shoes, a few items of jewellery, canvas totes, and similar things.


Hot Chocolate Design shoes are canvas arty painted shoes. They are not only trendy, unique and beautiful, they are also super-comfortable to walk around and perfect for travelling without sacrificing style. Zaxy are wonderful summer silicone shoes, that look classy and elegant, utterly feminine, very comfortable and are water proof, also perfect for travelling and for the summer months.  

The lady behind the counter was wonderful, very attentive, helpful, and Keen to make business by offering me further discounts if buying more than one pair or just helping me to purchase. If they don't have your sizing or favourite style, they will take your phone number and SMS you when your pair size is in.

Prices were good for Perth and having into account that these are imported shoes. I found the jelly shoes cheaper than in other places, while the canvas ones are at the same prices you will find them at the Fremantle Markets.  

They receive new stock almost every month. So,  Her Message... is.... Come and visit me!

9/21/2014

Baba-Shop (Granada, Spain)


    Calle San Antón, 16
    18005 Granada
    Spain
    Phone: +34 958 521 638
    Website

Baba-Shop is a must stop for me each time I visit Granada.

Tucked away in Calle San Antón, this bazaar has an ample shop with a large but non flashy shop window.

This would have been my perfect shop if it had existed when I was at University as it has everything that my younger self (a bit hidden now underneath my more glamorous me) loved and love: unique pieces of clothing and jewellery, colour, textures, earthy stuff, alternative fashion, world jewellery and decoration items, new-hippy, hipster, grunge - Paradise! Their website does not make justice to the shop.

I don't wear the sort of clothing they have or most of their accessories any more, but I do still wear and purchase some of the pendants and jewellery they sell, which are always beautiful and original. I super-love their silver jewellery cabinet, which is not too expensive for foreigners (a bit for locals).

This is a pricey shop in general, which offers sales just on sales periods. That is possible because they have a loyal clientele who returns over and over again, and prefer to pay for one unique alternative piece than for three mass-produced ones.

The attendants are matter of fact and won't bother you in your browsing unless you want them to open the magic cabinet or bring something down from the upper shelves. Browse peacefully, buy if you want.

7/02/2014

Lola & Punto (Granada, Spain)


Calle Montereros, 10
 18001 Granada
 Spain
 Phone: +34 677 470 582
 Facebook

 Knitting an crochet are very much back and in vogue nowadays, and Lola & Punto has done a terrific job at making of a tiny space a paradise for knitting lovers and hand made nuts.

 The shop is very small, but it has very catchy windows and a lovely fully packed interior. It is a welcoming colourful place. I love their walled asymmetrical shelves packed with colourful wool and cotton hanks.

 Their selection of crocheted dolls is just lovable. I bought the bunny in my photo for my niece, and a crocheted hat. They are not only pretty and catchy, but also made with very good cotton, so they can be washed safely in the washing machine. If you want the same item in another size, the owner will make it for you quite fast and give you a ring to let you know that it is ready. She did that with the hat I bought for my niece and had it ready in 3-4 days.

I loved their bead necklaces, made with Indian wooden hand-painted beads. The ones already made are fabulous but they might be too expensive for your budget, as they were about 30-40 Euro, which is about Au 50$. However, they have a good amount of individual beads for sale, so you can get and mix the ones you like, buy leather thread (so many colours to choose from!), as well as other little things to make your own unique piece of jewellery for little money.

The owner holds regular workshops, inside the shop, to teach you knitting and crocheting some of the wonderful things she has on display.

 Customer service was great. You can browse around unmolested or just ask the owner for help and assistance.

Handmade items are pricey (for Spanish standards) but affordable for foreigners, and you know that your are buying handmade good quality stuff, not a mass produced item.

UPDATE 2016
Most of the jewellery making stuff they had for sale in the past is gone, and the service is not as friendly.

10/09/2012

Boticca (Online Shop, UK, USA)-REBRANDED

My fashion motto is "Who wants to wear vintage when you can wear the future?"  Then I found Boticca, and she told me "I'd rather wear a unique story" and the friendship was born.

Boticca's motto conveys well the spirit and philosophy of this chic, independent and artistic-oriented market-inspired website that sells unique accessories from emerging International designers.


