Dr Martens Heart shaped Leather Backpack

This was a simple case of: I saw it on my Instagram explore page --> I looked it up --> was happy to see it was in stock --> thought for 2 seconds --> bought it. This is my first Dr Martens purchase and I'm not very knowledgeable about the brand, so I thought for sure this would be an older item or something, but was so, so pleased that it was currently available for purchase!

Dr. Martens Heart shaped leather backpack

This bag is labeled as a backpack, but it's definitely a 2-way (shoulder bag or backpack) bag so I don't know why they don't incorporate that more in the name! The main body of the bag is smooth leather and the front pocket includes some patent leather with a buckle. The Dr Martens logo is placed nicely but not obnoxiously which I really appreciate as well. It comes with 1 adjustable patent leather strap with 5 different D-rings that allows you to switch from shoulder bag to backpack with ease. There are no internal pockets and it's surprisingly spacious inside!

with EATME sheer sleeve decolette OP and EATME cross wedge sandals -

with Zara open back dress and EATME belted pumps -

with Ank Rouge front pocket set up OP and Michael Kors Sinead platform sandals -

with EATME garter feather knit top, EATME (pleats wrap) skirt & EATME cross wedge sandals -

with Aritzia Sunday Best Tuesday crop & Olive mini skirt, EATME fukubukuro cardigan and EATME single belt sabot shoes -

with EATME neck harness design OP, Honey Cinnamon fukubukuro jacket and EATME belted pumps -

I definitely see myself using it mostly as a shoulder bag for regular everyday use. However there's likely to be some occasions where I'm out all day and would probably rather wear it as a backpack so my shoulders don't feel so lopsided! I love the size, especially as a backpack. This just seems like it was designed really well from that perspective. The only thing I'm meh about is the push button on the buckle on the front pocket which is the perfect size for a phone, but I haven't found it super easy to get in and out of. I probably just need some getting used to it though. I've already used this bag a few times for work and am super looking forward to using it more and more! It's going to add some nice variety to my current wardrobe.

The only thing that I think could make this bag better would maybe be the inclusion of a small short (maybe a thick chain?) strap that could allow you to use it as a short handle bag, but honestly because of the size, I think it does work best as a shoulder bag vs. handbag. It's just nice to have options sometimes! But overall, I find the purse to be pretty versatile despite the die cut heart shape since the details are simple and the size is not too big or too small. I'm very pleased with my very first Dr Martens purchase but it feels a bit odd for it not to have been boots!

Betsey Johnson Classically Betsey pink heart dress

This is a rare non-Jfashion brand item feature post, but I'm excited about it enough to give it its own spotlight! I found it without purposefully searching for something like this, just when I was trying to kill some time and walk around a bit, so that makes it even more of a great find to me!

Betsey Johnson Classically Betsey Dress in pink 

These longer/midi-length tulle dresses are pretty trendy right now (or even mini-length ones, ala Selkie, ofc), but I haven't been dying to jump on the trend because I really questioned how much I would wear the item compared to how much they cost. (This is just for me personally because I don't tend to wear a lot of tulle.) I was actually just browsing the racks at Saks Off 5th when I saw this bright pink color jump out at me from a sea of long darker dresses. The size I (thought I) wanted wasn't available but the dress still seemed like it would be an OK fit, so I added it to my stack and went to try it on.

I posted about it in my stories and on Twitter and got a lot of positive feedback about it which kept it at the front of my mind. (There was also a Kate Spade New York dress that I had half an eye on as well but it cost 2x as much as this dress even at 75% off!) I continued to think about it over the weekend and then went back a couple days later, saw it was still available, re-tried it on and then decided it definitely sparked joy, haha.

with Steve Madden Lipa clear heel mules + Kate Spade New York picnic in the park purse -

with Liz Lisa gingham ribbon cardigan and Liz Lisa double ribbon clear heel sandals + DIY gingham ribbon woven purse -

with Honey Cinnamon fukubukuro jacket, Forever21 heart pouchette and Steve Madden Lipa clear heel mules + offbrand beret -

with Liz Lisa 3-way trench coat (cropped portion only), offbrand circle scarf and Michael Kors ankle boots -

with Liz Lisa momonga cardigan and Liz Lisa double ribbon clear heel sandals + Samantha Vega ruffle purse -

I bought the pink Steve Madden mules to specifically match with this dress! I was surprised to find something that matched in style and color so well, but I guess that's somewhat what's trendy right now. It was definitely an impulse buy influenced by my friend who ended up getting a twin pair in green! This type of almost acidic pink isn't in my typical palate + the midi length, so I didn't think I'd have a lot to work with in my wardrobe since a lot of my sandals have ankle straps which really cut off that portion of the leg, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how the double ribbon clear heel sandals did. I wish my red shoes were another option but sadly I wasn't fond of how the cross strap pumps paired with the length of dress. In any case, I actually think I have more options for coordinating the dress than initially anticipated, but absolutely no regrets buying the mules because they're A+ to me.

If you are considering this dress for yourself - please know it very much runs small. This is 2 sizes up from the size I typically wear (even including other Betsey Johnson dresses) and I think it fits almost perfectly. The bodice doesn't have any stretch at all, so keep this in mind!

I wore this dress to my going away dinner with my friends before leaving Hawaii for Japan! Paired with the Steve Madden mules ofc and a bolero from Hollister. I didn't have a suitable purse available in Hawaii (most of my stuff had been sent to Japan) so I borrowed this old one from my mom!

I was quite happy that I was able to put this together with my limited wardrobe (although I bought the shoes so that was cheating) and it felt appropriate for the occasion. I hope I'll feel confident enough to wear it in some way in Japan during the upcoming spring season!