Designer Diaper Bags Part 3

Wokeh folks! I am so excited about this update! In my never-ending quest to find gorgeous diaper bags that mom can tote around and not look silly... I found this online store: Baby Kingdom. Go to their "nappy bags" section under "for mum".

It seems they are the biggest retailer of baby stuff in Sydney? Who knew! They carry designer diaper bag brands Babymel, Bugaboo, Dashbaby, Melobaby, Oi Oi, Storksak and more. The only slack thing about their online store is that they don't provide photos of how the bag looks like inside, which is super important for online shopping moms. And also another downside is that at the moment, the store doesn't ship to countries outside of Australia. (But if you are a desperate mom who really wants to order one of the bags from this store, just email me here or leave a comment, and I can see to finding a way to get the bag delivered to you.)

The prices range from affordable to the very expensive. Some of my top choices of designer diaper bags from the store:

Babymel - Amanda black & white floral

Storksak - Elizabeth in tan (leather)

Melobaby - melotote creme

OiOi - ebony dot hobo

OiOi - signature weave classic hobo

OiOi - Two pocket hobo black with white

Window shopping for diaper bags just got better! Don't you agree?

The Non-Diaper Bag (Designer Diaper Bags Part 2)

I am becoming a newborn mom again, which means taking a second look at the Diaper Bag. I stopped using a diaper bag more than a year ago, when my daughter stopped drinking milk from the bottle. When going out, I'd just stuff one spare diaper and wet wipes into my handbag. But now that I'll be a mom to a new baby soon (in about 4-5 months time), I think it's time for me to shop around for a new fashionable diaper bag.

Off again I go to visit Gin & Jacqie's online shop. (Check out my first post on Gin & Jacqie two years ago here: http://red-pineapple.blogspot.com/2009/01/designer-diaper-bags.html).

Some pics of diaper bags available for sale at Gin & Jacqie:
To view the inside of the bag, please visit Gin & Jacqie's online shop (http://www.ginjacqie.com/my/)

Colorful Suzanna

Birdie Casual

Stevie Baby Bag (for dads)

Nathalie Baby Bag Set

After some browsing, I feel that I have gone off the allure of the floral print bag, so I don't think I'm going to go for an all-out diaper bag. I love the big handbag that I have now (I'm into chunky bags). Now the thing that's great about Gin & Jacqie is that they provide a solution for moms like me who love their designer hand bags (non-diaper bag)... because Gin & Jackie makes handbag "organizers". 

Organizers (like the one pictured above) are pocketed bags that you place inside your existing handbag to provide extra pockets and compartments for stuff that you need segregated and organized (such as diapers, feeding bottles, formula, keys, etc).  The one I like is "Organize Jo". For a fraction of the cost of a full-on diaper bag, you can create a diaper bag with the existing designer (or non-designer) bag that you currently use. And if you are one of those women who use a number of different bags to go with different outfits, then this is a good solution for you, too. Because you won't have to reorganize your bag each time you go out, you'll just pull out the Organizer Bag from one handbag and just pop it into the other handbag. :)  Isn't that nifty?

Update: designer diaper bags!

Hi, for those of you who still want to own that gorgeous Isoki diaper bag, I found an online store based in Singapore who stocks it: www.bebelove.com.sg. The price is also quite reasonable S$195.00 for the Hobo Bag, and S$165.00 for the Original Reversible Baby Bag.

Bebelove also sells nursing bras! But unfortunately not in my size... boy those Singaporean ladies sure are small! ;) Or maybe I'm just big... I found that after delivery I went up 2 cup sizes! Was it the same for the rest of you?

Designer Diaper Bags!

I finally bought myself a designer diaper bag after looking and wishing for one for so long!! (I am hysterically happy) Ever since the day Salma was born, I've been searching online for a diaper bag that I can sport around like a normal handbag. Being a working mom, I really hate those "cutesy" diaper bags with little teddy bears plastered all over. Understanding my need to stay "hip" (haha), my husband graciously bought me a reddish-maroon diaper bag that he found at Manjaku (Manjaku Baby Centre, Section 9 Bangi), that was essentially just a rectangular cooler bag, with an exterior zippered pocket for bottles.

For the first two months of my baby's young life, I would tote around the diaper bag and my handbag together, and that was so tough! It was just too much to carry even if we stowed the diaper bag in the stroller's basket. Then last month, I just did away with my handbag when we brought the baby out, and stuffed my wallet and handphone into the diaper bag. I came to realise that this is not the way to go and made an honest effort to search for a suitable diaper bag handbag... aka the Designer Diaper Bag.

Yeah, you've seen them on Oprah, E! Entertainment Channel... Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba carry them around... Kate Spade makes designer diaper bags. I googled my way into so many online handbag/baby online stores, but most of the US-based ones did not ship to Malaysia, and for the ones that did, the cost of the bag plus the shipping and handling would have cost me a bomb!

So far the one I thought was the best of the best was Isoki, (www.isoki.com.au)an Australian designer diaper bag maker. They have the most gorgeous diaper bags, styled in contemporary fashion - Hobo, Saddle Bag. And the best thing about them is that they are reversible! I was all set to purchase one online just a few days ago when almost nearing check-out I was stunned to find out that I would be paying somewhere between MYR600-800 for one hobo diaper bag! (Prices are in AUD & USD) So I didn't end up buying it, but I still visit their site to look at how pretty their bags are! Do check them out! Isoki's site does not have an online store, but they offer a list of online sites that do sell them, and a few of them are willing to ship to Malaysia.

Then yesterday, after my husband's company bowling tournament, we went down to Isetan KLCC for their CNY sale, and I came across a stylish diaper bag by a local specialty bags designer, Gin & Jacqie! Check them out at their website, www.ginjacqie.com, which also doubles as an online store! Prices are quoted in RM, USD and AUD. I bought myself a "Stripy Alison" in Beige. It was 30% off its original price of RM219, so I purchased it at about RM153, which was a steal compared to the price I was about to pay for the Isoki one! I immediately bought it.

The bag is spacious, has 3 compartments inside for baby bottles, a large zippered pocket in the middle to store baby blankets and clothes, another section for diapers. The bag comes with its own matching changing mat. It has two exterior pockets for bottles on either side, and it has a zipped pocket at the front exterior for mommy's personal stuff. Inside the bag, it also has pockets for your mobile phone and keys. The downside of the bag is that I wished the inside was waterproof or at least wipable (to cater for spills and wet clothing), but it's cotton. Another shortfall of the Gin & Jacqie "Stripy Alison" diaper bag is that it doesn't come with it's own insulated bottle warmer/cooler bag, which I had to buy separately from Baby Kiko. The Isoki diaper bags, however, come with bottle warmer, changing mat and a double sided storage satchel, all removable. I'm posting pics of the "Stripy Alison" bag (which I got from their website) in color Orange, but I bought Beige. But do do do visit Gin & Jacqie's website for more info and to view more bag styles!