1940s black straw hat with yellow flowers: A Vintage Affair in Calgary, AB
White faux pearl stud earrings: Claire's or eBay
Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from Tony ♥
Black thin knit cropped cardigan: Fairweather
1940s/1950s red and Swiss dot dress: (probably) eBay
Thatched Roof Cottage Box Bag, Cosmetic Bag, and Coin Purse: c/o Vendula London
Faux pearl stretch bracelets: Real Canadian Superstore
1940s/50s light yellow gloves: Unknown, had for years (possibly eBay)
1940s/50s style black faux leather wedge sandals: Walmart
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red
Photography by Tony Cangiano
♥ ♥ ♥
Vendula London is one of those stellar British brands that I have swooned, drooled, and squealed over for quite some time now, but which I hadn't yet be able to add anything from their offerings to my closet. Not, that is, until a little earlier this year when the fabulous folks there contacted me to see if I'd be interested in receiving the Vendula London handbag of my choice to share here with all of you.
I said yes so fast my head nearly spun completely around and proceeded to pour over Vendula London's many pages of truly awesome, whimsical, well made handbags, makeup pouches, wallets, and a wide range of similar products, with their purses coming in a bevy of appealing styles of both the classic and modern variety, to make my selection.
I would gleefully carry/use any of Vendula's beautiful, creative offerings, so nailing down my choice was no easy feat. Ultimately, being a massive lifelong anglophile, I opted for the fabulously fun Thatched Roof Cottage Box Bag, which instantly calls to mind traditional Tudor style British homes and buildings. The company then very generously provided me with the matching Cosmetics Bag and kiss lock Coin Purse as well, giving me an instant trio of some of the loveliest bags I've ever had the joy of owning.
The first thing that one notices with a Vendula London product is how artistic and head-turningly pretty they are. These bags are not only creative and attractive, but every attention has been paid to the detailing involved with each piece as well. From wonderful printed fabric linings to designs on both sides of the bag (not just the front) to the sturdy construction and vibrant colours, these are excellent purses, wallets and accessories that work a treat for both vintage and modern outfits alike.
I am smitten with my adorable Thatched Cottage set and have been using all three of the bags frequently this summer. Each is roomy, made of durable faux leather, and in the case of the makeup and coin bags, able to do double duty as a clutch as well. Love that!!!
If you're located in Canada or the US and would like to save when you shop from Vendula London yourself. They have very kindly provided my readers with the following coupon code, which will provide you with free shipping on all orders over $150.00: FDUS
Pulling strongly on colours in this elegantly pretty set, I opted for both an outfit and a photo shoot location (the local public rose garden) that featured many of the same hues used in these fantastic bags.
I love, and have owned, this fabulous 1940s/50s red Swiss dot dress for years, but haven't posted it here yet. It's sweetness seemed to match that of Vendula's Cottage bags wonderfully and so out of the closet it came to make its blog debut. My only wee issue with this enchantingly sweet dress is that its built-in tulle under layer + softly pleated fabric from the waist downward can make me look wider in the hips than I actually am, but using the matching belt and opting for a cropped cardigan (or bolero, blazer, etc) can help cut down on that, I find.
As there are hits of both black and yellow in the purse, I reached for such with my accessories as well, finishing the look off with classic pearl jewelry, for an ensemble that makes me think of Alice in Wonderland for some reason. It must be the delightfully charming Vendula bags coupled with the full skirted dress and summertime rose garden setting.
I truly love my new Vendula London bags and want to sincerely thank the company for sending them to me. They've got a fan, and future customer, in me (big time!) and I know that I will use all three of these whimsical, gorgeous bags for many years to come.
Who knows, perhaps I’ll even take them with me if I should ever have the good fortune of visiting their home country of England some distant day (an anglophile vintage fashionista can always dream!).
Wow! Those bags are so adorable! :D
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, sweet dear. Agreed - big time! They're off-the-charts cute!!! I'm going to be working with Vendula London for a second product review outfit post a little later this year and can't wait to highlight that bag, which is equally cute in my opinion, here as well.
DeleteBig hugs & happy last week of summer wishes,
♥ Jessica
I don't even like purses--but those, I can tell, are very special purses indeed! I've never seen anything like them before!
