(Sub)Urban Dwelling

Hello, my dear friends! I got quite a few inquires about whether I’ve moved up to New York City lately because I’ve been posting more images taken in the city. Well, the quick answer is, no, we are still living in the burbs and have no plans to move any time soon. I’ve been traveling more frequently to New York, however, for various work and family related events.

I absolutely love the energy of the Big Apple: wide streets lined with skyscrapers, lots of moving pieces like people, cars and neon signs, dynamic mix of world cuisines and new-age foods, even the yellow cabs are more fun to watch than the red cabs we see here in DC. I can only take the strong energy of New York City one small dose at a time, LOL. After three or four days spent in the city, I want to go back to my house by the water, watching wild geese flying around and sipping home-made lattes. The perfect balance, if I could have it, would be accesses to city benefits while living in the suburbs.

The same goes with fashion and style. I love accessibility to the best and most cutting-edge designs, while not living under constant pressure to dress a certain way. Internet and e-commerce made that dream a reality for me. Like this outfit I have on today: some of the best of Italian designs and craftsmanship, inspired by New York living and American athleisure overall, all available to me at the burbs of Washington DC.

When Meli Melo designed this NYC handbag and accessories series, they clearly had the constantly-hustling life style of urban dwellers in mind. They are secure, durable, easy to carry by hand or over the shoulder, and most importantly, easy to style. I picked the sunny yellow for a good pop of color, and it is the NYC taxi color, too. The same style backpack is also available in a large size as well as four other eye-catching colors (red, green, blue and black). The tote is made of nylon and super durable. a perfect one to have if you just need an everyday carry-it-all bag in addition to your fun purse.

The price points of these bags are about 1/4 of a designer handbag with comparable quality. If you have been long-term consumer of designer fashion, you probably are well aware that the best leather products are almost all made in Italy. The NYC x Meli Melo line of bags and accessories are some of the best value we can get of Italian craftsmanship and contemporary design without having to fly across the pond.

If you like this collection of NYC x Meli Melo bags, I will be hosting a giveaway next week to give one lucky reader a Brooklyn backpack. Follow me on Instagram to get notified and participate the giveaway, hope to see you there!

< A special Thank-You to Balducci food market & GM Leonard for letting us photographing in their Reston location. >

OUTFIT DETAILS:

Prada tweed coat, organza dress & socks;
Calvin Klein 205W39NYC dress;
Chloe boots <similar here & here>;
NYC x Meli Melo taxi backpack <also in Brooklyn print>;
NYC x Meli Melo tote <also in NYC taxi print>;
NYC x Meli Melo phone case <also in NYC taxi print>
Dior hat & sunglasses;