Greetings From...The Receipts At The Bottom Of My Bag (pt. 2)

Scoring an $82 Herve Leger bandage dress on TRR and breaking all my shopping rules.

Jun 13, 2025

Greetings From…The Receipts At The Bottom Of My Bag was inspired by the, now dated, accounting process of collecting one’s receipts and tallying them up to see, not only, how much I’ve spent but what exactly I’ve been buying. The goal is to reinforce the idea of more intentional purchases—especially when it comes to things in my closet. Each new installment will highlight my newest outfit additions, as well as the bag I’m currently loving at the time.

The more work trips I go on, the more likely I am to treat myself. And while this isn’t a novel concept—of which I talk about at great length in an article I wrote for The Quality Edit titled “It’s a Thin Line Between Fashion and Tourism”, and reports show that 53% of travelers prefer shopping to sightseeing, while a 2023 study across 30 different markets showed that 18% of global travelers say they travel to shop—it’s one I think about often, especially as it pertains to my own habits. I say all of this to say, that because I tend to treat myself a little more while I’m on the road, I try to be tighter with my purse strings during the off weeks. And because the last few months were filled with too many cross-country flights and regional fashion weeks to count, I wasn’t scrolling through my favorite retailer’s apps, as much. Because of that, I feel like the things that I did end up buying were intentional—despite each one going against some of my arbitrary shopping rules.

No repeats! This season is for filling in the gaps with quality finds.
Don’t succumb to trends and viral products.
Stay away from fast-fashion retailers
Stop getting things just because (whether I’m buying it myself or accepting gifting).

The new additions may go against the restrictions I’ve placed on my own wardrobe but with good cause. Continue ahead for the full breakdown ahead.

The Bag In Question…

During Paraiso Miami Swim Week I had the pleasure of meeting with Surabhi Khurana—founder of the ethically focused brand America & Beyond—poolside, while she told me all about her intricately beaded bags, which I couldn’t help but notice, are reminiscent of the highly-coveted ‘Tommy’ style from the brand Staud. Despite being similar in design and price (both fall between $200 and $300), one major difference, is that the former’s bags are handmade by artisans in India and take about a week to complete, bringing a certain level of craftsmanship to the table the aforementioned, is not.

She so kindly gifted me the pink, red and white Tigerlily color way, which then became my official companion for the rest of the week. Removing the product tag in a moment of haste, I noticed that a thread had begun to become undone, resulting in the loss of a few beads here and there. However, in the days that followed I noticed that I lost very few adornments, which I would say is a testament to the quality of the bag. It’s perfectly sized for all my smaller essentials, though still spacious enough to carry around some of the more unnecessary items, too.

The Receipts…

Jeffery Campbell Jelly Sandals

Although, I too, have fallen prey to the resurgence of Jelly shoes—a lá heritage brands like Melissa, I feel pretty good knowing that I never, once prescribed to the idea that they could somehow be luxury, and in turn justifying the high-end prices. Chloe’s jelly thong sandals, in muted icy colors are cute for a whopping $690, immediately come to mind. Like talk about propaganda I’m not falling for…Luckily Jeffery Campbell had something similar on offer for only $60, affording me the ability to get two pairs—the clear and more recently the caramel, which were a skin shade match and immediately have become my new everyday.

Zara Beaded Woven Bag

When I say I’ve been breaking a lot of my cardinal shopping rules over the last few months, this Zara purchase is, in part, what I’m referring to. As someone who has been doing their best to be more intentional about not only what I’m buying, but who I’m purchasing from, I came across this beaded bandana bag (complete with a zipper fastening, opening to a surprisingly spacious interior, and a silver, chain link shoulder strap) that was too unique to pass up, especially after seeing a creator on TikTok cut the knotted thread at the top to make it self-tie and, in turn, multi-functional.

Hill House Home ‘The Lux’ Night Gown

If you’re familiar with both Hill House Home and me, as an individual, then you know that their collection of frilly, printed nap dresses couldn’t be further from my personal style. So when I went to a press preview a few weeks ago and was offered a gift from the brand, I struggled finding something that felt authentic.

Pretty, or not, I would have been adding something to my wardrobe that I know I won’t get a lot of wear out of, which is a big no no for me in this season of my life. Then I noticed that there were a few all white night gowns that I could absolutely wear beyond my bedroom paired lacy satin undies to underpin the sheerness or belted with my go-to Havianas.

Vintage Herve Leger Bandage Dress

Let the record show, before they skyrocket to popularity and are impossible to find, I—along with Hailey Bieber via Kim Russell’s instagram DMs—was a firm believer that Herve Leger bandage dresses are slowly, but surely making their way back into the fashion sphere. And while the universe knows I don’t need yet another, tight little black dress, I just couldn’t help myself. Especially when it was in close to excellent condition for $82. In the words of my Midwest mom whom I love so dearly, “You can’t beat that with a baseball bat.”