Sheaffer Told Me To

fashion influencer blog

Splurge vs. Steal #1: Cognac Tote

By 36 Comments

Happy Monday Girlies!
Well, today is the day.
If you need me, you can find me curled up somewhere in a corner and bawling my head off.
My one and only baby goes to kindergarten today.  Where in the world has the time gone?
#holdme

I tell you this, I will be counting the minutes until 3:00, and then I have plans for us to come right home and just snuggle for at least 30 minutes.
I hope he complies.

🙂
 So, what’s the post about today?
Well, I’ve already started pinning some fall images on Pinterest (follow me HERE) because I am more than ready to break out my jeans, my leggings, and my Frye boots!
Here’s what my Style Inspiration board looks like right now.




Also, you can see my Pinterest Told Me To board now on my right sidebar!

Considering the heat index was 106 this weekend, I’m going to have to hold off for a bit before I start recreating all the pins…but I’m definitely going to be pinning away and getting ready.

While searching Pinterest for fall inspiration, I kept seeing the famous Madewell transport tote pop up over and over again in pictures.
The
Madewell tote is beautiful, and if you’ve been reading here for awhile
you know I LOVE pairing cognac with pretty much anything.
So this cognac tote is pretty much perfection in my book.

Check out the collage below to see lots of examples of Pinterest telling us we need a cognac
tote for fall…..

striped shirt and cognac boots HERE, black and white striped sweater HERE,
 navy blazer HERE,  grey tee and jeans HERE, navy outfit with tote HERE , dress and blazer HERE 


If you can afford the Madewell tote (it’s $168) and you love the look, I think it
would be totally worth the splurge. But if you don’t want to spend that
much on a bag, I have an alternative for you that I found online at
Nordstrom!
When I first started writing this post last week, I hadn’t seen it in person,
 but I knew it had great reviews.
Here’s a side by side for you.
Madewell tote HERE.
Madewell lookalike tote HERE.
*You can get the cognac one by either ordering the black or the olive.  And I actually think the oxblood would work too for the cognac look too, even though the second color is described as “tan”.
They both have cognac as an option.

The Madewell tote is obviously higher quality, but for $48, this Nordstrom look-a-like is a really great substitute.

Here’s another picture of the look alike tote that gives you a good idea of it’s size.
Click HERE for the tote.

On Friday (two days after I started writing this post) we met Shay and the kids at the mall for lunch and the Lego store, and I saw the tote!
For $48, I thought it did a great job giving the look of the Madewell tote!
(shirt and necklace sold out, sorry!) 🙁
If you don’t like a tote, but you like the idea of a cognac bag, I found another option that is reasonable for you.
Click HERE for this $80 foldover bag.  
The 5 Star review says it looks like a $300 bag in person!

 Now look at me showing the tote above.  When holding the Madewell tote, my outfit is now screaming for cognac footwear!

Here are some well-priced cognac footwear options…
ugg tall riding boots HERE
bp cognac flats HERE 
OH MY GOODNESS!  The flats went 33% off this morning and are only $33.47!
I’ve tried these on before, and they are super cute (love the detail!) and very comfortable!
bp cognac booties HERE ($99 and 293 5 STAR REVIEWS!)
cognac tall riding boots HERE

And more casual choices, still in cognac…
3 layer fringe boots HERE
classic button UGGs HERE

Now before you leave, I want to look more closely at one of the outfits in the first Pinterest collage.
THIS OUTFIT IS SOOOOO FALL!
The basic pieces are so simple and it is so dang cute!

Click HERE for the original source! 

Want to get the look for yourself?  I have some affordable choices for you in the collage below.
All items from Nordstrom and Piperlime.
necklace HERE (only $18)
striped tee (actually NAVY and white) HERE
perfect plus sized black and white striped tee HERE
cuffed jeans HERE
cognac tote HERE / bp cognac booties HERE

 Simple. Easy. And it screams fall.

That’s it for today girls!
See you back here on Wednesday for another installment of Closet Confessions!
xoxo,
Sheaffer 🙂

p.s.
This p.s. was added Monday night at 7:00 p.m. after I received an e-mail about a LOFT FLASH SALE where you get $50 off if you spend $100! It lasts until Tuesday morning at 10:00 a.m.
(And it sounds like if you use your LOFT card you will actually get $60 off!)
 military jacket with buttons HERE
camo field jacket HERE
 twill moto jacket HERE
military green jacket HERE

And some things that I’ve tried on in the last couple of weeks and loved…

Okay…my graphic is a little misleading.  From reading the details on the sale, it should really say $50 OFF your $100 purchase.  I’m not sure if you buy $200 worth of merchandise if you get $100 off or not.  Please leave a comment if you order and find out!

sweatshirt dress with lace detailing HERE
For size reference, I was wearing an x-small, but I’m thinking a small might have been better.
lace tipped sweatshirt tee HERE 
For size reference, I was wearing a small.
floral shirt dress HERE 
For size reference, I was wearing a small. 
I LOVED ALL ITEMS!!!!!

p.p.s.

