I was not the least bit surprised when the recession hit, that over the top and overly expensive designer handbags lost some of their cache. Maybe they are still coveted by some, but the fact that a really nice handbag's price suddenly went through the roof, seemed about as logical as the rise in housing prices.
Personally all the giant zippers, super-sized logos, added baubles and hardware didn't do much to distract from the fact that a designer bag that went for around $500 a few years earlier was suddenly boasting a price tag of $1500 or more. The added glitz was the equivalent of granite counter tops, showy but hardly worth the bloated price.
While I've never been a big fan of knock offs, I did find myself purchasing two mock Goyard totes right before I had my daughter two and a half years ago. I like the Goyard brand and think they make gorgeous leather goods, however the thought of spending $1000 on a rubberized canvas tote with two tiny leather straps was more than I could fathom. So on a very hot August day I broke down and bought my first knock off.
Make that knock offs. I think my enormous stomach helped me negotiate a great deal on two bags. I was happy not to have to choose between the two colors I liked best and thought I could customize one with racing stripes and a monogram a la the real deal. Now with a toddler in tow, I have yet to customize the bag. When I finally get around to it I am going to monogram the bag, as I originally planned, with the letters F,A,K, & E. The better to carry my knock off with pride.
Photo of brilliant faux Chanel bag via glass cloud.
2 comments:
I'm a bagaholic (rather than shoes), so buying expensive bags would be a waste, as I always see something cuter, or more interesting, or maybe "just right." I tell my self I'm looking for the perfect bag and someday, I'll find it...
I'm a totebagaholic because I can afford them and they are often very sweet. I love handbags but it got to a point where the prices just became obscene. I now have one really nice Mulberry bag that I bought on ebay. I hope it is authentic because after I purchased I found out that there were very high level copies being made of designer bags. Someday I'll bring it in to a Mulberry store and see if it is real. Anyway it's still a really great leather bag either way and I plan to using for years to come.
It's too bad that prices have gotten so crazy. When we were kids it seemed like you could actually have a really nice wardrobe on a reasonable budget. Ironically it was when clothing was still made in the USA. Now that everything is being produced in third world countries by underpaid workers you can barely afford a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. Do I sound old and grumpy?
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