Thank you, Fashionista.com for offering this keen style advice. Pretty much no matter what kind of bag you’re carrying – whether it’s clutch or cross-body – if you want to look like a fashion editor, just carry it like it’s a football.
Shop for your next bag here.
Do you think of yourself as a doyenne of fashion? Perhaps, a doyenne of Chanel? Portero wants to help you dress the part. Along with SheFinds and Joyus, we’re giving away this stunning Chanel Black Metallic Leather 2.55 Reissue 228 Jumbo Flap Bag. You can enter here before Friday, April 5.
In case you’re a doyenne-in-training, here’s the scoop on this classic Chanel handbag:
The lock: It’s the original Chanel bag lock (before those interlocking CCs). Known as the Mademoiselle lock because Coco Chanel never married and became a madame.
The 2.55 name: The famous numerals come from the date of the bag’s original release in February 1955 as in 2/55.
The interior: A burgundy lining that echoes the orphans uniforms.
The chain: The double chain strap refers to Coco’s orphanage roots, where her caretakers would dangle their keys from similar chains.
The zippered compartment: Every Mademoiselle needs a place to stash her love letters.
The 228: Refers to the size. This is a very rare extra large Jumbo. The ranges is from 224 to 228.
Sure, you can shop thousands of items on Portero every day. Sure, you still need to check new arrivals daily to be the first to snatch up one-of-a-kind items. Sure, . However, we’re such fans of MyHabit that we’re extra excited to have a three-day sale on their site featuring a curated set from their collections.
And we’re honored that they got to know Elizabeth Bernstein, our director of handbags, with a list of her personal favorite things (a vintage Rolex, a Céline bag and an Hermès Kelly) and filmed a 30-second wow-video with her about buying authentic vintage luxury goods. Our favorite topic.
This Santos de Cartier watch might possibly be our favorite watch design. So much so that we borrowed the wrist of an office mate to show that it looks amazing on men (above) and women (below, on Tracey, our in-house watch and jewelry authority).
A watch this classic is truly timeless. In this case, the Santos is already more than 100 years old. It was originally designed in 1904 by Louis Cartier in honor of Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos Dumont so that the pilot could tell time while he was flying. It’s easily recognizable for its rounded dial and the exposed screws.
Shop all Cartier Santos watches here.
Over the weekend, Jessica Simpson demonstrated a style tradition for pregnant women – conceal the bump with a Hermès bag. In this case, it's a classic orange Birkin. Click through for some history of this bag and belly tradition. 
Grace Kelly originally carried the classic Hermès bag to conceal her pregnancy. The bag was later dubbed the Kelly, in her honor.
Kim Kardashian took her Birkin to the gym, but doesn't seem to be worried about hiding her bump. 
Beyonce carried a Kelly during her pregnancy. Love the shoulder strap and we think Grace Kelly would have too. 
Molly Sims flaunted her baby bump and her baby blue Birkin during her pregnancy. We should have guessed she was having a boy.
Great love stories often have one simple thing signifying the relationship – a ring.
In the case of Napoleon Bonaparte and his wife Josephine, that ring is a stunning pairing of a tear-shaped sapphire and diamond, each approximately one carat set into a gold band. It will be up for auction at the Osenat auction house in France on March 24.
What a love story it represents. The two were engaged two weeks after they met in 1796 and were crowned Emperor and Empress of the French in 1804. In 1810, they divorced because her infertility prevented her from providing an heir. However, their separation included declarations of devotion to each other. Their story didn’t end there as Napoleon uttered Josephine as his final word.
Romantic! And that ring, like all estate jewelry, tells quite a story.
The ankle boot has become a year-round fashion essential, so this week our bags expert is putting her best foot first with these Christian Louboutin black suede and leather studded ankle boots.
“Chic Loub booties in black suede, with the perfect touch of rock n’ roll, as Christian does best,” said Elizabeth Bernstein. Indeed.
They’re also a good investment (at more than 50 percent off at that) for those planning a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of New York’s Costume Institute spring exhibition, this year showcasing punk.
If you’re going to lose an hour this weekend, why not do it in style? We’ve been obsessing on Pinterest about chic combination of Rolex watches and bracelets, so we’re adding one more. This one is a vintage Rolex stainless steel oyster Perpetual Datejust automatic watch from 1971. It’s technically a men’s watch, we love making it feminized with a single bangle and showing that you don’t need to save your Rolex for special occasions.
You might want to check out more of Tracey’s ideas on how to mix up your arm candy here.
This week brought two major news stories about the world of counterfeiting – reinforcing our dedication to bringing Portero shoppers only the real deal.
Here’s the latest:
• Major crackdown in Los Angeles: Earlier this week, authorities seized 1,500 counterfeit Hermes Birkins worth $14.1 million in Los Angeles. Yes, counterfeits are a crime and in France, you could be jailed for carrying one. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency, importing counterfeits was up 142% in 2012 over 2011. Please note: Birkins are not ever made in China.
• A new anti-counterfeiting website launch (pictured above): To try to quell some of the demand for all of those fakes, look to Designfauxreal.com. It looks like a retail website, but there’s nothing actually for sale. However, browsing is encouraged. According to Women’s Wear Daily, the site was created to educate potential buyers of “fakes” about the reality of the business. It’s funded by a the non-profit International Counterfeiting Coalition but it also provides some entertainment value. For example, a replica Kate Spade Wallet comes with the product description of “Temporarily attached fake logos and unlikely to be leather trim!” And the not-so-hidden message: “When you give your information to sites like this, you could be giving them your life savings, your personal identity and your financial future. Made in a counterfeit factory by child-laborers. 100% of proceeds go to criminals, possibly even terrorists.”