And, do you remember the Barrington Bag giveaway I did with Shay last week?
Well, we have a winner……
SUSAN BUSH!!!!
Woohoo!!  Congratulations Susan!  You and FOUR of your friends who work in education each get a bag from Barrington!
THAT just made your first day of school QUITE A BIT BETTTER!
Shay emailed you this morning, so all you need to do is email me her back to claim your prize!  Congrats!!

Filed Under: Fashion 36 Comments

You’ll Also Love

Five Days of Fabulous Day#2 with BARRINGTON BAGS!
A Darling Dress and BAGS GALORE!
An Awesome Tee and Fantastic Jeans…and a FABULOUS Bag!

Comments

  1. Mix and Match Mama says

    I adore a splurge vs. steal post!!! I'm so excited!!! And listen, you pin such good stuff…people need to be following you ASAP!

    Reply

  2. Tab & Erika says

    Loving all the cognac!!! That tote is a STEAL for $48!! I'm almost sold on those fringe boots, but I'd really love the bootie. Have you seen that the bootie has Hello Kitty on little tiny nail heads?? WHAT?? WHY??

    Reply

    • Sheaffer says

      Just to be clear to everybody..the Hello Kitty is on the bootie version of the Minnetonka fringe boots that are NOT in the post. Still…SO WEIRD! Erika and I were texting at 5:15 about the craziness of this! #meow

      Reply

  5. Whitney and Blaire says

    I have the one from Nordstrom, and I gotta say that I LOOOOVE it! I get so many compliments on it. Things get lost in there, but I just use several smaller bags to keep things together.
    xo, Whitney and Blaire
    Peaches In A Pod

    Reply

  6. Karen of Little Red House Designs says

    New follower! I JUST this weekend placed an order for a large leather black tote with cognac handles. It was WAY more than this Madewell one… I just might be returning it!! Plus it will look great with my new black Blardigan;)

    Reply

  7. kimm atwood says

    Hope your little man has a great day today…as I was packing lunches this morning I was weeping….2 in college, 1 in middle school and 2 in elementary school,,,not my first time sending kiddos off to school but every year I cry like a baby on the first day…another year older….a reminder that time is going way too fast,,,,,happy Monday girl

    Reply

  9. Daisy says

    I am dying for that cognac purse on your pinterest board (in the pic with the denim shirt and again with the mustard scarf). Any idea where it's from? I searched pinterest and polyvore. Would love your help!

    Reply

  10. Kathy Olson says

    Bless your little boy today with a great year and wonderful friends. I know how you feel and I will be praying for him and for you:)

    Reply

  11. Anonymous says

    Also, for what it's worth, teachers and college students get a 15% off discount at Madewell with a valid ID. It takes the edge off the price a little bit if you HAVE to have the Transport Tote. Maybe you could invite your favorite teacher or college student to lunch and shopping, and just use their ID!!! – Amy

    Reply

  15. Heidi Gracely says

    The Kindergarten send off is not for wimps. Yesterday I sent my oldest off to college and spent the day in mourning. This morning I brought my youngest to Kindergarten and am now in the fetal position. He told me on the playground that I can kiss him at home, but it is embarrassing to be kissed at school. My heart was not prepared for for those words. Now I process…… Hang in there Mama!!

    Reply

  17. {Hi Sugarplum!} says

    Two years in a row I've picked up the 'steal' version of the madewell tote…and every year I still drool over the madewell version. maybe one day, when i've spent more on the steals than I would have the original, I'll just get it!! #probnot

    Reply

  18. Rebecca says

    Oh, that first day of all day kindergarten is a tough day! (How many times can I say the word "day" in one sentence?!?! Ha ha). Hang in there, it does get easier!

    I LOVE all your boots pics, that is my style in the winter too! Alas, since I'm in super hot Arizona it doesn't cool down until Oct. & doesn't stay colder until after Halloween. So sadly I must wait, but I'm looking forward to it!
    – Have a great day after school w/ your sweetie!
    🙂 Rebecca

    Reply

  19. Because Shanna Said So says

    Cognac for the win!! Thank you for finding and sharing this tote!! I may have to grab this one today! Ha!! And seriously, this weather is KILLING me!!! Hope your sweet baby boy is having a great day at school…we start tomorrow. BOO!

