MISAKINO: fashion

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Queer Eye is one of my favorite shows to binge. When Tan France took Dr. Lilly Yi (their hero) shopping at Boyds Philadelphia, he styled her in this stunning black dress with wide shoulder pads and gold buttons. So many are wondering - what was the "boss b!tch" dress!?

For those familiar with fashion - the brand was clear... gold metal buttons.. shoulder pads. It's obviously Balmain. Known for their bold looks and styles that scream "I own this."

Picture on right is reversed because this scene was in front of a mirror.

The dress seen above from Queer Eye's "Paging Dr. Yi" episode is the Velvet Fitted Mini dress from Balmain with a sheer mesh mock neck top worn underneath.

INFO SHEET

Brand: Balmain
Product: Velvet Fitted Mini Dress
Materials: Outer - 100% Cotton; Lining - 52% Viscose, 48% Cotton
Hardware: Gold Metal Buttons
Care: Dry Clean Only
Price: $2,695.00
Availability: Limited Availability

As of today (6/30/2020) this dress is currently on sale at Neiman Marcus for $942.90 (65% Off). It can also be found on Farfetch, or if you're lucky you an also catch it preloved on Poshmark. Please be wary of going the preloved or ebay route though as these markets may also be plagued by fakes. Unfortunately Balmain is just one of those brands where many counterfeits exist.

"No... not that dress.. the OTHER ONE!

The pink and green one when she was making pizza towards the end!"

Are you referring to this one?

It was SO hard to get a decent shot of this dress.

Well the other dress Dr. Lilly Yi is wearing is the Floral-Intarsia Silk-Blend dress by Alexander McQueen.

INFO SHEET

Brand: Alexander McQueen
Product: Floral-Intarsia Silk-Blend Dress
Materials: 57% Silk, 32% Viscose, 6% Polyester, 4% Polyamide, 1% Elastane
Hardware: Center back button closure
Care: Dry Clean Only
Price: $3,570.00
Availability: Sold Out :(

This dress was sold on Matches Fashion but appears to be sold out. Alexander McQueen does make similar silhouettes such as the Black Floral-Intarsia Silk-blend Mini dress and the Cross-Stitch Intarsia A-line Silk-blend dress. Just google "Alexander McQueen Intarsia Dress" and you should be able to find something similar.

Here are similar styles I found at The Real Real for a fraction of the price.

I wouldn't say styling Queer Eye heroes in luxury ready to wear is common. Though many times there is no mention of the name of the shops they visit; I have noticed stores like H&M, Old Navy, or just small local boutiques. I always just assumed that Tan would style guests in pieces that were somewhat obtainable (but still very special) compared to what they were normally accustomed to.

For example, Bobby Camp (the religious father of six from Season 1, Episode 5 "Camp Rules") was taken to Target so that he would be able to dress his family and buy groceries all in one outing. Target is affordable to some, but for struggling families clothing from Target may still be out of reach; hence my theory of "somewhat obtainable but special nonetheless." With that in mind, let's look at Lilly Yi being taken shopping at Boyds Philadelphia. Dr. Yi is well... a doctor.. who lives in a big, beautiful loft. So perhaps styling her in Balmain and McQueen isn't so much of a stretch after all... somewhat. :)

Even if I was broke I would still want to be dressed in Balmain lol, but I can see why Tan plans things the way he does. He just truly wants to push his heroes a out of their comfort zones, but not so much that he ends up scaring them away.

I had a lot of trouble finding detailed information on this bag so I decided to write this review to provide my readers with lots of photos in order to make an informed decision. I hope this is helpful to those who have been looking at this bag, but are hesitant to pull the trigger!

Strathberry Allegro Mini
Bottle Green Handbag Review

Strathberry Allegro Mini in Bottle Green Review

INFO SHEET

Brand: Strathberry
Product: Allegro Mini
Color: Bottle Green
Construction:  Calfskin Exterior, Microfiber Lined Interior
Removable Strap:  Yes
Adjustable Strap:  Yes
Strap Drop: 21 inches to 23.5 inches (53.34 cm to 59.69 cm)
Cross Body:  Yes, depending on body size.
Price:  $645.00
Note: Strap drop is based on all three studs being secured into the holes of the strap. You could theoretically go higher or lower if you don't use all of the studs, but it may look odd. Studs appear to be removable with a flat head screwdriver. See photos for reference.

