Valerie Tan has been a life style blogger since 2002. She is a fashion addict and an entrepreneur, who love shopping and is now brewing her new jewellery line. We wanted to know more about her on a personal level and thought… What’s better than crawling inside her favorite Chanel flap bag and glance over her essentials?

Where are you from?
I’m from Singapore.

What are your dreams?
I’ve always dreamt of owning my own boutique or an ice-cream palour.
How do you describe fashion and handbags? Fashion is a lifestyle and a way to express your inner thoughts. The same goes for handbags. It speaks volume of who you are as a person and what you do.

Beside the Chanel flap bag, which other bags are your favorites?
I love Chanel reissues and carry Chanel almost exclusively. I also do carry a Balenciaga maxi twiggy or a Miu Miu ribbon satchel on days when I work.

Valerie’s bag essentials:
1. iPhone
2. Louis Vuitton French Wallet
3. Starbucks USB stick
4. Burt’s Bees Lip Balm
5. Sugar Lip Balm
6. Balenciaga Coin Purse
7. Coach Key Rings

Can you tell us a bit more why these are your necessity?
I can’t live without my iPhone. It stores pictures of my love ones and is a tool that I use to access fashion and news when I am on the move. I prefer to travel light and rarely am I seem lugging a laptop around, so the iPhone doubles up as a storing device. I also use the USB stick to store my work.

I have had my LV French wallet since I was in university. It was my first big ticket item and a reward to myself for having made it to the university. I love that it is the perfect size to fit all my notes and cards. It’s surprisingly hardy. The Balenciaga coin purse holds loyalty cards from the shops I frequent.

I’m not a person who likes to retouch make up when I’m outside, but I do make an effort to moisturize my lips, as I find that a pop of colour makes a huge difference. I have extremely sensitive lips and I can only use these two brands – Burt’s Bees and Sugar.

The cutest items in my purse have got to be the two coach key rings. One set holds the keys to my own home and the other, my mother’s home. I specifically chose winter characters for the key rings, as winter is my favourite season, which is ironic as Singapore is hot all year round. They make me smile when I look at them.

What clothing style do you think matches your Chanel flap bag in Taupe?
I can think of many ways to dress up and carry the taupe flap. It’s an extremely versatile bag. For casual days, the taupe flap matches a white silk top paired with light washed jeans nicely. For workdays, the taupe flap brightens up a simple black shift dress worn together with a statement timepiece.

What is the most important thing you look for when purchasing a brand-new bag?
Quality. I dislike spending good money on flimsy things.

Any other fashion advice?
Simplicity goes a long way. However, when in doubt, always dress up, never down.

Which style do you feel more comfortable?
I am more inclined to dress in basic colours with sleek lines and throw on Balenciaga bracelets for a dash of colour. I adore heels, but after becoming a mother, I’m spotted running after my son in comfortable Ferragamo flats most of the time. As I love to travel light, Chanel classic flaps in medium and Chanel reissues in 226 are my go to bags. They store all my essentials perfectly without the extra weight.

Thank you so much for participating, Valerie. To find more about Valerie Tan, check out her blog ValerieTan.com.

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