Category Archives: FASHION

BILLABONG SAMPLE SALE

During a recent trip to Kauai’s neigboring island of Oahu, these pieces were picked up at the Billabong sample sale. I’m loving the beachy theme and super casual flowy styles.
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MARC BY MARC JACOBS BAG REVIEW

I have 2 bags from MARC BY MARC JACOBS. The first bag I got, I used for a year straight and the bag looks almost brand new. It’s made of nylon which makes it easy to clean by using a little soap and water on a cloth. The leather handles have remained strong with little to no sign of use. My second bag has been a bit of a disappointment. It’s made of genuine leather. I’ve been using it for 7 months straight since receiving it during the 2011 holiday season. The handles on the satchel started to show signs of wear in its 6 month of use. I’m almost afraid to use it anymore because the gold is wearing away so quickly. Maybe it’s the color I chose or the type of handle that is on this bag. All I know is I love it but I’m reconsidering my next bag purchase from this brand. 

First Marc By Marc Jacobs bag purchase. Made of Nylon and leather. After 1 year of use, the bag almost looks brand new.

Marc by Marc Jacobs genuine gold leather satchel.

After 7 months of use, this handle as well as the other handle is losing its gold leather color.

CASUAL EVERYDAY JEWELRY

KAUAI KASUAL is undergoing website design but the jewelry store is open. Inventory is small at this time but new styles will be added weekly. An official grand opening will feature all of Kauai Kasual’s content. 

2012 JEWELRY

My favorite bracelets for this year so far has been shell bangles and leather wrap bracelets. I’m very happy with my most current gold bangle by an OAHU artist, MISHA HAWAII. I was very lucky to find it in one of my favorite stores on KAUAI because there were only 2 bangles to choose from. Unlike ones I’ve had in the past, this one is sturdy, has the perfect thickness, it’s hammered to perfection, and it hasn’t tarnished where its been torched closed after many uses at the beach. 

The ultimate leather wrap bracelet is made by CHAN LUU. I’ve been following her line of apparel, scarves and jewelry ever since she came to Kauai last December for a trunk show held at SAND PEOPLE. She brought over a huge selection of merchandise. I’m also enjoying DIY leather wrap bracelets because they are so cheap, wearable in the water and can be banged around without much damage. Chan Luu bracelets are expensive and made with genuine quality leathers, beads, metals, threads and clasps, so I baby them more than I do a DIY piece. 

These pieces, paired with my pieces from last year are very causal, laid back and wearable for almost everyday of the week.

GOLD BANGLE

CHAN LUU LEATHER WRAP BRACELETS

DIY LEATHER WRAP BRACELETS

THE SAK CASUAL CLASSIC

Just in time for summer, I found a great deal on THE SAK CLASSIC CROCHET MINI CROSS BODY BAG. It’s been a real long time since I spent so little on a bag. For me, this will not be an everyday bag but I have been enjoying it on trips to the mall as a pop of color against a neutral outfit. 

PROM SHOES

All of the high schools on KAUAI have had their proms but there is one last private school that will be ending their school year with a bang by having their prom at THE GRAND HYATT BALLROOM. My teen daughter picked out the cutest shoes for her dress from PAYLESS SHOESOURCE. She’s been breaking them in by wearing them around the house everyday and also to get comfortable in such high heels. To make the insole a little more soft, I purchased a comfort pad that made it a lot easier to walk in. 

BEACHY ACCESSORY

I’ll be working a surfing event that’s coming up at the end of the month. To accessorize my favorite watch, I purchased a bracelet set from AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS. The look is simple, beachy and fun. For information on the watch that I’m wearing, use this LINK.

 

SUNGLASSES AT THE BEACH

It’s tempting to wear your favorite high end designer sunglasses to the beach but don’t do it. I learned the hard way recently that even if you are super good about caring for your sunglasses, accidents do happen. You can read the write up I did on my lost pair of SALVATORE FERRAGAMO shades at the beach HERE. Do instead, invest in a less expensive polarized pair of shades. Polarized sunglasses are the best at the beach because your view of the ocean and surroundings are much more clear and colorful. I love looking at the ocean and seeing fish swimming around and the jagged reef from where I’m standing on shore. You don’t get that kind of view with regular sunglasses. The cheapest polarized pair of sunglasses that I have owned were from FILTRATE EYEWEAR. Prices range from $50-$60 and all styles are polarized. The only problem I ran into was the corner of the lenses began to delaminate on one side after owning it for 1 year. Another member of my family purchased a pair of Filtrate sunglasses at the same time as me and ran into the same problem. That was approximately a year and a half ago and I’ve heard that the company would be looking into the problem and fixing it since they had other customers with the same experience. Currently I’m using ELECTRIC BSG POLARIZED sunglasses. It’s a brand that I trust and have been using for years. This particular Electric pair that I’m using now is my first polarized style from the company. When you visit their website, you can choose 3 different levels of polarization. Visit ELECTRICVISUAL.COM for more information.

LEAVE YOUR HIGH END DESIGNER PAIR OF SUNGLASSES AT HOME

DO BRING A POLARIZED PAIR OF SUNGLASSES TO THE BEACH INSTEAD

ELECTRIC BSG POLARIZED SUNGLASSES

GREAT DEAL AT ROSS DRESS FOR LESS

The last time I went into a ROSS DRESS FOR LESS store was years ago and I didn’t find a thing I liked. It’s one of those stores that’s a hit and miss for me. Sometimes I find things I like and sometimes I don’t. I guess my shopping experience depends on what I need at the time because I’m not much of an impulse shopper. For several months, I shopped on KAUAI looking for a new pair of athletic shoes. I found some Nike’s and Puma’s that I liked but I hated the price tag. The styles I wanted ranged from $70-$90. I know that’s the normal price range for good quality shoes but those two brands do go on sale. Kauai doesn’t have anything like a Ross Dress For Less. In fact, there is very limited shopping here. Most of my closet purchases are made online and off island. So I held off until my trip to one of Kauai’s neighboring islands. This time, I got lucky. Not only did I find Puma shoes I liked but I paid a lovely $35 for them. Yes, it is a  style from a past season but that doesn’t matter to me. I owned a pair of Puma’s years ago and the shoe lasted me a year. I’ve been wearing it for several weeks and I find it works best for indoor workout classes. I’m still on the hunt for a good outdoor/light weight athletic shoe. 

A GREAT BAG (LOUIS VUITTON)

Almost 5 years ago, I visited Kauai’s neighboring island of OAHU and purchased my first Louis Vuitton item in the ALA MOANA SHOPPING CENTER. One month later, I visited my sister in MAUAI, Kauai’s other neighboring island. It’s a little farther away from Kauai than Oahu. It takes approximately 45 minutes to get there from Kauai. During my visit, I purchased the accessory to go along with my first purchase from the SHOPS AT WAILEA. After almost 5 years of use, mostly during evening events and nice dinners, the bag and card carrier is in excellent condition. You can’t tell from these pictures but there is some signs of  wear on the handle due to many uses. I love getting a quality item at a great discount. Unfortunately there is no such thing as sales at Louis Vuitton. However, for the price I paid and the number of years I’ve had it and the future use I will get out of it, it was well worth the money. I can’t remember the official style name for each item but I’ve included the style number and description off my original receipts.

M51900 RECITAL AND M61733 PTE CARTES SIMPLE

It is a very small bag but it carries everything I need for an evening out including the card carrier, a camera, a smart phone, a small lip gloss, a small compact eye shadow and a small hand sanitizer.