Forever 21 Camel Crossbody & Eyelash Lace Mint Dress

Outfits|September 29, 2012

*** I was told by Josie on FB that this purse has been recalled by the manufacturer due to a latch defect. I haven’t noticed anything strange on the latch with my purse. Just wanted to inform everyone in case you bought it.***

Dress: Banana Republic factory – size XXSP
Push lock crossbody in tan (similar HERE and HERE)

I’ve been looking for replacement cross body for my H&M one that is now beat up and unraveling. I wanted something similar in size but more of structured body and in a camel color. I stumbled upon this a couple of weeks ago and put it in my cart. I couldn’t stop thinking about it so I decided to buy one for myself and one of my sisters. I thought this was worthy enough to post and share in case anyone is in need of a cross body/clutch.

I wasn’t expecting to love it nor was I expecting the quality to be decent because well it’s Forever 21. They are known for poor quality and cheap prices yet some of us keep coming back for more.

It finally arrived yesterday and I was first amazed at the careful packaging – usually F21 items come in a yellow plastic pouch and sometimes is so beat up from transit that there are puncture holes in the packaging. This time, everything came in a sturdy white box and each purse was wrapped very carefully with tissue and plastic. Way to go Forever 21! When I opened it up, I was shocked at how nice it was! All the stitching was perfect and the body and structure was very well made….say what? Is this really from Forever 21? I checked the straps first, usually there’s always fraying on the edges and the stitching is never great for cheapie purses but this one was thick and had a nice buckle with 3 adjustable holes.

The color is gorgeous and the perfect shade of camel. The size measures 5.25″ H x 9.65″ W x 3″ D and is slightly bigger and deeper than my H&M cross body. I prefer this size so I can throw my coupons and more stuff in when I run errands. I had to punch an extra hole in the strap to make it shorter but the drop is approximately 23″ in length.

My favorite part is the interior pockets and storage. It has 2 pouches, 1 small and 1 larger one (for cell phones or smart phones) and it includes a zipper pocket. There’s also a top zipper as well. The exterior back has a zipper pocket for extra storage – I doubt I will use this but still it’s nice to have. The straps are detachable and you can use it as a clutch.

I was getting the link for some lovely ladies on IG but realized it’s already sold out. I just ordered this last week and it’s a new arrival so I am surprised to see it gone already. I would check your local stores for it or stalk the website for it to come back in stock. Most popular items, they will re-stock. I am really impressed at the quality. I think maybe F21 is stepping up their game! We shall see how long this purse lasts me.

Mint eyelash lace dress– size small

I am not a 100% sure if I will keep this. I don’t know how much use I will get out of it. It fits much better than the last couple versions of the eyelash lace dress they’ve had but could use some slight slimming near the waist area. It was all thanks to WhatJessWore emailing and showing me this. She said there is a cream/white version as well but I haven’t seen that one yet. Some other items that are worthy of checking out:

– ikat print button up

– eyelash peter pan top

– dusty pink lace applique dress (exact dupe of my dress HERE)

Have you had luck at Forever 21 lately?