What Do they Sell?
Boticca has a great selection of unusual creative jewels, handbags and accessories: quirky, daring, shocking, odd, artsy, sophisticated and timeless depending on the pieces.They have an stress on ethnicity and world-wide design, so you can get things from Sudafrica, Lithuania, UAE, Venezuela, Israel, France or USA, just to put mention some countries from where the stuff comes from.

The quality of the pieces and designs is good, classy and edgy. The articles on sale are sold in very limited quantities (1-10 pieces usually) so there are many chances that you get something unique or unique-ish. 

Generally speaking, most pieces are overpriced, although you can find things for 30-40 bucks. There are many things incredibly cheap, but most o them are pricey or expensive. If you are not too carried away by your fashion low passions, wait!


How Does the Place Works?
The place works as a market where the different designers set their stalls and rules. However, they are subject to Boticca's stamp of approval regarding the quality of the design and Customer Service. 

Each designer has different preferences regarding shipping (free or not) and how they ship, which are specified in their personal space; you can always contact them directly for shipping methods, size customisation, ask for out-of-stock items, and any other thing. In "Your Account" area you can easily check the date of order, date of dispatch, find your tracking URL, "received" button, and "leave feedback" button. 

The three items I have bought so far are true to the photo and description of the items on the website, and except for one, they were affordable and good value for money. 




What Makes Boticca Different?
There are similar shopping places on the Internetosphere (new word's alert!!!!), but they sell from well established luxury brands or emerging artists that are chaperoned by the same brands and fashion holdings, not truly independent.

Boticca is in a way, a posh well-groomed Etsy, and shares many things with that vintage and handmade market: internationality, direct contact with the designer, secure-payment, order tracking, clear product details and photos, free customisation, among other things. However, Boticca is more an avant-garde high-design boutique than a handicrafts social-global market. Many designers have accounts both in Boticca and Etsy, but Boticca has a specific market niche and the place is curated by a group of designers, collectors and fashion experts, so it looks and feels different - but it is also way more expensive.

The Dark Side
$$$ As mentioned above, most things are overpriced. In some cases the materials and design justify the prices; however, in most cases they are not justified at all. Sorry, my opinion. Overpricing is a marketing technique I have already mentioned in this blog, so you can get awesome sales when the price is right. This is a global marketing sin, so we have to surf this ocean of nonsense to get to the place we want.

$$$ Many of the items are sent by regular registered mail, so they can take three weeks to get to your place, plus the period required by the designer for customisation if you choose a ring or something sizeable. If you need faster shipping, contact the designer in advance to arrange things differently.  

$$$ They have a small selection of men stuff, but I find it a bit limited and boring. Still, if you are a man, decide by yourself.

$$$ They have a few email notifications options, and they are ticked on by default, so you are going to receive tons of emails from Boticca. They should be unticked by default! They inform of sales, price reductions, new items, and so on, but this is a constant incitation to purchase. Not good for impulsive shoppers and shopaholics!

Tips for Saving
1/ You can get some discount coupons if you invite friends and they join and/or purchase. 

2/ Wait for Boticca's regular free world-wide shipping weekends.

3/ Wait for private sales by the designer of your devotion. Private sales are held on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays; you access to the latter by pushing the "fan" button of each designer you fancy. The sales are regularly scheduled and emailed about, last for 48 hours, and the discounts go from 20-50% and are worth the wait, especially if you are after expensive-ish items. Beware that the sales are not on everything the designer sells, so you could be unlucky and not find what you want discounted.

3/ They give you discount vouchers after your first purchase to use in your next check out. Another invitation to shop, a thing that Boticca does perfectly well.

4/ Sometimes they offer discount vouchers just for joining the site.  

5/ The same item can suffer slight modifications in the price, for reasons that nobody has been able to explain to me. Like, you see a bag one day at X dollars, and next day is 55 more, or vice versa. Sometimes nothing changes, but sometimes it does. I have experienced it myself, so do keep an eye on your prey! 

***
If you want to splurge on unique pieces of jewellery and bags that will not be worn by hundred of women in the city, this is your place to shop from. This is a special need for Perth fashionistas, who have not many high-design places in the city and most of the hand-crafted jewellery is traditional, way too expensive, and mostly branded. To be honest, I think that my fav jewellers in Perth should be selling at Boticca, so the world meets them.
 
