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Object of Affection: Paravel Cabana Tote

August 13, 2020 by jessica Leave a Comment

Paravel Cabana Tote Review

Behold, the latest addition to my little Paravel family: the Cabana Tote in the “shandy” colorway. I’ve been smitten with the brand since their crossbody capsule dominated social media a few years ago. I bought one and still love it, and have since expanded my collection to include a small backpack much like this one (mine has been discontinued) that has made the trek to the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Belgium with me. Both pieces are still going strong and have virtually no signs of wear and tear. I hesitated to purchase the Cabana Tote, not because I didn’t love it — I fell for its vintage charm at first sight — but because I wasn’t sure this tote would be any better than the rest of my tote bags. I mean, how many carry-all totes do we really need? Turns out, it’s one. This one.

Paravel Cabana Tote Review

First things first, the tote is generously sized at 17.75″ x 14.5″ x 7.5″. It’s a true carry-all tote that can corral all of your necessary belongs for a beach day, a road trip, or a social-distanced backyard soiree. There’s a zippered interior pocket and a couple of open pockets to keep your smaller items in reach, and the clasp closure and sturdy base keeps those things from spilling out. One of the best features of this tote and the other Paravel pieces I have is the protective coating made of silicone that makes clean up a breeze.

Paravel Cabana Tote Review

The tote’s best features, however, are the ones you don’t see. I’ve really come to appreciate Paravel for its commitment to sustainability. You’d never guess that 14 recycled plastic water bottles were used to create the tote’s canvas exterior, the lining, and the straps. And those leather accents? They’re eco-certified by the Leather Working Group.

Paravel Cabana Tote Review

I know the tote isn’t the cheapest, coming in at $165 (or $175 if you want to add-on the shoe cubes), but it’s a true have-it-forever piece that eclipses any other tote I’ve had to date. Plus, it’s awfully charming!

And, nope, this isn’t sponsored, although I’d happily sign on for a sponsorship! I’ve purchased all of my Paravel pieces and will likely add more to my collection down the road.

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Filed Under: Style Tagged With: Cabana Tote, Luggage, Object of Affection, Paravel, travel

Painterly Polka Dots

August 13, 2018 by jessica Leave a Comment

Who What Wear Women's Polka Dot Birdcage Midi Skirt
Suzanne Kalan Chalcedony Necklace
Who What Wear Women's Polka Dot Birdcage Midi Skirt
Who What Wear Women's Polka Dot Birdcage Midi Skirt-5
Who What Wear Women's Polka Dot Birdcage Midi Skirt

Uniqlo cami (similar) | Who What Wear skirt (and in plus sizes) | Paravel bag | Sam Edelman sandals | Suzanne Kalan necklace (c/o; similar here) | House of Harlow bangle (similar) | Monica Vinader ring (similar) | Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses (old; similar)

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Filed Under: Outfits, Style Tagged With: full skirt, midi skirt, Paravel, Sam Edelman, Who What Wear

Review: Paravel Motorist 3-in-1 Backpack

May 3, 2018 by jessica Leave a Comment

Review: Paravel Motorist 3-in-1 Backpack

As you may recall, last December I purchased my first Paravel piece: the three-in-one Motorist backpack. I thought it would be perfect for travel and now that I’ve actually taken it on a trip (see glimpses of it here and here), I wanted to give you a run down of the pros and cons in case it’s on your own wish list.

Pros:

  • This bag is ultra practical. As with many women, I get saddled with bringing all of the day’s necessities with me in my purse. Things like tissues, pain killers, and printed tickets don’t take up a lot of space, but I can’t tell you how annoyed I get by shoving my camera into a cross-body bag for our adventures. It doesn’t always fit well and the shoulder strain starts to bother me after a few days of lugging it around. This bag was a game changer. There’s more than enough room for the camera and other essentials, plus space to add any small souvenirs collected throughout the day. And, since it’s a backpack, the weight was evenly distributed and was comfortable to tote around.
  • When you unzip the bag, there’s a fabric gusset on the sides that extends about halfway up the bag. This helps keep your belongings from falling out when you need to get something.
  • It transforms into a shoulder bag (worn as such above), which is great for visiting museums that don’t allow backpacks. It’s also handy when you’re shopping. There’s a zippered pocket inside where I kept my wallet. It was easier to access when I wore it as a shoulder bag.
  • It’s durable and waterproof. It rained at some point just about every day in London, but we had one day where it drizzled constantly. I wondered how my things would fare in the bag and, as it turns out, they were completely dry. As for the bag itself, I never did wipe my bag dry after the rain, and it still looked new when it dried on its own.

Cons:

  • Even when the straps are all tightened to the last hole, the bag still doesn’t fit flush against my back. (You can kind of see what I mean here.) This means it’s always kind of dangling a bit. It’s an intentional design feature, as you’ll see in one of their shots here, but it made me paranoid that I’d whack someone with my backpack when I was in crowded areas. I’m planning to take it to a leather shop to have additional holes added to the strap so that I can shorten it more.
  • The outside pocket has a magnetic closure. When the backpack is clean, you can’t even tell that it’s there. But after each stretch on the plane, the front rubbed against something filthy and left a circle right around the magnetic closure. It was easy to clean off with a damp rag, however. (That’s definitely the benefit of coated canvas.)

