Sometime mid-summer I was emailed by a PR company asking if I wanted to review the Swarovski Optik CL Pocket. To my great disappointment they aren’t binoculars covered in bright pink crystals, but they ARE a “new binocular for high-end travel lovers” retailing at 670 euros a pop.
My first thought was “WHY do these exist? My second thought was “whoever offered this to me clearly does NOT read my blog.” What the %$#%# am I going to do with a $900 pair of binoculars? Go birdwatching for some really fancy birds?
Mike’s suggestion of “sell them,” did make me think for a minute, but I pretty much instantly declined the offer.What could I possibly write about them, and more importantly, who of you readers would actually give a crap?
This is just one of dozens of products that I’ve passed up on reviewing in the past year. Partly because review posts aren’t really that fun to write, and partly because most of the products people want me to review are just totally off topic.
Sometimes though, I do agree to review stuff, and sometimes that stuff is awesome. Like the clothing I received a few months ago from a company called A-Thread. They are a family business that creates really cute and stylish clothing at decent prices. Even better- 10% of every purchase goes to one of their non-profit charity partners like Kiva, LA Animal Services and Children of the Night.
Most importantly, there clothing is cute, affordable and pretty great for traveling. I’ve been living in this hot pink and tan maxi dress, and this royal bloom dress is a pretty great day to night weekend getaway piece. This oversized tee shirt with jeans is now my go-to comfy flying outfit.
They have cute accessories as well. I got this giant bag as a beach tote but I’ve been carrying it all over town all summer long. They also sent me this totally cute bracelet in coral, but now I kind of want this one or this one…
Okay writing this review just got dangerous for my wallet. The bottom line is, A-Thread has a tone of really cute clothing that is totally travel appropriate. Especially if you, like me, are kind of tired of looking like a slob while traveling.
One word of warning: the sizes on the website seem to run small and to fluctuate quite a lot- one size large dress fit perfectly and a size large blouse was just swimming on me. Pay attention to the measurements they give.
Finally there is my new favorite travel purse, which I’m actually supposed to be publishing a review of for Mike’s website, but I’m sharing with you guys anyways because it’s just that great. For years I’ve been looking for a bag that is stylish yet secure, big enough to hold all of my various travel accessories but compact enough to be comfortable. I’m pretty sure I’ve found it with TravelOn’s Anti-Theft Hobo Bag.
I’m pretty picky about my bags, but I’m pretty sure this will be my default purse for our six months in Mexico and beyond. It’s leap years ahead of the old leather target purse I was carrying. I bet it’s even secure enough to hold those Swarovski binoculars I didn’t get.
What’s the best travel style product you’ve found lately?
I received an assortment of clothing from A-Threads in exchange for an honest review.