ReplyDeleteThey really are enchantingly special, I agree. Vendula London has a whole slew of similar building/shop bags that truly tiny works of (very well made) portable art unto themselves.
DeleteHave a splendid last week of summer, dear gal!
♥ Jessica
Oh my, your outfit is simply brilliant. I love the way your curls are cascading over your shoulders and framing your gorgeous face.
ReplyDeleteThe bag (oh this is to die for) does complement the dress very nicely, and vice versa. I'm so glad you decided to debut the dress for us all to see.
xx
What a wonderfully lovely comment, sweet Hollie. Thank you so much!!! Even if it does make me look a bit hippy at times, I'm very glad I debuted it, too. I thinking a Christmas season, Valentine's Day, or Canada Day outfit would a very logical choice for it's next appearance.
DeleteBig hugs,
♥ Jessica
Ohhh I loove those cottage bags!! such a great set! <3
ReplyDeleteAren't they though? I can't recall the last time I saw (let alone owned) so much adorable whimsy in such a small item. :)
DeleteBig hugs & fabulous Friday wishes,
♥ Jessica
My goodness, Jessica! I can't imagine creating a prettier outfit to showcase these amazingly cute bags than what you've put together here. The dress, the hat, everything. Your outfit-photos are the best. You're livin' the dream -- at least, MY dream!
ReplyDelete*Blush!* Thank you very much, dear Ally, that is seriously high praise and a wonderfully touching compliment. Please feel free to live vicariously through my blog posts anytime. :)
DeleteHave a stellar last weekend of summer,
♥ Jessica
Oh my, roses, British style, and a purse that looks like an adorable Tudor-style house? That sounds right up my alley. You look lovely, as always, my dear.
ReplyDeleteThat is most certainly does and goodness is the anglophile - and the historian - in me madly in love with it. I hope that Vendula London puts out more (different) house styles as time goes on. One never realizes how well a house themed bag works in their vintage wardrobe until they own such a purse. :)
DeleteTons of hugs & happy weekend wishes,
♥ Jessica
Those are darling! In relation to your Alice in Wonderland comment, the bags instantly reminded me a bit of how I picture the White Rabbit's house!
ReplyDeleteCompletely!!! Very good observation, sweet dear. I'm happy to see I'm not the only one that picked up an Alice-y vibe from these images. :)
DeleteOodles of hugs & joyful weekend wishes,
♥ Jessica
I love the hat (adorable!) and the dress. The supercute bags are the perfect match for your terrific outfit!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, sweet Doris! Those bags really do epitomize the definition of wardrobe cuteness, yet don't cross, IMO, into twee territory. That can be a hard balance to hit, especially with garments that those over the age of say 20 or 25 might be sporting, but I feel like Vendula London has done just that and knocked it out of the ballpark in the process. I will happily keep using all these of these beautiful bags for as long as they last me, no matter how old I get.
DeleteTons of hugs & fabulous Friday wishes,
♥ Jessica
I have never heard of this brand, but boy have I found a new favorite purse line:) I in totally in love with your purse as it is like carrying a piece of England with you...absolutely charming!
ReplyDelete-Madison
www.minniemuse.blogspot.com
That's a great way to describe what toting one of these awesomely cute bags around is like, dear gal. Thank you very much for your absolutely lovely comment!
DeleteTons of hugs & joyful weekend wishes,
♥ Jessica
That outfit is perfect, right down to the lemon gloves. As for those bags, I love them! So cute and quirky but now I am so desperate for one x
ReplyDeleteI wish I could wave a magic wand and have everything on Vendula London's website fall into my closet. Their offerings are so cute, so well made, and so usable, by which I mean they're well sized and don't just look pretty, but are very durable, too. They're a bit of an investment for many of us on this side of the pond, but I would have no qualms with buying from them now that I know what great quality their offerings are.
DeleteBig hugs & many thanks for your wonderfully nice comment,
♥ Jessica
I know it's about the bag, but I really, really love your dress! Beautiful! And red looks so good on you!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, lovely Liz! I can't believe I've had this dress for several years now and have never once worn it on camera, despite the frequency with which I sport crimson shades. I could very easily see its next (blog) appearance being as part of a holiday ensemble, particularly one for Christmas, Valentine's, or Canada Day.
