Designer Discounts at Shoeaholics

A couple of weeks ago Shoeaholics got in contact with me and asked if I would promote a sale they were having on my twitter account. I'd only ever heard of Shoeaholics thanks to their pervasive adverts across London's Underground system (seriously, they're everywhere) but they just didn't appeal to me and never bothered to check their online store. I think this is partly because I'm not much of "shoe person". Don't get me wrong, I love a good pair of shoes but I just not that emotionally invested in footwear. Handbags, however... well they're a whole different ball game. 

When Shoeaholics got in touch with me they offered to send me a handbag from their website in exchange for a sponsored tweet. I then thoroughly browsed their online store and found, quite to my surprise, that I really loved the stock on their website. I accepted their kind offer of a handbag and chose the Kurt Geiger Diana Leather Chain Bag* - a small but functional black leather bag that can function as a clutch or as a shoulder bag (with the addition of a heavy gold coloured chain). 

Let's be 100% clear - what you're reading today is not a sponsored post. I wasn't asked to feature this handbag on my blog and I didn't initially intend to talk about it at all on here. However, I really do want to shake up my blog content. I've found that since I've started to include different content my blog statistics have noticeably improved, and I also get the satisfaction of having a wider variety of topics to write about. I spoke very briefly about handbags in the first part of my July Non Beauty Favourites post and it's a theme that I am planning to continue writing about. I love changing up my accessories, far more than I love experimenting with new styles of clothing - but I also really appreciate getting good value for money and bargain hunting. I'm not usually one to walk into a shop and buy something expensive at full price. I'd much rather wait for the sales - or look on eBay or in auction houses (which is something new I'm really enjoying). Something I really appreciate about Shoeaholics is that they do offer big discounts on some very coveted brands, most notably Kurt Geiger. For instance, the Kurt Geiger Diana Leather Bag* featured in this blog post is being sold at £59, reduced from £90 - and in their recent sale, the same bag was available for £39. Although for many people this is still a bit pricey, it's certainly a lot more affordable than the initial retail price (at which, until very recently, Selfridges were still pricing this style of bag). Shopping around can certainly save you money, and Shoeaholics is a site that's now very much on my bargain hunting radar.

The Kurt Geiger Diana Leather Bag is compact (20 cm long, about the length of my forearm) but it holds everything I could possibly need for an evening out. I think that on the whole it's designed really well, with a secure zipped middle section, two open sections for easy access and a series of card holders which are perfect if you choose to forgo carrying your usual purse. In addition, the back of the bag has a slim pocket in which you could store your travel or oyster card and even your phone. In my opinion, this sort of easy-to-access pocket is essential for a regularly used handbags and is an element I always look for.

I was initally sceptical about the quality of the leather as it has a tendency to look patent and overly shiny in brightly lit photographs. I was happy to see that this is just a result of the patterned leather and under less intense light, such as in the evening, I much prefer how the leather looks. I'm also happy to see a consistency in the colour of the metal used throughout the bag, although I'm not particularly a fan of the heavy chain which comes with it. The chain is, however, sturdy and will not break easily, plus it's length can be rudely adjusted as demonstrated in the photograph above. Overall, I'm very happy with the condition in which the bag arrived and it's quality. I think that although it looks elegant it is also robust enough to survive considerable useage. 

If you're interested in purchasing the Diana Leather Bag then it is available here for £59*. I'd love to know if you've ever shopped online at Shoeaholics? Or are there any other similar discount sites that you'd recommend?