'Tis the Tropical Season! - Bamboo and Straw bags for that Holiday vibe

Summer is coming! Tis the season to tune in on those tropic vibes :) Likewise to the summer before, straw/bamboo bags are still "in" this season. This is a quick shout out to two brands that have been pretty well known for their straw/bamboo bags - Nannacay and Cult Gaia. I thought I would also throw in a quick mention of Ame Studio which is created by the blogger Melody Tan (@meowiie on instagram!) for their ethically sourced arm candy.

Nannacay (https://nannacay-store.myshopify.com/)

Baby Roge Pom Pom Bag 

(Pictures from left to right: Shopbop, Net-A-Porter, M'oda 'Operandi, Revolve) 

Nannacay is famed for their combo of colorful pom-poms and straw woven bags. There's nothing quite like summer than the combo of color and straw for that summer, beach-y vibe. The bag that seems to be the most popular would be the Baby Roge Pom Pom Bag which comes in a variety of colors and designs. However I can't seem to find this on their website anymore (...probably because I'm outdated T_T) But it can still be found on Net-A-Porter here and M'oda 'Operandi here and Revolve here. And perhaps you could also try your luck on the secondhand market - I have seen one going for quite cheap in Hong Kong~

I believe Nannacay's Roge Pom Pom Bag comes in two sizes. The normal size measures 5.12" H x 7.09" L x 3.54" D and the XS one measures 4.25" H x 5" L x 3.25" D . Prices range are usually in the HKD $1000's (XS = $1,114 HKD - Shopbop, Small = $1645 HKD - M'oda 'Operandi). However the featured Baby Roge Pom Pom Bag from Net-A-Porter the bag was on sale for £67, which is around $713 HKD (as of May 10th, 2018). However this is also one of those bags where I wouldn't be surprised to find a cheap look-alike on Taobao using the picture searching feature. Due to it's box shape the bag should be able to carry good amount of things given its petite size and the colorful pom-poms can adds playfulness to any outfits!

Cult Gaia (https://cultgaia.com/) 

Ark Bag (https://cultgaia.com/collections/ark)

This has been one of those bags whose presence on social media has been astonishing - the Cult Gaia Arc Bag! This bag comes in three sizes: mini, small and large. According to the website the mini measure 9" x 2.5" x 8.5", the small measures 11.25" x 3" x 9.5", the large measures 12.5" x 4" x 10.5". It's not hard to understand why so many blogger/youtubers have fallen for this bag since last summer - given its unique and distinct structure, the bag is also relatively simple making it easy to style with any outfit. Pricing for this bag ranges from $128 to $278 USD depending on the size and material of the bag. Likewise to Nannacay's Baby Roge Pom Pom Bag, I wouldn't be surprised to find a cheap look-alike on Taobao (I can confirm that there are similar versions of this on Taobao going for as low $95 RMB - for comparison, $128 USD is around $814 RMB as of May 10th, 2018).


Lilleth Bag (https://cultgaia.com/collections/lilleth)

Though the material of choice for Cult Gaia's Lilleth bag appears to be acrylic (they do have a bamboo option), I thought I'd include it in this post because I thought that the bag is very unique and reminds me of the wicker food baskets - and any associations with food just makes me happy...I've been conditioned like Pavlov's dog. There are two sizes to this bag - small and large, whereby the small measures 10” L x 7” D x 7” H and the large measures 14" L x 8.25" D x 8.75" H. The price of this bag ranges from $198 to $348 USD. One of the more unique features of the bag is that it can be folded flat. It appears that for the bamboo version of the bag there isn't a clasp at the top of the bag which begs the question of how the bag actually keeps its shape when you place it on the ground. However I have seen Youtube videos of the bag standing upright and keeping its shape without any aides so it should be possible.

The Babe Bag (https://cultgaia.com/products/the-babe) 

Going for $148 USD, this is my personal favorite! Though probably not the most structured and chic of the collection it is by far the cutest! And being born in the year of the pig, I always have a special (one-way) connection with items that depict/embody pigs. I think this straw bag, though perhaps not the most chic, is definitely one of the most unique. I have yet to seen other designers to create a novelty bags made of straw! This coupled with it's pig shape makes the bag all the more endearing for me. The bag measures 13" x 7" x 10.5" and is on that's bound to turn heads :)

Ame Studio (https://www.amestudio.co/)

Ame Studio is a platform ran by the blogger Melody Tan. The bags that are featured on her site are all ethically sourced from her travels and contain a more rustic feel to them. If you happen to looking for a bag that looks authentically exotic (is that even a proper phrase?) you could consider at looking at her selection. However it should be noted that her bags are only available in small numbers and it's hard to predict restock dates (if there's one at all), so if you see a bag that you like and its available on the website, it may be wise to just buy it quickly instead of waiting.