DeleteTons of hugs & happy weekend wishes,
♥ Jessica
Gorgeous purse.....and a beautiful outfit to match!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, sweet lady! Aren't those bags oodles of fun? I love that this is a brand that is so committed to keeping whimsy alive in the fashion world, while not sacrificing on quality in the process.
DeleteBig hugs & joyful weekend wishes,
♥ Jessica
The bags are super adorable, the way the top looks like dark thatch is too great! I love the classic combination of black and red in this outfit, and especially like your hat with those little flowers peeking over your head. So cute! Wherever you are for these photos looks like such a pretty spot with the hills in the background too :)
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, sweet dear! Isn't that hat darling? It was one of my favourite finds from our trip to Alberta two years ago (gosh, wow, how time flies!) and is a hat a wear quite frequently, especially during the warmer months (colour wise it suits fall and winter well, too, but I wouldn't want to risk having it rained or snowed on, as it's covered with crepe tyle fabric and I could see that potentially damaging it).
DeleteThese photos were shot at the lovely local public rose garden here in town. It's right beside (to the left) Okanagan Lake and is one of my favourite spots to visit during the sunny months.
Oodles of hugs & happy summer wishes,
♥ Jessica
I so nearly picked this one and now you're making me wish I had :) beautiful bag worn by a beautiful lady! I love how you've paired it with such a bright dress. Red always looks so fabulous on you. You'd fit right in wandering around one of our little Tudor towns (we still have places with lots of these buildings collectively) x
ReplyDeleteYou're so fabulously kind, dear CiCi, thank you very much across the board. I so want to visit a little Tudor town one day. The closet you'll find here (Canada being such a new country in terms of European settlement) is the occasional Tudor style main street or building in a Canadian town that's going for a charming, old world-y feel (interestingly enough, there are actually some of those in tiny nearby town of Summerland and they look especially pretty when done up in Christmas lights and decorations each December).
DeleteTons of hugs & happy last weekend of summer wishes,
♥ Jessica
SO CUTE!!!! I love your purse and this red dress is just gorgeous!!! I LOVE RED!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSame here!!! It's an amazing, vibrant, utterly gorgeous colour that never fails to make an outfit standout all the more. I think it looks awesome on you, too, dear Laurence and always enjoy seeing when you incorporate it into an outfit.
DeleteBig hugs & many happy last weekend of summer wishes to you and Sylvain,
♥ Jessica
supercute bags!!! and a wonderful outfit!!! that dress looks fantastic on you! the cut - the color - that tiny dots!!! soooo jessica! and hoe cool that you found the matching roses!!!!
ReplyDeletetons of hugs for you my dear!!!
xxxxxxx
Aww, thank you very much, darling Beate! Aren't the teeny, tiny dots precious? I love Swiss dots so much. They're an instantly vintage looking pattern to me in just about any context.
DeleteTons of thanks again & countless hugs for this last weekend of summer,
♥ Jessica
Those bags look such wonderful quality! Sometimes novelty bags often suffer from being made of cheap materials, but the quality shines through beautifully on these. I love your outfit with them!
ReplyDeleteThey really are!!! I've owned a few other novelty bags over the years and rarely got more than a year or two of gentle use out of them before they started giving up the ghost. I don't sense that at all here and suspect I'll have these beauties for ages - which is a great thing, because I love them massively!
DeleteOodles of hugs & happy end of summer wishes,
♥ Jessica
It's so sweet! I want that bag so much! I loved it and you look gorgeous!!! I loved your dress, I guess that by now you know I loved red, but yes, I must say that the star of the outfit is this sweet amazing bag! And guess what, I am heading to the site to try to get one :) Thank you for sharing that, dear Jessica, you are always so beautiful, so exquisite! Hope you have a lovely weekend! Hugs and kisses!
ReplyDeleteDenisesPlanet.com
Thank yo very much, sweet dear! Oooohh, I can't wait to see which Vendula London bag you pick up. They're all amazing and I know that you're style yours absolutely gorgeously, too.