The purpose of this post is to provide lots of photos of the Strathberry Allegro Mini handbag, as well as describe my experience purchasing from Monnier Freres.

I purchased the Strathberry Allegro Mini online from Monnier Freres, a French retailer. I was worried because the reviews for this company were hit or miss. However, I really wanted this bag in the Bottle Green color and there were only three places that I could purchase it: Strathberry.com, Lane Crawford, and Monnier Freres. Since it was sold out on Strathberry.com, I decided to get it from Monnier Freres; as Lane Crawford is based in Hong Kong which was shut down due to the pandemic (I couldn't find any confirmation to see if Lane Crawford was still shipping).

Here are some other Strathberry bags I found for sale at The Real Real.

I ordered the Strathberry Allegro Mini from Monnier Freres on March 30th and it took about 30 minutes to receive a confirmation email - some of the review complaints stated that they didn't get a confirmation email at all, but I got mine. A few days later on April 10th, I got an email from DHL stating the package had shipped from Orly, France; and it was delivered all the way to the U.S. on April 13th. I had to sign for it at the time of delivery. I was very impressed with how fast the shipping was.

Monnier Freres' customer service did acknowledge that it took longer than usual to fulfill the order - given the circumstances. Their customer service would reply within 48 hours of when I checked in, but I found them to be somewhat short and cold. I chalked it up to the stress of the situation in addition to the language barrier.

I opted for Standard Packaging because I was worried that it would come in a big branded box, and I didn't want to risk it possibly being left at the door. When I opened the standard packaged box, I was greeted with Monnier Freres branded tissue paper, which was wrapped around a Monnier Freres Paper shopping bag. Within the shopping bag was my little Strathberry Allegro Mini resting within a Strathberry branded dust bag. I was a little disappointed that it did not come with a Strathberry box though.

Now for the photos!

Strathberry Allegro Mini Rear View

Strathberry Allegro Mini is secured via gold-tone metal bar over the handle.

Strathberry Allegro Mini has leather feet. I would have preferred gold-tone metal feet though.

Strathberry Allegro Mini Side View. Notice it tapers towards the top.

Strathberry Allegro Mini branded hardware.

Strathberry Allegro Mini has a removable strap.

Strathberry Allegro Mini strap top and bottom view. You could possibly get a leatherworker to poke more holes in the strap and reposition studs since they appear to be screwed in and not rivets.

Strathberry Allegro Mini is lightweight and easy to carry!

Strathberry Allegro Mini is petite but roomy inside.

Strathberry Allegro Mini interior fits a Samsung Galaxy S9 (regular size). Note that the bag width narrows towards the top.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I'm in love with my Strathberry Allegro Mini bag. The calfskin leather is high quality and is slightly textured. It is more durable than lambskin and swift, but it can scratch if you are too careless. The gold-tone hardware is heavy and does not feel cheap. As far as the size is concerned, some may find the Allegro Mini to be a bit small, but it is perfect for me since I only carry my phone, card holder, catch all pouch, tissue, keys, and gum. I have back problems and was pleased to find that the bag is very light weight! Strathberry does offer other sizes for the Allegro model including the micro (teeny tiny) and the midi (larger than the mini); so there is an option for everyone.

The interior pocket is very narrow and does not have a lot of slack. So I think it is best for flat objects such as small papers or maybe even a card holder. It's definitely too small for a phone. I actually did sew my own bag insert so I can have a few more pockets as well as a section for my phone (Samsung Galaxy S9) to prevent it from getting scratched.

The bag is not convenient to get in and out of though. You have to release the signature gold bar from the top of the bag every time, and it's not like you can just leave it open because it looks odd. Even without the top bar secured, the bag will stay shut because of the magnetic closure on the front flap. I am not sure if the metal bar will eventually wear out the leather on the top handle over time, but I did purchase a twilly to help protect the handle. I actually do like the bar-closure feature because I like my bags to feel secure.

I wish I had the Strathberry Allegro Mini in every color but I prefer to have a more variety in my wardrobe. At any rate, I think you get a great quality bag for the money. It's actually on sale now on many websites - including Strathberry.com, though the Bottle Green color is still out of stock. I saw they have a denim version now too!

Would I purchase from Monnier Freres again? Yes, assuming it is an item that I am already familiar with. I don't know how they would fare returns-wise, but given how bland their customer service is I just rather not deal with that.