Bag review: YSL Saint Laurent wallet on chain & Cassandre purse (in comparison to Chanel WOC)

Saint Laurent bag, Express shorts, Ann Taylor sweater c/o, Ray Ban sunglasses

BP wedges (runs small), Kate Spade watch

I've gotten lots of questions about this Saint Laurent wallet on chain in caviar leather, and had been waiting to use it more before doing a formal review. Long story short, I�m in love with it and find it to be both beautiful and more importantly, super functional! 
My Chanel caviar wallet on chain is one of my top three favorite bags in my entire wardrobe, so I was thrilled to find a similar functional, convertible purse in a different color scheme. For all my trips this year I've been packing this one with me - it serves well as a cross-body for casual wear (above) and clutch for more formal events (ie. here), all in one.

Left: Saint Laurent wallet on chain - in 6 classic colors (mine is called light rose or pale blush)
Right: Chanel wallet on chain (not sold online)

The leather of the Saint Laurent is a pebbled textured caviar leather that feels sturdy, and is very easy to wipe clean. I take this bag everywhere and have had a few mishaps with food and drink, but thankfully everything has wiped right off. The interior of the bag has plenty of little details for organization, very similar to the inside of the Chanel WOC....
There are slots for over 20 cards, a larger pocket behind the back row of card slots, another larger pocket that my lower thumb is holding shut by accident, and a small zippered compartment. The chain strap is removable and snaps on and off. In comparison, the Chanel WOC strap does not come off so I just tuck it inside when using it as a clutch. Being able to remove it vs. having to tuck in is a nice option to have, when every little bit of interior space is valuable!

I usually carry the following inside: phone, keys, coins, bunch of cards, sunglasses (only case-less or very slim cases like the Ray Ban ones will fit), and makeup essentials like eyeliner, lip balm, and concealer.
Although the measurement of the Saint Laruent bag is notably bigger at 9" length x 6" height, it turns out the Chanel WOC does expand quite a bit in depth and can possibly fit the same amount of items. I have never carried sunglasses in my WOC bag though - I don't like expanding the bag quite so much as I'm afraid the snap button will pop open.

This brings me to my one and only complaint about the Saint Laurent bag - when the top is closed, there is a tiny gap which you can see below right where the chain comes in and out. Although it hasn't happened to me, I feel like small objects like a pen or eyeliner could potentially fall through. Hence I always keep important small things like keys in the zippered compartment.

Back view:

Here's how it looks with the chain detached:

Another thing I love about the Saint Laurent bag is the length of the chain strap is very petite-friendly! See how it compares to the Chanel WOC, for which I always have to tuck an extra length of the strap inside the flap of the purse. The Saint Laurent strap drop length measures approximately 19 inches.

I hope you guys found this review helpful! Let me know if you have any questions. By the way, Instagram friends know that I actually bought a different bag first - the Cassandre medium with tassel:

Be still my heart, I still find this to be an absolutely gorgeous and classic purse, down to the clean design and vintage YSL-inspired tassel. I had been looking everywhere for it and ended up having it shipped from a Saint Laurent store in PA. (Big FYI, their brick & mortar store policies are completely different than their online ones. They charge for shipping, and I was surprised to see on my receipt that there are no refunds - only store credit for returns within 10 days). However, upon careful inspection I noticed the bag arrived with scratches already on the calfskin. I felt that with my klutzy habits, this poor bag would be completely stained and scratched up in no time. I was able to return it despite the stringent store policy, due to it arriving damaged. It all worked out for the better because the caviar one is definitely the one for me, but I just wanted to share about the Cassandre for those interested!

ASOS petite lace dress review + Dune jeweled sandals

**Update: my favorite lace dress below has just been restocked in all sizes!**

ASOS is one of my go-to brands for items that fit without alterations, plus they offer free international shipping for orders over $40 & free returns which is awesome. Quality can be hit or miss and sizing can be tricky (can run 1-2 sizes small compared to American brands). What adds to the confusion is ASOS sells both their in-house brand (ASOS regular, petites, tall, plus, etc), as well as tons of other brands, so sizing and quality will differ across all of these brands. However, when you do find winners, they tend to be gems that you won't see on everyone else.

