I have a penchant (and reputation within my family) for collecting bags. Branded bags, cheap bags, small or big – I have more than my hands could carry. My bag storage spaces (both in my family home and my boyfriend's home) are so crammed and a little dusty, that I am afraid of venturing within to seek what's been forgotten.

For the Lunar Year celebrations, I was told by someone to buy a red bag – although red in general is lucky for all in Chinese beliefs, someone mentioned that a red bag is especially auspicious for those born in the year of the dragon, which I am of course. So, I went searching high and low for a red bag that I like – none were suitable, unfortunately.

Until one day, I chanced upon an ad by Reebonz.

The ad featured this gorgeous red Longchamp Le Pliage Néo bag, that was quite new to me (I never really bought into the Longchamp craze) and for some reason, this bag called out to me. Maybe because it is a lovely shade of Poppy red, or maybe because I like the add-on shoulder-strap which the regular Longchamp bags do not have. It was love at first sight. It didn't hurt that this bag was on a flash sale discount too.

Reebonz shipped the bag to me from Singapore, and I received it in less than 5 days. Wrapped nicely too, I must add, in a nice big black box secured with a gold ribbon! It is my first time shopping with them, and service is quite impeccable, although I must honestly say, their site is a little buggy – my payment went through but the site froze, and there was no notification about my invoice until nearly an hour later. Bugs happen, but overall, it was a very nice shopping experience. :)




Now that I actually own a Longchamp bag, and not the flimsy foldable ones, I can see why so many love it. It is roomy, pliable and well-made (despite the bags being manufactured in China instead of France these days). The Néo collection is made of a much thicker nylon material, compared to the older Le Pliage models – feels sturdy and has a nice satin finish. Even the leather flap and handles are now coated, so they feel smooth and do not spoil easily. This bag is foldable and does not crease easily, but does not have the back button to keep it folded.

The strap is a nice add-on, which I must admit, was one of the main reasons why I would even consider buying this bag. It is travel friendly and much more useful than its predecessors. The metal hardware looks solid and sturdy enough to handle a lot of weight. And the insides of the bag feels like smooth poly-material, with a standard side pocket. Love the updated zipper as well – it is a boxy type that glides effortlessly to zip or unzip. My only quip with the Néo (and every other Le Pliage bag) is that it is flimsy and doesn't shape nicely when you have too little things inside. It's as though the bag wants you to fill it up!

The back imprint which has Modèle Déposé – which apparently means 'registered design' in French – and is not the name of the bag like some people thought it was.

The Le Pliage Néo is actually an updated version of the Planetes collection (now discontinued), with the straps being the most obvious update.

Other than that, I got myself another small bag for angpao collection from H&M – I blogged about this and a golden sheep last month. It's such a cute bag, and the price was a steal because the quality really is good and it is practical enough for casual days.

The other bag I got is another white and brown one, from Charles & Keith. Almost every bag in my closet are from them. Their prices are not too steep and the bag's quality lasts me nearly two years each, with only minor fraying when it's used at least a year. I chose this design for this year because it is roomy, with the standard big zip pocket and two smaller slip pockets – and has brown felt lining on the inside to contrast against the white leather on the outside and I love the rounded top design. It looks very professional chic as well.



What are your bag hauls for this Lunar year? Or rather, for 2015? Drop me your links so I can see yours!