Boticca is the sort of secret you do not want to share with your frenemy, because it is way too cool for her, and you could not bear her wearing anything that is very much you. So I am just telling you, not your frenemy. Please, if you buy from Boticca, comment on your experience and the pieces you are buying, so we do not end wearing the same stuff at the Oscars. Mind you?

UPDATE
Boticca was swallowed by Wolf&Badger. It works pretty much the same. But I haven't bought from them since the change.  

4/24/2012

Passchendales Accessories (Perth WA) - CLOSED

Shop H14, Carillon City Arcade
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9322 3173
http://www.passchendales.com.au/

Hours:
    Mon-Thu, Sat 10:00 - 17:00
    Fri 10:00 - 19:00
    Sun 12:00 - 17:00

Passchendales is an eclectic shop that sells a mix of races, bridal and special occasion accessories.

I have always liked the display of hats they have at the entrance and shop-window, and the openness of the shop, that initially invites you to enter. However, the place is very small and crowded with things, so you also get visually overwhelmed and feel like not entering. Then you enter and the space is so narrow that you feel like controlling your body not to put anything out their place. This might be the reason why the shop is rarely crowded or with many clients in general, but it is  certainly worth a visit.

The hat section is really great, beautiful, classy, innovative, varied, and the star of the shop. Some of the pieces are really WOW. They have fascinators, head pins, head bands and proper hats. They have a made-to-order millinery service available just for your royal head to go crazy, something you don't expect from a tiny shop like this.

The amount and variety of evening bags is also considerable from the very simple to the Oscar-like and within a huge range of prices. On the contrary, most wallets on display were too chunky and not very elegant. There is a nice selection of pashmina scarves at 39 dollars - a great price as you pay the same for plain cotton scarves at David Jones and Myer at present. The jewellery is like any other you find in similar shops, even in the Carillon Complex.

The new shop-assistant was a bit unwelcoming and model-ish. I asked for her help and she gave it to me, but did so as she was making me a favour. and I was a member of the plebs disturbing the empress. However, she genuinely smiled after I showed my appreciation for the wrapping of my purchase. She might have been having a bad day, or two..., but I expect a shop-attendant to be welcoming and friendly, otherwise I go elsewhere or shop online. The other shop-assistant (the owner?) was very welcoming, smiley and invited you to enter if you were browsing at the door. I want her back.

Their wrapping and little details you get are beautiful.

Mind your heads, girls, they don't give refunds or exchange items if you change your mind, unless the genre is faulty. You will even get a decorative note saying that in a wordy elegant manner. Ouch!

The shop is worth a visit for the hats and the pashminas. You can find many of the other things they sell elsewhere.  If I was  the owner I would clean a bit the shop and leave the hats, clutches and pashminas, and get rid of everything else so the shop becomes more spacious and inviting.

Visit their website as they have great competitions and offers:
http://www.passchendales.com.au/customer-service/competitions/

4/21/2012

UHA Jewellery (Perth WA)

Shop H15 Carillion City
Hay St Level
Perth Western Australia 6000
(08) 9481 6668

Opening Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 9:00am - 5:30pm
Friday: 9:00am - 9:00pm
Saturday: 9:00am - 5:30pm
Sunday: 11:00am - 5:00pm

Bling is certainly the adjective that best define UHA - a small shop in the Carillon Arcade selling fashion jewellery, character mugs, calculators, land-line telephones, and mobile accessories. You have certainly passed-by their shop-window and stopped to look at those wonderful blingy 1960s-style crystal telephones in different shapes. The items on display are from Korea, Japan and, well, can you guess?, China. 

The phones are the best part of the shop, and those cute Hello-Kitty Mugs. The jewellery on display is very pretty, but nothing really wow. The prices are too high for the sort of items they are selling, and you will find similar pieces in Lovisa, Diva, Colette, and other chain shops at cheaper prices. To buy a piece of something there you have to ask yourself: Do I fancy this so much as to pay the price? In my case, the answer was yes, and I bought a pair or artsy creative earrings for 35 dollars, discounted. The real retail price of those should be AU$15-20 maximum. I really love them, but I can buy a simple silver piece for that price at some shops in the same arcade. I think other shoppers will opt for looking at the items on display and going elsewhere. 

My experience with the shop-attendant was very good, and the cute girl attending UHA -so very cute and fashionista herself- was lovely, helpful and very nice. She gave me a personalised shopping experience, so she was attending to me, not to the shop or to her computer or the cashier.