    Reply

  20. V @ X-tremely V says

    I absolutely love everything cognac…even the drink! lol! I have been eyeing that bag at Nordstrom in hopes you would do a review and "help" me make my decision 🙂 Thanks Sheaffer! Looks like that bag will be on its way to me very soon 🙂

    Reply

  22. kristinwithani says

    I've wanted that Madewell tote for months and finally went in to the store to touch it. Man, it smells so good and is thick and beautiful. BUT it needs an extra inch or two in the handle length. Bags like that drive me nuts if I can't put them over my shoulder in one "swoop". I love totes. LOVE. I love them even more with no zipper. But the whole point is easy on and off. This one requires an extra hand to avoid the elbow catch. Sigh. C'mon Madewell…. maybe I'll try the "knock off".

    Reply

  25. Julia says

    i LOVED the madewell tote so i went to a store to check it out and sadly, the size is too overwhelming for my 5'0" frame. the nordstrom tote is a lot easier on the wallet, but also looks like it will be too large for me. my search for a cognac tote continues! 🙂

    Reply

  28. Jen | Our Life Accounts says

    Love the cognac tote, it is my go to bag in the fall! You might want to also check out the Downing tote at Jcrew. Nearly identical to the made well tote with a little bit of extra detailing which I found I actually preferred. Bonus, it happens to be 25% off right now so it ends up falling between the Splurge & Steal.

    Reply

  29. Alison @ Get Your Pretty On says

    That's an awesome dupe! I may even like the shape of the steal a little better. Super cute outfit too!

    Reply

  30. realmommypreneur.com says

    The CognacTote at Nordstrom is not available. 🙁 Thanks for the ideas! Cognac really does go well with tons of outfits.

    Reply

    • Sheaffer says

      Hi there! It's still available! The tote is reversible and they have it shown as black on the site, but the inside is cognac and that's the one I saw in person on the cognac side!!!!!!
      xoxo,
      Sheaffer 🙂

      Reply

  31. Karen Stopnicki says

    I bought the tote to take on our recent vacation… it was AWESOME!!! I was unsure about buying it but so glad I did. It held everything I needed every day on the trip and also looked great when I didn't have it packed up with lots of stuff.

    Reply

  32. Kari Maddox says

    And I totally bought it! Love Nordstrom free shipping. I probably buy a few items per month (seems like more with 5 kids & back to school this year) but the free shipping gets me every time…… but this tote….. you sold me the second it looked identical to the Splurge one!! It's in my hands next Monday 🙂

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

SHEAFFER TOLD ME TO RUNS ADS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY SPONSOR AND USES AFFILIATE LINKS AND COOKIES WITHIN THIS SITE. PURCHASING AN ITEM THROUGH A LINK FROM SHEAFFER TOLD ME TO OR SHEAFFER TOLD ME TO SOCIAL MEDIA (FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM VIA LIKETKIT) MAY RESULT IN A COMMISSION. CURRENTLY, THIS SITE USES REWARDSTYLE, SHOPSTYLE, AND AMAZON LINKS. MERELY CLICKING ON A LINK DOES NOT RESULT IN A COMMISSION, BUT IF AN ITEM IS PURCHASED AS A RESULT OF THE LINK, A COMMISSION IS EARNED. OCCASIONALLY THE BLOG ACTIVITIES ARE SPONSORED (EX. A PARTICULAR BRAND MIGHT WANT TO BE FEATURED OR MIGHT DESIRE TO HAVE A SPECIFIC ITEM HIGHLIGHTED). SPONSORED POSTS AND CONTENT WILL ALWAYS BE DISCLOSED WITHIN THE BODY OF THE POST. IF A PRODUCT HAS BEEN GIFTED, IT WILL BE DISCLOSED WITH "C/O". PLEASE KNOW THAT I TURN DOWN MORE SPONSORED POSTS THAN I ACCEPT. I DO NOT FEATURE ALL PRODUCTS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO ME, ONLY THE ONES THAT I TRULY LOVE! IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT MY DISCLOSURES OR AFFILIATE LINKS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME DIRECTLY VIA E-MAIL AT PINTERESTTOLDMETO@YAHOO.COM. IN ADDITION, IF YOU SEE ANY IMAGES OF YOURS ON MY SITE THAT ARE NOT PROPERLY CREDITED, PLEASE E-MAIL ME DIRECTLY AND I WILL EITHER REMOVE THEM OR CREDIT THEM IMMEDIATELY PER YOUR REQUEST.

Copyright © 2024 Sheaffer Told Me To