But for others, purses mean something more. And the level of luxury is relative.
credit |
Handbags, purses, whatever you may call them, are important to women. We carry everything in them. Our pants aren't equipped with pockets meant to hold things. Sometimes the pockets are even fake! We tote our money, makeup, keys, planners, LIVES in our bags. And even if you're wearing jeans, your purse can transform your outfit into something more luxe. I look at luxury handbags online like some people look at Mercedes, something to work toward, a beautiful goal.
When I carry one of my designer handbags, I am proud. The vast majority of them I have painstakingly selected and saved for on my own. They represent what I have worked for. I used to scour Chinatown for knockoffs of the same bags, but now I am proud to have discarded the fakes for something real. It IS different.
In Iraq, my friends and I were in a store that had some knockoff purses. One of them picked up a bag and asked me what was different between the fake and a real bag. Immediately, I was able to launch into a checklist of things that make it different... the quality in hardware, the crooked stitching, the fake, stiff leather, the lack of attention to the inner lining, the asymmetry. When I carry a bag, I know that some designer sketched for hours to come up with a design, and that actual craftsmanship and quality materials went into its creation. It is wearable art, and much more practical that a painting hanging on a wall. I buy the purse because I feel it is beautiful. I carry it because it makes me feel good. It makes me feel like I have something that complements me, that complements who I am at any given time.
I know that I sound crazy to many, but I think there will be others out there who can relate. And maybe it's not purses. Maybe it's porcelain figurines, shoes, sports jerseys, technology, or something else. But there are things out there, material things, that are more than meets the eye. They are important to the beholder, because of the feeling they impart. So they aren't silly. They are empowering.
hahaha, I have one purse. One. And to be honest, it took me over a year to find one that I liked for a price that I was OK with. It was probably $20. I don't do the shoe thing either. I think I'm abnormal.
ReplyDeleteI think if I were to save my money for anything, it'd be a camera.
I think I have 20, easily! I can't even begin to list the inventory. :)
ReplyDelete