So what prompted me to buy such a plain looking bag? The reason is....it is a great travel carry-on! In case you don't know, this bag is foldable. Look how compact it becomes when folded:

Doesn't take up much space in your luggage but when you need extra space to store your last minute shopping, just open up and it becomes a roomy carry-on! Come in a wide range of colours too. Absolute must-have for travel!

If you ask me which size to get, I will say go for the Large size if you are using it just for travel. I have the XLarge and I find it too cumbersome at times. Carrying the Xlarge Pliage bag across the narrow aircraft aisle is a real challenge especially if it is loaded with stuff. I can't remember how many times I have knocked the bag against passengers who were seated in the aisle as I struggled passed them. Large size will definitely be more manageable. The medium size is alot smaller but can double up as a handheld bag for everyday use. I have seen many girls in Singapore carrying their medium Pliage bags in Orchard Road. Despite its plain look, it is very popular here in sunny Singapore for some strange reason. At the end of the day, you know what's the best size for you!

So why buy in France when it is available for sale in Singapore? For the cost savings of course! The Large size cost me EUR68 which is equivalent to about S$145. In Singapore, according to the ladies in Cozycot forum, the Small size costs this much! The Medium size costs S$215 when it only costs EUR58 (about S$123) from France! Look how much I have saved! And this is before I even claim for the VAT refund!

Not going to France? Well, check out the bags also available at other European airports, such as Amsterdam and Geneva. Being duty free, it will still be way cheaper.

Labels: Bag, Le Pliage, Longchamp, Paris, shopping

I would say the best time to go shopping in London is in end June/early July 08 as this is the start of their summer sale. Almost every shop along the main shopping areas of Sloane Street/Brompton Road and Regent/Oxford Streets is on sale. Of course, the best has to be the Harrods Summer Sale with designer wears and accessories going for a song! [Harrods - 87–135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7XL United Kingdom. Nearest tube station: Knightsbridge, Piccadilly Line]

So you can imagine my delight when I realised that I was in London when the Harrods Summer Sale started! I can't believe my good luck! I rushed down to Harrods on the Sunday where Harrods is holding the Sales Preview. However, that's when I realised that a Sales Preview is literally that! You can look, touch and feel all those lovely mechandise on sale with all the sale prices tagged BUT you can't buy them at the sale price just yet!! No no, this is just a sales preview for you to take a look around at what are the items on sale so you can strategise what to go for when the actual sale started - which is on the next day, a Monday.

This is totally different from the sales in Singapore. Back here, when the department stores hold a sales preview (which usually starts on Wednesday or Thursday), members of the store and sometimes even non-members get to buy the discounted items straight away! When the actual sale starts on a Friday, you will find most good stuff are gone by then. Although I am quite impressed with Harrods in a way - They start their sale on a Monday and strictly no discounts on the sales preview, it doesn't do me any good as I have to work on Monday!!! ARGH!!!!

Anyway, I believe someone must be watching over me that day as my meeting was held nearby and I was granted 2 hours for lunch. Lunch? You must be kidding! I rushed straight to Harrods after the meeting. Hahaha. The crowd there was unbelievable! I believe many people must have taken leave just to be there!

My first stop was of course the ladies' handbag department. OMG! Gucci bags were going for 50% less and Bottega Veneta is having 30% off their bags. Except for Louis Vuitton and Hermes, every luxury brand in Harrods is having a sale. Burberry, Chanel, Prada, Miu Miu, Chloe, YSL...sale is everywhere! You should see the queue for Gucci! It snaked all the way out of the building!!!!

Given the fact that I had only 2 hours, I had to be real quick. I applied the same philosophy in Harrods as I had in Bicester Village. Ignore the American brands and simply go for the European brands. I wish I had a shopping companion this trip though. Shopping alone is simply no fun. There was no one to consult! Can't simply whip out the phone as London is 7 hours behind so almost everyone I know should be in bed by then. Drats!

I grabbed a grey Miu Miu bag that was going for GBP399 and went up to the second floor where more brands were located. Hey, another Gucci store! Although the second outlet carries mainly apparels, it had some bags and accessories on sale too. There, I found a lovely Gucci hobo bag for GBP230. Gosh! The same bag would cost me close to S$1000 in Singapore!

If you love shoes, all the designer shoes were on sale too and arranged by size. How convenient! I wish they do the same in Singapore so that I can just go straight to the section that carries my shoe size. In Singapore, the shoes are arranged by brand and you have to attract the attention of the sales assistant for sizes. A waste of precious shopping time I would say! Hee.

After getting the two bags, it was to the Toiletries department where I grabbed Molton Brown products that were on sale. My plan was to eventually fill my bathroom with all these Molton Brown stuff - Handwash, hand lotion, shower gel and all. Ha!

