You know those two famous interlocking Cs in fashion? Particularly on some very stylish handbags? When I was five years old, I thought they stood for Catherine, my name. I learned two lessons from my Papa that day: that the world did not revolve around me, and that there is only one C in Catherine.
Well, I was still sure that that bag with two Cs on it was still meant for me, but I accepted that I would have to find another C, somehow.
Turns out you can do that easily enough, either through a legal name change, or by getting married. I chose the latter route, and one day realised that my initials are now, indeed, CC.
Sadly, my days of having lots of expendable money for my fashion whims were always modest to begin with, but now they are definitely on pause with two littles, and I’m OK with that. The dream is still there, though, and so when I saw this cute little quilted number at La Maison Simons, I knew this was a way to indulge my fashion longings with restraint. Made in Italy with genuine leather, this is one smart bag indeed! Simons has it categorised as an evening bag, but why debut this beauty only at night?
Boden –via Thredup– cotton ponte dress (2023)
Sorry for the streaky mirror and messy hair, but I’ve decided I don’t want perfect photos. I’m going to eschew AI, and use filters with the purpose of better showing the actual lighting/colouration. No major editing here! So if you want a corner of the internet that is actually 2016 in 2026, watch this space! 😉
There’s discussion from a few customers that the interior of the bag could have been better quality. I find the fabric beautiful (like a soft pinkish-beige –very lightly hued!) but I see what they mean. The zipper pull looks a bit oxidised, but it could just be the look. Also, there is a tag that shows the fabric content, and I wish it had been made out of fabric instead of “rippable tag material”, perhaps with the Simons logo embroidered on it; these little details could really have helped make the bag feel even more luxe.
I also see a lot of reviews saying that it is rather tinier than expected, and with my iphone 14, there is just a bit of margin length-wise, so I understand what they are saying, but again, Simons does categorise this as an evening bag, so with that context, the sizing is actually quite roomy. I can still fit a chunky wallet, keys, mirror, comb, lipstick, etc. I might do a video, if anyone would be interested in seeing how much (or how little) this can fit!
While this blog is mostly about the happy moments in my life, and finding darling treasures, I hope you are all going into 2026 with courage and kindness… with the way things are in this world, I really am trying to be intentional about showing up with those two ideals in mind. Let’s change our own corners of the world for the better!
