Molly Bloom knows style

New column for KOIT radio. You should read it.

Mission: Finding a suitable bag for my new MacBook. Guidelines: Stylish and a bit girlie; can be carried on the shoulder or in the crook of my arm; any long shoulder straps must be detachable; it should not look like ye olde standard black laptop bag. I decided that I wanted a bag for the laptop, not an envelope like I was using with my older and smaller machine.

Obviously I am picky. I don’t wear just any old thing and I don’t carry just any old thing. I was ready for a fight.

The official Apple store proved useless. Yuck. Their bags suck. So I turned to the internet.

Initially I liked the canary yellow leather one from Kolobags. Revisiting it the next day I decided that while the color is delish, the bag is too briefcase-y. It looks too grown-up and the shoulder strap is bogus. The handles look too short to swing over my shoulder. Next.

The Sabrina from Abbi New York has the kind of handles I was looking for — long enough for a shoulder ride or hand-carry. While the black “premium faux-leather” may be a dream for vegans, I was not convinced this was the bag for me. I do like the pink lining.

Acme Made bags come in a variety of styles and fabrics. None of them are on the money. The Slim model fits my MacBook but the handles are too short and the shoulder strap ghastly. Many of the patterns seemed a bit dated — a bit too late 1990s.

The Marina from Timbuk2 is the bag I bought. I wasn’t 100% behind it initially — it is a bit sportier than I originally intended but the handles are sturdy. I like that it doesn’t have too many pockets — that would only frustrate me. It has a key tether and a cellphone pocket, two features I am sure to use. I took it out for a testdrive the other day and am happy with it. If you get the red one I will cut you. Kidding.

For the dear readers who asked why I changed my pen name and hopped sites, a head’s up: I’m still writing about life and stuff at mollygolightly. Due to an evil spam attack I can no longer use any email address associated with mgldotcom but the site is alive and about to celebrate its fourth blogiversary. So read on, dear readers.

The Rakku Shoe Rack is something out of a dream. My dream. Maybe it’s the ferris-wheel shape but I am coveting this thing. I own a lot of shoes — not as many as some women, and I haven’t counted the collection recently, but it’s sizable — and sometimes I forget about some of them. I know, I know: down-size or organize. Someone once told me to put a Polaroid on the outside of each shoe box or store shoes in see-through bins. This shoe rack seems like a better option. Only $65!

Oooooh lookie, candy-colored bags made from candy wrappers!

Ecoist is a sustainable company that recycles food packages, billboards and other materials and turns ‘em into accessories. And they’re cute accessories, not crocheted beer can hats.

The gold and silver collections are perfect for special-occasion or holiday dress-up. I’m a color girl and I love the bright tote pictured above — a perfect addition to any holiday resort wardrobe. And they have an entire line made of Luna bar wrappers for you sporty types.

A word on their website: I love being able to shop by color. It’s one of the things that makes San Francisco thrift favorite Crossroads a great place. More organization by color!

bouclé - An uneven yarn made with threads of varying looseness for a luxe, nubby texture. The bouclé suit shown above has eyelash trim and is from Dinky Dawg.

My latest column for the radio station is about what to wear on Turkey Day. You should read it.

The radio station (KOIT 96.5 in San Francisco) has reverted to their annual all-holiday music format. If you need a festive soundtrack for twining the turkey and slooping the cranberry sauce out of the can, there you go.

I don’t know where you live but San Francisco has had a couple of gullywashers in recent weeks. As promised, here are some stylish raincoat options to keep the menfolk dry.

A simple, well-cut single-breasted raincoat will be in style for years. This black raincoat from British purveyors Racing Green is ideal.You could wear it as an overcoat atop your suit (as pictured in the catalog) or as an everyday piece. It’s lined so you won’t freeze your tuchas off.

A more casual option is the Sutherland trench from J.Crew. This coat is date-worthy and weekday appropriate. It has an interior pocket for your MP3 player. It doesn’t seem to have a super-warm lining but if you live in the Bay Area you’re wearing layers anyway and should be fine.

One warmer option is a raincoat with a zip-out lining. If it’s cold, zip it in; if it’s too warm zip it out. This convertible number from JOE is a good bet.

There are always trenchcoats to keep you dry. I especially like the below-the-hip kind which seem less stodgy than the longer version. All the raincoats I featured here fall past the hips which will keep you dryer even if it’s just a wet bus seat you sat on. No one likes wet buns.

I’m also a fan of umbrellas that fit in a pocket. You can keep one in your pocket and forget about it until you step outside and need one. Totes has been making sturdy mini-umbrellas for years and H&M stocks $7 versions at the checkout counter.

Topless sandals simulate walking barefoot while protecting your feet. Topless sandals stick to the bottom of your feet, but leave no residue on your feet when you take them off.

Topless sandles are wrong.

Wellies- A style of pull-on boots. They are usually made of rubber and are worn in rainy or muddy weather. Wellington is the common British term for “rainboots.” Mine have polka dots.