Alex Davies
Easy Elevated Everyday Style
What if walking up to your closet filled you with creative possibility instead of that "ugh" feeling? I want to help you make clothes a source of inspiration and a way to embrace your body every day.
My Go To Summer Accessory
My #1 Hack for European Summer Outfits
My Soame Paris Fishnet Bag
I found this brand on the Choose App. Each bag is handmade in Morocco and retails for between $80-150.
Whether it's a grass Market Tote or a wicker Birken Bag, nothing puts the stamp of summer on an outfit like a straw bag. If you want to add a little French flair or European cottage style to your summer outfits, this is my #1 accessory to add to your summer closet.
And the great news is you don't have to drop $500 on a designer version. I've found some of my favorite straw totes for $5 at Goodwill or $65 at the farmer's market. (Honestly, I love the story behind these found treasures the most!) Here's a little tour of my collection and how each piece joined my closet.
Note: I usually don't list out prices because everyone is different and has their own scale of what is a budget and what is a major splurge. But I wanted to talk about the pricing today just so you could see how you can shop this trend on any budget - though you might have to be patient to wait on the right thrift store treasure.
A New Summer Style from Paris 64 - the Oh La La Basket Bag
This was gifted by the brand and is definitely the highest end of my basket tote collection (retailing at $360). It comes in three leather colors and has fun details like the removable shoulder strap and lining.
I picked this mini African basket up at a the Long Beach Antique Market. I think it was $15 but I bargained down to $10 as part of a bulk purchase of some mudcloth. I picked it out for an Easter Basket but then loved it so much, I started carrying it as a mini purse. This is the same size available on Amazon.
Hands down my most grabbed bag since I purchased it at end of last summer from Abby Alley. I love the perfect size and lightweight packability of this sisal grass tote not to mention the adorable checker weave. Handmade by artisans in Kenya, Abby just leaked to her email list that this checker pattern is about to restock! It comes in a lovely chocolate, black and natural tan, too, for $115. You can use my code: ALEX15 for 15% off your first order at AbbyAlley.com.
Round Basket
Another endcap thrift store score, this cutie cost $7. I've found similar bags on
Etsy.
This little rectangular tote is my favorite to grab when I'm headed to book club or the library or packing my laptop for work. It has a nice amount of structure, and retails for $90.
This was another $5 Goodwill find if you can believe it. Definitely keep your eyes peeled in the basket section and the purse aisle when you're thrifting. It's often a bit random where these treasures turn up. West Elm carries a
similar Palma basket right now.
African Market Tote
This is the bag that started it all. I'd admired a similar woven bag at my friend's house for years. She used it as a library book basket. Then I came across a basket seller on my first trip to the Long Beach Antique Market. It was a few years ago, but the vendor gave me a good deal on this sized basket. I think it was $25 or $35. Now these normally sell for closer to $60-$70. You can see these bags at vintage swap meets, farmers markets, sometimes inside grocery stores like Sprouts and even on
Etsy and
Amazon. Sometimes they are called Bolga Baskets.
The newest addition to my exploding basket collection is the largest. I bought this last month as a small local antique shop that was closing and had things marked 50% off. I have it in mind for our entryway once we close up the door to nowhere and design the space. (You can get a sneak peek at the vibe on my Pinterest board here.) I've seen large market totes like this mama places online. Sometimes they are called Moroccan baskets or have longer leather shoulder straps instead of just the handles. I found a similar style on Etsy.
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French Inspired Style
