I was hatin' hard when Angela and Vanessa Simmons (Rev Run's daughters and Russell Simmons' nieces) first launched their Pastry sneaker line. The whole thing just reeked of nepotism and celeb-reality tomfoolery. But as much as I hate to admit it, those chickadees have talent (or, at the very least, the people they hire have tons of vision! ha ha... Sorry, y'all, I had to still throw a little dig in there for ol' times' sake!) Truth is, you can't hate their hustle. The sisters' Pastry handbag line is equally spunky -- definitely a little tweeny in terms of the color schemes (tons of pink and muted pastels) and design choices (kisses and polka dot accents, not to mention vinyl fabrics). Then again, this schoolgirl cutesy aesthetic is prevalent in many urban lines , from Baby Phat (think Kimora Lee's Hello Kitty stuff) to Lot 29 (those Looney Tune references are juvenile, albeit adorable). But if Aaliyah was right and age ain't nothing but a number, there's no reason to refrain from copping these delicious bags. Some of the pieces (such as this "Kisses" bowler and "Cupcake" tote) are so pretty you'll want to tap into your adolescent self. Hey, it's not like you'd be walking around with a feathered pen or a diary with a golden lock. Trust: you can get away with it.
Kisses bowler, $75; Cupcake tote, $80. Available at Jimmy Jazz. Visit http://www.jimmyjazz.com for store locations.