Bottom Line:

I love it. It was incredibly practical for a week of exploring, plus it’s chic. (Always a winning combination.) It also gave me a lot of confidence for purchasing other Paravel items. I’ve already snagged the crossbody capsule (see it here) and I adore this foldable suitcase (although I’m kicking myself for not getting it when the green colorway was available). Sign up for Paravel’s mailing list at the bottom of their home page for 10% off your first purchase and keep an eye on their social media account as they sometimes offer discounts. They also extend a discount offer with your package so that you can continue to build your collection.

Review: Paravel Motorist 3-in-1 Backpack

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Filed Under: Style, Travel Tagged With: London, Paravel, travel accessories

Jump for Joy

April 23, 2018 by jessica Leave a Comment

New Look Ruffle Strappy Jumpsuit + Paravel Crossbody Capsule

Could it be that spring is finally here?! The signs of last week’s snowstorm already melted and yesterday was warm enough to don my new jumpsuit for outfit photos without my teeth chattering. I would have worn this number all day (it was that nice out), but we spent the afternoon biking to nearby breweries and bars with our some of the friends we’ve made in the neighborhood. It was my first time on a bike this year and I wasn’t sure I could manage to ride without getting the wide legs of the jumpsuit caught in the chain!

Other than that, it was a low key weekend. We attempted to swap out the old ceiling fan in our bedroom for a new one, but ended up emailing our electrician instead. The old fan was incredibly wobbly and we’re not sure the existing electrical box has enough support for the new fan. (While I’ve found myself to be fairly adept when it comes to house projects, crawling in the attic to install a new electrical box isn’t something I’m keen on.) I also ordered one of these sconces in brass with this shade to try in our living room. Schoolhouse Electric charges 10% for shipping and requires the customer to foot any return shipping costs, so I want to make sure I love it in person before ordering three more.

New Look Ruffle Strappy Jumpsuit + Paravel Crossbody Capsule
New Look Ruffle Strappy Jumpsuit + Paravel Crossbody Capsule
New Look Ruffle Strappy Jumpsuit + Paravel Crossbody Capsule
New Look Ruffle Strappy Jumpsuit + Paravel Crossbody Capsule
New Look Ruffle Strappy Jumpsuit + Paravel Crossbody Capsule
New Look Ruffle Strappy Jumpsuit + Paravel Crossbody Capsule
New Look Ruffle Strappy Jumpsuit + Paravel Crossbody Capsule
New Look Ruffle Strappy Jumpsuit + Paravel Crossbody Capsule

New Look jumpsuit (similar here and here) | Paravel bag | vintage necklace (love this) | Soludos shoes | Karen Walker sunglasses | House of Harlow bracelet (old; similar) | ring from a local vendor

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Filed Under: Outfits, Style Tagged With: jumpsuit, karen walker, outfit, Paravel, spring style, vintage jewelry

Brrr!

January 15, 2018 by jessica 4 Comments

Paravel Motoroist 3 in 1 Backpack

The last few weeks have been one of the rare times I’m glad I’m not a full-time style blogger. All I’ve wanted to do is hibernate indoors, curled up in cozy loungewear and wait for spring. Not take outfit photos. And you’d think that for someone who lives in Wisconsin, I’d be champing at the bit to show off a closet full of cold-weather clothing. I don’t have that. I have a closet full of dresses that are aching for spring as I don the same ensembles over and over again until the weather warms up. So, my sartorial goal for next month is to hone my winter style and add a few new pieces to my wardrobe that don’t make me completely hate the season!

Striped sweater
Paravel Motoroist 3 in 1 Backpack
Paravel Motoroist 3 in 1 Backpack
Paravel Motoroist 3 in 1 Backpack
Paravel Motoroist 3 in 1 Backpack

J.Crew Factory sweater (old; similar here and here) | LOFT skirt (old; similar here and here) | J.Crew coat (similar) | Calvin Klein tights | Paravel backpack | Hunter boots | Prada sunglasses | Julie Vos ring (c/o; similar) | Monica Vinader ring (similar)

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Filed Under: Outfits, Style Tagged With: Hunter boots, J.Crew, Paravel, striped sweater, winter outfit, winter style

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Hello!


Jessica Hamm
Hello there! I'm a first-time homeowner updating a 1920s house in Madison, Wisconsin. I have a penchant for travel and a love of costume jewelry.

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I’m challenging myself to get through a backlog I’m challenging myself to get through a backlog of travel photos before we book our next trip. First up, photos of the gothic York Minster. I’m not religious in the slightest but I can’t resist stunning architecture and the opportunity to climb hundreds of cathedral stairs for a city view. This one only had a single rest stop about halfway up the flight of 275 steps for a closeup view of the flying buttresses — and a waiver you had to sign before your ascent to promise you’re healthy enough to make it.
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Visiting York earlier this month put us in the Hal Visiting York earlier this month put us in the Halloween spirit. While it claims to be the most haunted place in Europe and is dubbed the city of a thousand ghosts, we only encountered the wire-mesh sculptures of Ghosts in the Gardens (@the_york_bid) and the family of souvenir ghosts I brought home from @yorkghostmerchants. 

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