ASOS petites lace dress, Saint Laurent bag (light rose), Steve Madden heels

Instagram friends have already seen this lace dress, which is one of my favorite pieces ever from ASOS...
I'm wearing a US size 1 and it fits like a glove (every time I see the word "bodycon" I automatically order a size up than I would for other ASOS items). For fit reference, my measurements are 32-24-32 with a 30A-32A bust size. It feels smaller than a 00 petite in American brands and similar to an H&M size 2. Here are a few other adorable dress options available in all petite sizing:

Another department I love at ASOS is their swimwear - I have never seen such an extensive array of sizing, starting at 30A to 30H (look for the styles labeled "fuller bust")! The best way to navigate the selection is to filter for your size on the left hand navigation bar. I have one of their bikinis in 32A which fit great (UPDATE: see my ASOS swim review).

Lastly, I recently discovered a British shoe brand, Dune, and am in love with my jeweled sandals. The crystals aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I must've gotten a dozen compliments and inquiries the day I broke these out. I initially discovered this brand out at an industry conference and thought the products on display were nice quality. You can find these same shoes on their website in a number of colors (just type "Harah" in their site search box - the international language conversion doesn't allow me to link to the specific product). Unfortunately for small-footed ladies, the smallest size they make is a EUR36 which they say translates into a US 5, but I do find that it fits more like a US 6 or generous 5.5. These are a little loose on me, not bad because I usually straddle 5-5.5, but would be too roomy for someone who is a true size 5. Shipping from Dune's website is $5 which is really pretty good for international. I also wanted to mention that ASOS carries a few of their styles, including a version of these sandals in a taller heel and patent leather.

Ann Taylor petite chevron maxi dress & Boston blossoms

Ann Taylor Mitered Striped dress c/o (also in maxi skirt or knee-length skirt version)

Talbots sandals (love! 30% off), 12mm pearl studs (similar), Hermes belt & Chanel bag

Maybe it's because this winter was so relatively brutal, but I don't remember spring in Boston being so gorgeous in past years. My morning commute to work takes almost double the time needed, as I'm stopping every block with mouth agape snapping photos (see some of my favorites on Instagram!). I hope no one here dislikes blossoms, as there might be a small overload of them coming right up : )

In the sale world, take 40% off most items at Ann Taylor using code SUMMER40 (ends Thursday morning). I picked out this online-exclusive dress, in case anyone else was curious about the fit. The design is simple but elegant; it can work casually around town with low sandals (as shown) or style it with an updo and drop earrings for fancier events like a wedding. After trying it on in my usual 00p, I'm confused by a few of the reviews that complained it was too long...I'm even on the shorter end of the petite spectrum (at ~ 5 feet tall) and am wearing it here with 1 inch heels! Although, it was a little close to dusting the ground here so I'd do a slightly higher heel next time, but I thought the length was good for petite sizing and required no alterations. Please see the bottom of this post for measurements and other details.

Here's a few items I own and love that are part of the 40% off sale:
- Breezy 100% linen sweater - on my spring / summer must-have list. You guys are probably sick of hearing about this versatile sweater - see it here, here, and here just to name a few.
- Embroidered dot button-up shirt - now marked down and on sale, so effectively 50% off. See my review here with it dressed up, and I've also dressed it down with distressed denim shorts on the weekends:

^ Express shorts, Talbots shoes, MK bag, Stella Dot necklace c/o, Ray Ban aviators

And if you like this chevron pattern but prefer it in other formats, I noticed AT has the same "mitered stripe" in a navy & white maxi skirt as well as a black & white shorter skirt, both included in the 40% off sale. The wider striped skirt is adorable but given my experience with AT skirts, I'm not sure if it'd fit someone my size without waist alterations (although, the one review there mentions it might run a little small).

Please note this dress is a sheath style and does not nip in at the waist - rather, it flares out gently in an A-line starting from the armpit down through the hips and then bottom opening. It does come with a black tie belt so you can cinch the waist in to your liking. I swapped that out for a leather belt, but the resulting belted silhouette is the same.

