Designer Handbags

from Auntie Fashion

Simon Doonan and I are kindred spirits. I’ve been over designer handbags for quite some time. Don’t get me wrong: I love handcrafted leather goods and a stylish bag. Nevertheless, it’s awfully silly to spend a ton of money on something that says “The person who designed me is soooooo stylish!”

That’s what most bags are like nowadays. The entire point of carrying a bag is to advertise your allegiance to the aesthetic of a designer. If you worship at the altar of Miuccia, you carry a Prada bag. If you’re a disciple of Dior, you’ll carry a Dior bag. If you’re a minion of the Evil AntiZob, you’ll spend your rent money on a Marc Jacobs bag, then call your parents back in New Jersey and make up some story about how you were mugged on the subway so that they’ll send you a check before you get kicked out of your apartment and have to quit your job as an intern at Teen Vogue.

Your bag should say something about you. It should reflect your sense of style. In his book, “Eccentric Glamour”, Doonan suggests that women get in the habit of carrying a signature bag. I believe that’s a great idea. Unfortunately, we live in a society where most everything is disposable, so people don’t care for their possessions like they used to. For that reason, Doonan’s advice might not translate to the rabble. However, for those of you who would like to elevate yourselves above the artless rabble, it’s advice you ought to consider.

And if you don’t want to carry one bag, then get in the habit of carrying a wardrobe of bags that don’t advertise your loyalty to a luxury goods conglomerate. Visit the site I posted above and order that cowgirl purse for forty bucks (and wear it with the fringed pants I blogged about yesterday). Or buy a bag online that isn’t normally distributed in the country where you live. Try to find a new bag that no one else has, and carry it because it’s you. Don’t become a billboard for anyone else’s agenda.