Do you recognize this bag at first glance? No?.... You're just like me. Saturday, May 24, 2008

Quick!

Tell me what bag this is. Do you know the brand, the exact name and the price?

I'll give you some time...

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Give up? It's a Chloé Paddington Capsule Satchel: the perfect blend of tough and tender, this washed lambskin bag is accented with stud and chain details.

Retail price: $1980 before tax.

Just the other day, my friend flounced in with a new bag on her arm. As you may have guessed, it was that bag.

Friend: *shrieking* LOOK WHAT I BOUGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FB: Umm.. the bag? It's new?

Friend: Of course. *weird look* When have you seen me carrying around THIS bag? I've only been whining about it for ages.

FB: It's nice. The leather looks soft, I kind of like the chained padlock thing. Very cool.

Friend: Uh huh. *suspicious glance* Umm... FB, do you even KNOW what bag this is?

FB: A very nice one? A pretty mocha coloured one?

Friend: OMG. You just did NOT say that. It's a Chloé Paddington Capsule Satchel..!!

FB: And that means......?

Friend: Do you KNOW how much this costs!?!?

FB: Well where'd you buy it and I can tell ya. H&M?

Friend: BITE YOUR TONGUE! Holt Renfrew!

FB: LOL! So in that case, if *I* would've paid maybe $100 for it and Holt Renfrew tends to triple prices on everything, did you pay $300 for it? Maybe $500? I mean, $500 to ME is a LOT for a purse.

*thinking about the snowballing she'd do to her debt*

Friend: I am going to have a heart attack. Right now. RIGHT NOW. You're killing me. I'm going to fall over and DIE.

FB: Why!? Wait. Did you pay less? That'd be surprising at Holt Renfrew. *totally teasing her*

Friend: No. I paid over $2000 for it! It's the bag I've been eying in the store the last time we went in.

So anyway... I won't bore you with the rest of the conversation but I just wanted to ask her if she bought the bag just because it gave her pleasure (half true), or if she bought that SPECIFIC bag just so 1% of the entire population would be able to reocgnize the bag and oooh and aah over the fact that it's a Chloé Paddington Capsule Satchel for $2000.

Umm.. I'm into fashion too, well not as much as some women, but I like REAL fashion for real women with style tips and nothing too crazy that's just meant for the runway or the red carpet.

So a specific bag like the Chloé Paddington Capsule Satchel, I'd never even know what the hell it was until that day - now, I know what it is and how much it costs, but only because I learned it from my friend.

Did she just buy the bag to show off? To front like she HAS money to spend but really doesn't? I don't know.. (probably is my answer), but it's a bit of a farce to purchase something just to impress other women or gay men (unless of course you're a straight guy who's been pestered by your girlfriend to buy her one).

So why is it that people in general, not just women, buy items like this just so they can show off to 1% of the population? And even so, the rest wouldn't be that impressed over a bag. They may be more impressed over the fact that you SAVED $2000 in bonds and now you have $10,000 for a downpayment or something similar.

Not that you spent $2000 on something.

It's easier to spend than it is to save, much like how it's easier to buy a meal in a restaurant than to spend the time cooking it in the kitchen from scratch. To me, any person with a credit card can go in and buy a bag or a meal. It takes skill and discipline to NOT do that, save the money and either make it yourself, or make the conscious choice to buy a SIMILAR bag that makes you JUST as happy, and ignoring the fact that you won't be able to floss that you dropped $2000 on a single purse.

What do you think? Am I way off base on this one? Or just too far into my frugal/saver mindset?

It's just a BAG y'all!

Keep in mind, she bought the bag for herself right? To make herself happy? So why would she care if I knew what the bag was and how much it cost? If she really bought the bag to make herself happy, she wouldn't care if people knew what the bag was or how much it cost. She would just be content in knowing it was exactly what SHE wanted.



(I must admit though. It's a really pretty, cool bag. But not for $2000.) HEHE!!