Measurements of the Mitered Striped Dress in 00p: 16" across armpit to armpit, 50 to 51" in total length. The outer material is 100% poly and it is fully lined, with an invisible back zip down the center. I know poly comes in many different forms and this one is a smooth one, not knit, with little stretch (the lining has no stretch at all). Tag says dry clean only, but I'm very tempted to test hand washing it cold since the material feels similar to other AT poly items that are labeled machine wash cold.

Here's a few newer pieces I'm eying from the 40% off sale, but haven't had the chance to try yet:

- Stripe tweed dress - very cute with the wide stripes against the pink tweed blend. At first glance my guess was the wide stripes would only be on the front half of the dress, given shortcuts that most retailers are taking these days. Happy to see that the stripes wrap around the back of the torso.
- Crepe tie-neck shell in lots of colors and prints. An office and weekend layering staple - I just hope the material isn't too thin in person.
- Chevron shift dress - a mod but classic look, and the material seems like it would be on the more substantial side with the embroidered-on dots.

Also, I was in a store recently and was pleasantly surprised by how pretty their new stone costume jewelry pieces are. I've collected a few favorite costume jewelry pieces from AT over the years and these are certainly a new contender. While in store, I unfortunately wasn't able to find any rings in size 5 to try on for size, nor did I see the cuff bracelet below that looks like it could be bent/shaped to fit smaller wrists.

I did get to see the faux stones in person and thought the coloring of both the rose quartz and lapis against the gold looked nice. Please note the first ring set trio is excluded from the 40% off, but half of the purchase price gets donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

As always, let me know if you have any favorite pieces & recommendations from this promo!

Tying a scarf as a beach cover-up + Mar Y Sol Collins tote

Express shorts sz 00 (longer version), AT sweater c/o, Ray-ban aviators in blue/gold

Mary Y Sol "Collins" tote (2 colors), Triangl bikini c/o (similar starting in 30A)

Even though "jorts" (jean shorts) were infamous in my how to look older post, I found myself hankering for a pair for those casual days. I wanted just the right amount of distressing and a broken-in wash, with cuffs instead of a raw cutoff edge. I ended up with these from Express, which actually has decent denim options starting in 00 regular and short. I wouldn't have minded a longer length, but these aren't bad on short legs and certainly more modest than my 'crombie pairs that have seen better days. The waist is a little loose but works as a casual fit. FYI, I noticed afterwards that Express also makes a longer version.

I packed these on a recent beachy getaway to keep my bum covered, and ended up wearing them often with this scarf. I had browsed everywhere for petite-friendly cover-ups, before realizing I could just tie old, lightweight scarves as sarongs. This rectangle one (borrowed from my friend) worked well either knotted simply around the waist, or crossed-over in an easy "dress/top" of sorts. I can't wait to sift through my old scarves and see what else can be re-purposed for future beach trips.

A note about my bikini - Triangl suits are my absolute favorite for smaller chests, but I wanted to point out a few commenters on this post who mentioned they were charged with very high custom fees on their orders. Like other international retailers, Triangl mentions on their site that all duties and custom fees are the customer's responsibility, but I had no idea just how much such fees could be! It seems that these fees are determined by your own country and state...anyone who has a better understanding, please help explain. I noticed ASOS has a similar bikini that starts in 30A (note: I own an ASOS suit and it runs a little small - had to exchange for 32A which is a snug fit). They are an international retailer too so custom fees could still apply, but I haven't yet been charged any on an ASOS order, knock on wood.
Last but not least, I am in love with this straw tote and impressed by the brand behind it. The designs are adorable and the quality of the weave and stitching is visibly good. If you like knowing how & where your products were made, Mar Y Sol has a video showing the artisans in Madagascar who handcraft these bags from start to finish.
For lovers of oversized totes, Mar Y Sol's most popular bag seems to be the Caracas but I personally preferred this smaller Collins tote for a petite frame. The base of this one is about 11" x 6," and the top at the biggest part gets to be about 16" x 9.". I brought it everywhere with us and it had room aplenty for changes of clothes, sunscreen, snacks, beer, you name it.