DeleteHuge hugs & happy weekend wishes,
♥ Jessica
Those bags are so adorable! Plus, I love the way your outfit perfectly compliments the colors on the bags. So cute!
ReplyDeleteOne of the cutest purses that I have ever seen! Love them so much!!
ReplyDeleteJessica, you look lovely! The flowers are beautiful and the purse, well, you know I am a purse lover. I absolutely love whimsical handbags. You are so lucky to have all three pieces! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, sweet April. That I am for sure and I love that they show every sign of being able to hold up for many years of wear/usage. So often with purses, be they novelty style or more conventional looking, that is just not the case these days at all unless one spends a small fortune (and even then...). I'm delighted to know you enjoyed this post, my fellow handbag lover.
DeleteBig hugs & happy weekend wishes,
♥ Jessica
I've been dipping in and out of your blog ever since you featured one of my sister's hats but I haven't commented before. Just had to say that these bags are gorgeous and you have a real skill at putting together the perfect outfit to complement these special pieces.
ReplyDeleteThat is tremendously kind of you to say, Rhiannon. Thank you so very much! I'm touched that you started visiting my blog after I featured one of your sister's hats here. Is your sister per chance Tanith Rowan?
DeleteMany thanks again & have a marvelous weekend!
♥ Jessica
Yes, she is!
DeleteI don't wear as much vintage as she does but I still have the interest.
How wonderful! Your sister's work is incredibly lovely. She has talent in spades and I feel genuinely honoured to own some of her breathtakingly beautiful hats.
DeleteA big hello to you both from Canada!
♥ Jessica
Love this outfit. A someone who has been an Anglophile her entire life, I love these purses. I love everything with little houses on it; probably why my dream is to live in a cottage one day
ReplyDeleteLiving in a cottage or a cabin would be a dream come true for me as well. A cabin is more realistic here in Canada and goodness do I hope it can happen one day. If not, I'll happily take a Victorian abode instead. Either would make me over the moon happy! :)
DeleteBig hugs & happy weekend wishes,
♥ Jessica
Those bags are adorable! I love your outfit too, it really compliments these unique pieces so well! x
ReplyDeleteThank you so very much, sweet dear! Isn't that dress charming? Other than that I think it makes me look a bit hippy, I seriously love it and am rather surprised it took me so many years to debut here on the ol' blog.
DeleteOodles of hugs & fabulous Friday wishes,
♥ Jessica
I have seen several bags with similar "house" styles as these but this is the best ones yet and they have so much more detail than the ones I have seen! Love them!
ReplyDeleteAnd that dress is so beautiful as well!
Thank you very much, sweet lady. It really is at the top of its game in that field, I totally agree.
DeleteWishing you a fantastic weekend!
♥ Jessica
Wow such a cute bag! You look beautiful as always.
ReplyDeleteYou're the sweetest, dear gal. Thank you so much - consider my day more than made and my heart touched.
DeleteTons of hugs,
♥ Jessica
I am bags and purse obsessed! These are so much fun!
ReplyDeletehttp://inkandlacedesigns.blogspot.com.au/
What a ridiculously adorable bag! And I was looking at it all the way down, thinking "but it looks like leather" and it is faux! What good news :)
ReplyDeleteAnd your outfit is just a perfect match to the cute little house bag. You really do look wonderful in that style of hat!
Thank you so much, my sweet friend - on all points. Isn't that hat darling? It was, by far, one of my favourite finds from our marvelous trip to Alberta a couple of years ago. The flowers under the brim slay me with their sweetness every time.
DeleteHuge hugs & happy weekend wishes!
♥ Jessica
What a cute purse set!
ReplyDeleteBut ... I am so curious about the hat! I really had the feeling, I need to walk around you to look at it from the back ... Sadly I wasn't able to enter one of the photos ... ;)
Thank you very much, lovely lady. I will try to remember to get Tony to take some snaps of this darling 40s hat from the back next time I wear it here. This is the second time it's appeared on my blog and I just went back to check the other post from last year in case there was a snap of the back, but there wasn't.