4/15/2012

Revolve Clothing Online Shop (USA)


I was hesitant to order with Revolve Clothing due some negative reviews -badly intentioned I believe- I found on the net, but I liked the wallet I wanted to purchase too much to let let it go. I'm glad I did as my experience with Revolve has been extremely satisfactory.

Their website is very easy to navigate, and offers a good selection of contemporary mid-range brand and designer clothing and accessories. You can peruse the items easily, use the zoom to see the details, and go to the specific page to have all the details about size, colour etc. clearly written. Moreover, you can check a box to see the price in your currency, so you can have an approximate idea of how much your item is going to cost you. Bear in mind that they charge in USA Dollars, and the price change as the currency exchange does, a few dollars up or down.

The shipping information is very clear and detailed, and you can order or give your opinion on an item without the need of opening an account with them, which is extremely rare in online shopping nowadays.

The range of products is fair, especially good for jeans, but I have just checked the accessories section, especially the handbags and wallets. There is not a huge selection of products, but still you find a fair selection of items in different styles and designers at affordable prices.

You get free International shipping for items above 100 Dollars, which is a great way to promote shopping and shop. That's rare in online shopping, too. If you want an expedite international post, you will pay 8 dollars if your item is over 100 dollars and 18 if it is under As the International post and couriers are subject to examination/detention at Customs in the country of destination, I would not advise spending your money in the express shipment, as no company can foresee if your parcel is going to pass through Customs quickly or slowly. It can take a few hours or a few days. It depends on Customs. Revolve Clothing uses USA Postal service for their shipping, which is always a reliable and convenient way of getting your product; if you select an expedited shipping, they will provide you with a tracking number.

My order was posted immediately, and Revolve has been the fastest and most competent shipper to the date.

I did not use their online chat, but I contacted their Customer Service by email to discuss a few issues about my order, and the girl who replied was not only very clear, specific, and honest about all of my questions, but also very nice and fast to reply to my queries.

On the downs, I think some of the photos somewhat beautify or give the wrong impression about the texture or quality of the product. For example, the wallet I ordered looks the same in person, but the leather is not as shiny and fine as in the photo. This can be expected, but I think the lighting of the photos needs to be more realistic.

Shopping with RC is most recommended. And I will certainly use their services in the future, as many of the products they offer cannot be found in Australia. Even if they can be found, they are far more expensive. The fact that you don't pay any shipping fees for items over 100 is most convenient, as, otherwise, the item becomes too expensive and I would not buy it.

Oroton Luxury Accesories (Online Shop , Australia)


Oroton is a luxury clothing and accessories Australian brand especially known for its bags, wallets and jewellery, for both men and women.

I bought a big umbrella for half the retail price from them, which has proven to resist the nasty Perth winds and heavy rains and survive more than a year.

The online shop has a clean and easy to use website, well structured, that offers most of the stock the company has, from the newest to sales or temporarily discounts and promotions.

The browsing and ordering from Oroton is very easy. The only thing that bothered me was the fact that the shipping fees were not mentioned until the last page in the check out. To be fair, they are mentioned in the Customer Service page, but I would rather have them clearly marked beside the price of the item, so I know exactly how much I'm going to spend. This is specially important for small items, whose price, if added to the shipping fees, could not be that convenient after all.

The products are sent via the Australian Post Office, a system that I quite like, but the delivery takes, if standard, a little over a week. Which is not that good if we take into account that a parcel from the Easter to the Western Estates usually take 2 working days. I think they need to update their online shopping site, so the order goes directly to the shipping store, and the item can be immediately dispatched after receiving the order.

On the other hand, Oroton products are quite pricey and they should wave shipping fees for items over 100 dollars as a standard practice. I mean, if you pay 700 dollars for a bag, they should be willing to lose 24 dollars in shipping fees to make you happy. Don't you reckon? To be fair, they wave the shipping fees at times, during occasional promotion periods, but it is not a standard practice and it is on purchases over $200.

Having said this, watch out for the sales and discounts, as you can get classic very good quality items half price at times when the same product is fully priced at the Oroton Shops and Oroton franchises in the big stores.

My experience with Oroton online was very good, and I recommend them. Stay tuned for the sales, as their products can be extremely expensive and very good quality, and you could get them at a fraction of the price if you keep an eye on the website.