Nothing A Little Green Bag Can't Fix

Is a lime green pouch the truest neutral? NOT NO!

Thank you to Tory Burch for sponsoring today’s send! All thoughts and outfit ideas, my own.

We’ve discussed the power of the off thing many times in this newsletter. We’ve added an anchovy. We’ve discussed the fun little bags for in your bags. We’ve winterized summer clothes and put socks with sandals. And many times, you’ve seen me carrying a little random green pouch. It’s the bag that I just can’t quit.

It was purchased at a sample sale for The Row, a simple little bag liner that I bought without its respective outer tote. It has since proven to be my most essential accessory and by this point…looks as such. Frayed and stained and extremely well loved. I’ve spent years looking for her replacement, shocked that no one has offered up an alternate. Until now…

When Tory Burch sent me images of their upcoming “BonBon” collaboration (out now, yum!) I almost fell out of my chair. There nestled amongst the candy themed keychains and pastel sandals I saw a little gummy green nylon pouch as part of the lineup. Had someone finally done it!?

The lime (brat??) green mini bag with a Caron Callahan sweater (gone in the yellow at this point but the blue is delicious too!) Tory Burch skirt and Jamie Haller ballerinas (for this color try these)

Of course this is not identical to my original pouch - it’s an update. It has a shoulder strap (not mad!) and it is nylon instead of delicate duchess satin (better for wiping off.) Yet her new embodiment is perfectly suited to the original task at hand.

And there are many mighty tasks for the little green bag. It’s the crucial element in dressing down an outfit when you are nervous about being too dressed. For example, I wore it to dinner on my birthday with a sequined cardigan and harem pants to a restaurant that I had never been to downtown …would I be overdressed? Nothing a little green bag can’t take care of!

It provides breathing room for all your/our leather (you know leather bag on leather jacket is nails on a chalkboard to me!!!!!!) It makes your knock around chinos feel funky! And as always, it’s the perfect fodder to help your statement pieces feel a little less statement-y.

It is highly visible in your laptop bag when throwing it all in for a long day of office to event with subway rides, a grab and go lunch pick up and many “just running out for a call” moments in between.

And the team at Tory showered us with not one but TWO little green bags this season. The nylon pouch aforementioned and a sparkly sack that looks almost edible. I am using them both throughout today to prove my color point. But really…they’re interchangeable so choose your own dessert.

The sparkly sack with old white cutoff chinos (a good alt!) and a Tory Burch knit shell with trompe l'oeil stitching. She is item No.2 this week. A.Emery flip flops. Chan Luu seed pearls - this gets the look.

The knit shell above is item No.2 this week. The fabric is so breezy and the cut slightly roomy - meaning the bikini stitching feels cheeky rather than gauche. I’ve been wearing her layered over slipdresses (which you will see below) and simply on her own with skirts, jeans and chinos. A fun non-t-shirt for the season to come.

The sparkly pouch (She has short and long delicate chain straps and no logo!) with a more is more outfit. It kind of all cancels each other out…a challenge I am constantly working on. The stripe shell is vintage (this or this could do the trick!), Dries van Noten pants, Emme Parsons sandals.

The nylon pouch with a Tory Burch tank (pin included!!!!), Cordera skirt, Delarge sunglasses, patent ballerinas and an old Aurelie Bidermann shark tooth necklace (not real!) How about this one??

Item No.3 this week is this black tank with flower brooch (which also comes in white with yellow - don’t make me choose!) The tank is a great shape, easy to wear and layer, fine fine…but the pin is remarkable. It is a perfect little sunburst without being too too. I have often tried wearing flower pins and almost always take them off before leaving the house feeling too overwhelmed by statement. But this one lays pretty flat, and the wrinkly petals feel unfussy. Pairing it with a casual top feels not so hard. And look what fantastic fodder it is for my GREEN BAG!!!

The tank as a layer with the Valentino jacket of all jackets (had to take her on one last spin), drawstring khakis (old Caron Callahans but try these?), A.Emery sandals, Tory Burch sunnies and the green sparkle pouch.

For a formal summer affair! The pin (obviously it is removable from the tank) on a striped blazer by Veronica de Piante, an Organic by John Patrick slipdress, Tory Burch peep toe pumps and the nylon pouch to summerize the whole cocktail shindig.

A detail of this pin. Don’t you just love her!? Kind of feels like you’re getting the tank for free, LOL.

The pin on a t-shirt! It’s scale! It’s color! And then pair it back to a mishmash of summer fun. I love this outfit. The nylon pouch doesn’t even pop with all of this excitement, just blends right in. The pin on an Auralee men’s t-shirt (so many good ones here) with a Tory skirt, sunnies and sandals (Item No.4).

Tory piece No.4 this week - the “Sublime” flip flop - is not going to be for everyone. But boy are they for me. I have worn these to: a family carnival for my kid’s school. A work dinner. Bus stop drop off. A lunch meeting with an old colleague. A birthday party. I also will wear them with swim adjacent everything this summer. They’re super weird. But somehow go with…a lot? This one might be beyond explanation. Just lean in!!!!

The green pouch with a Tory Burch cardigan and knit shell (No.2), old CDG slipdress (more polka dots this way!) Tory Burch flip flops (No.4) and sunnies. Shot on Memorial Day on my way to get waffles and chicken fingers with my son…oh to be 5!

But actually, they’re a lot more comfortable than a lot of my other fashion flip flops. They have a thick soft strap and they’re fastened on a walkable little wedge. A smoother stroll than my jellies or slim leather strappy sandals, that’s for sure! I took a size 7 to make sure they felt snug, I’m usually an 8 but with a narrow foot. Do what you will with that.

Here she is as a crossbody with jeans and a t-shirt - ready for you to use both hands when catching your child’s ice cream cone dripping from both bottom and top all summer! Hanes x Redone t-shirt (my absolute favorite tee of late, perfectly washed out for that summer feeling, without being, god forbid, “burn out”! Wearing a medium), B Sides jeans, Raybans, The Row sandals…but K.Jacques, please.

Or when you need your kid to stop playing with the walkie talkie and get across the street before the light turns red. This time the pouch is styled (also hands free) with item No.5 -a photo printed bumble bee button down. Junya Watanabe x Levis jeans (this, two sizes up will do the trick!), Emme Parsons flip flops, Tory sunglasses

And since we are fully in the era (and season) of wearing our shirts as cardigans and the silk shirt has replaced the going out top, item No.5 is this shiny, strange pollen bomb, photo printed button down. It has exaggerated cuffs and is a slippery, satiny material. The photo print is spicy, but also…kind of hard to decipher in a good way. And she just…kind of like a green bag…goes with a lot!

The green nylon bag, buzzing button down (No.5) with…funnily enough the Aflalo genie pants that I got to replace my original TORY pants that sadly are too tight for me now, I guess stress was good for something :) But it always comes back to Tory, no?? Wore this outfit to dinner the other night. It was perfect. (Shoes are The Row)

Here it is on said dinner date, with more jewelry!! I’m really trying to embrace jewelry lately…can you tell? It’s so hard!

It also works as summer flair for all those “never color” types. But I bet I convinced even you that a little green bag is not an extra but the world’s ONLY TRUE NEUTRAL!

Time for me and my green bag(s) to head out for our Sunday.

Yours TRULY,

Becky

P.S. she’s also great with khakis…

A perfect outfit for 68 and sunny? Dare I say, yes! Tory shirt, bag and sandals. Matteau pants (size 2!)