DeleteI hope that you're doing well and having a lovely tail end of summer, my friend.
Big hugs,
♥ Jessica
Such a charming idea for this collection. I'm particularly partial to anything with a quintessential English feel, but I'm must be biased as that's my home!
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of such things as well. The timelessness and beauty of traditional English design speaks to my soul and will always be a firm favourite.
DeleteTons of hugs & happy weekend wishes,
♥ Jessica
WOW Jessica, the bag is not only beautiful but very distinctive, its like nothing I have seen before.
ReplyDeleteIt really is strikingly unique and wonderfully pretty! I've seen a few quasi-similar house themed bags over the years, but none this detailed, well made or vintage appropriate.
DeleteTons of hugs & joyful weekend wishes,
♥ Jessica
Stunning! Always with a friendly and beautiful smile :) Love your hair <3
ReplyDeleteHave a nice week!
Muahs,
Nar*
You're the sweetest, honey. Thank you very much across the board!
DeleteTons of hugs & happy wishes for this new week,
♥ Jessica
Wow, Jess. What a fabulous gift. It reminds me of a play farm from my childhood, do put a few small plastic cows and pigs in it for fun. :) I went to their site, which I shouldn't have, because now I am hopelessly in love with perfumery box bag. I have to tell DH that I want this for my birthday, but he doesn't always listen, and he gave me a brand new winter car in May, so I don't think I deserve more, sigh. Your dress is sooo lovely, and please dear, stop complaining about it making your hips fuller. I didn't notice at all and you are such a lovely little petite fairy. Tell Tony that he, again, have done a fabulous job with this photoseries. I love that you have mixed in photos of the roses, and I really love the light in the photos. Wishing you both a lovely day. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're the sweetest. dear Sanne. Thank you! I know, eh - we notice these little things about ourselves that 99% of others would never see - or at least say anything about if they did - and feel like we need to point them out for own well being. The more self-conscious we are, the more we do so, and I've always been quite self-conscious, so sometimes I just have to see little things like that. I find I do so less and less the older I get though, which is good - more we can just love and accept ourselves in the moment without any qualifiers, the better.
DeleteOoohh, the perfumery bag is marvelous!!! All of Vendula's offerings are, IMO. I especially love their shops/houses and seasonal offerings.
A car is a big, amazing gift for sure, but I think that you definitely deserve a present to open on your birthday - everyone does, especially when they're a good, caring, beautiful soul like you. Drop hints and hopefully he'll pick up on them. :)
Tons of hugs & happy start of autumn wishes,
♥ Jessica
These are amazing! I love novelty purses so these are right up my alley. Thanks for reviewing them - this brand is completely new to me.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome, sweet lady! I'm delighted to have been able to introduce you Vendula London. I'm smitten with their offerings and really looking forward to featuring another (different) item from them here later this year.
DeleteBig hugs & happy Friday wishes,
♥ Jessica
You look so sweetly darling in that gorgeous Swiss dot dress! It really is lovely, and you're right ~ the perfect ensemble to showcase that fabulous bag set! How perfectly cute they are! I just love the little mini roses, the amount of detail on them is so great. ❤
ReplyDeletexox,
bonita of Lavender & Twill
It really is!!! This brand is - to use a modern term - so on point when it comes to the attention to detail that they put into their pieces. Not only do they look great, but they're really, really well made, too - right down to the lovely printed fabric linings. It's refreshing to encounter a modern handbag brand that I'm this impressed by.
DeleteTons of hugs & happy Friday/weekend wishes!
♥ Jessica
This red dress really suits you, it looks so lovely. The bags are great fun. I do like to see a thatched cottage, they are so gorgeous. I have a vintage embroidery of a thatched cottage set in a traditional English country garden, it is very pretty!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds absolutely lovely! You're so lucky to live in a country that is still peppered with Tudor buildings, thatched cottages and other homes that replicate this look. You will find the occasional building here that channels that look, but they're always centuries newer than the real deal and usually from the last 50 years or so actually (at least in Western Canada, which is one of the newest parts of our young nation).
DeleteI hope that you're doing well and having a splendid start of autumn, my dear friend.
Big hugs,
♥ Jessica