One more tip - If you are staying outside the EU like me, you can even get a VAT refund on all the purchases above GBP50! This is just like additional discount for us! What a bonus! Just remember to go to the Tax Refund counter inside Harrods store and get your tax refund forms. You will need to present this at the airport before you can claim back part of the VAT.

So if you are planning a trip to London next year, make it end June/early July. It is a great way to get extra mileage for your $$!

Labels: Harrods, london, shopping, summer sale

As I was on a business trip that crossed over a weekend in mid-July, I couldn't resist checking out the place on a Saturday. From Knightsbridge tube station near to my hotel, I took the Piccadilly line to Piccadilly Circus and change to the Bakerloo line to Marylebone station. Upon reaching, i simply just follow the sign to the Chiltern Railways station that is linked to the tube station and buy my train ticket. That's the great thing about being in UK. Everything is in English!

When purchasing the tickets, do check with the person behind the ticket counter if you can purchase a ticket to Bicester Village as the fare would include the shuttle bus service to Bicester Village from Bicester North train station. My ticket only include the train ride to and from Bicester North so I ended up having to pay GBP2 each way for the shuttle bus. If you take the train after 11am on a Saturday, you will be able to get the Cheap Day Return ticket that cost around GBP22 instead of paying the full fare of GBP40 for Standard Day Return. Another great way to stretch that pound! Anyway, the journey takes about 1 hour and upon reaching Bicester North station, cross the overhead bridge to the other side and wait for the shuttle bus to Bicester Village. The bus stop is just outside the station. For more details, check out http://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/ for the timetable and fares.

Upon reaching, i went straight to the Management Office (next to Tag Heuer) to get the VIP booklet that my UK colleague has arranged for me. With this VIP booklet, you get additional discounts at participating stores. I would suggest you to go to the Management's Office and just try your luck into getting one. No harm trying!

As I reached the place close to 4pm, I have essentially only 3 hours to cover the entire outlet village before the shops close at 7pm. Armed with the map of the place, I examined the map to strategise where I should target. My strategy is to go for the European brands and ignore the American brands. Reason was simple. It is way cheaper to get the American brands in USA than in London. As I have a USA trip coming up in Oct, I figured I can afford to give that a miss. So in three hours, i dashed from one end of the village to another covering shops such as Burberry, Celine, Paul Smith, Alfred Dunhill, Tods, Jimmy Choo, Bally and Ferragamo.

My damages for the day? A Tods bag that was marked down to GBP399, a Burberry wallet for GBP28, a Bally wallet for GBP60, a Dunhill wallet for GBP50, a Celine shoulder bag for my sister-in-law plus a number of T-shirts from Burberry and Dunhill. Scary, right? In a short span of 3 hours, I have spent around S$2000! Still, it feels great knowing that these items will most probably cost me twice as much back home. Yours truly El Cheapo Glam! Hahahaha.

Labels: Bicester Village, london, outlet shopping

For those who have no clue what a travel wallet is, it is a wallet that has pockets/compartments for all your essential travel documents - passport, tickets, boarding passes, frequent flyer cards, currencies etc. I would say a must have for all those frequent travellers who want to travel in style!

Before I depart for London, I tell myself I will get one from Smythson. Smythson of Bond Street is a British manufacturer of luxury stationery, leather goods and accessories based in London. My very hip UK colleague introduced me to this luxury store when we checked out a diary for his friend. I was hooked when I saw their range of lovely diaries and organisers! I realise in UK, most people are still sticking to the good old paper diaries and notebooks despite the availability of PDAs. If you are also still holding on to the good old fashion paper, check out the full range at their original store at New Bond Street (40 New Bond Street London W1S 2DEUK). You can also browse through their online catalogue at http://www.smythson.com/. For those departing from Heathrow Terminal 3, I would recommend you to get yours there as the price you pay will be before VAT. A substantial amount of savings given that the VAT is 17.5%!

Anyway, back to the travel wallet...My first choice was actually a lovely travel wallet in a shade known as Aqua Adamo. Doesn't the colour just remind you of that to-die-for little blue box from Tiffany & Co? Unfortunately (or fortunately), it is out of stock. This babe costs GBP305 (close to S$1K!) which is alittle off the budget. However, if it had been in stock, I must say I will be seriously tempted to just whip out my credit card and swipe it!!

In the end, I settled for the shocking pink version which only cost me GBP174 at the Smythson outlet in Heathrow Airport Terminal 3. This lovely wallet from Smythson has compartments that are nicely labelled. How cool! The shocking pink colour also means that I will be able to find it easily in my bag. Imagine whipping this out of my bag at the check-in counter or hotel!

I can't wait for my next trip!

Labels: Accessories, london, shopping, smythson, travel wallet

Labels: Confession, Shopaholic