What does your bag say about you?
I love seeing people in cities. That eclectic mix of urban city dwellers who are energetic, adventurous and headstrong in their sense of style and expression.
I also love to look at which bag is bestowed on the arm of the bright youth of the city. So here’s my short psycho babble about bag-carrying performances.
The leopard print faux leather bag
This particular genre of lady can be divided into two subsets:
1) The young wannabe rocker who likes to wear a lot of skull outfits, she lines her eyes with the thickest blackest kohl eyeliner and loves that pirate look. She likes the neon plastic accessories and Toni & Guy’s weird hairstyles.
2) This is the woman in her late 30s who wants to feel young, carefree, and reckless. She loves to wear black twenty-something dresses and leather or PVC. She has bleached blonde or bright brown hair that is a bit dry and frizzy. She loves the legendary rock bands: Rolling Stones, Guns n Roses and Metallica, Motorcycle Head. She still goes to discos and concerts.
The Juicy Couture bag
Big, bright, bold and direct, one word sums it up: Bling.
The Gucci bag
A classic brand. Well, I personally find it hard to relate to Gucci because it always seems to be out of my league. For example, if I were to do the whole ‘Gucci’ thing, I wouldn’t fit in the way a game show contestant who has won a trip by staying at a 5-star hotel would stand out among the rich. Gucci oozes class and sophistication. A Gucci bag is not about modern fashion. It’s all about old-fashioned Italian glamour. He tells you that he is big, expensive and Italian and that he loves to hang out in little European hot spots like Portafino, Puglio and St Tropez.
I think my style is too laid back and I prefer things that are a bit quirky and deconstructed around the edges to take me off my Gucci uniform. Unless on the rare occasions when he was looking for the whole paradox of the extravagant and bare he finds the structured and the formal.
I am not referring to Gucci logo canvas bags, I am only referring to Gucci collectible and leather bags. The logo canvas is a sensitive point. Enough talk.
The Burberry bag
Actually, surprisingly, I’ll give Burberry a big shout out despite the more obvious connection to Chav. At least the Burberry tartan is a suitable pattern and fits all the charm of horsemen and the English countryside. Although Burberry has roots of being a very British brand, it still stands on the right edge of reinvention and has a really strong brand image. The classic Burberry check, taken away from Chavdom and given a modern twist, is actually quite British chic.
So classic British with a touch of cheeky modern charm oozing underneath is what I think Burberry bags are all about.
Orla Kiely’s bag
A pretty grown up hippie brand, this bag is generally loved by women over 30 who are sophisticated in a more cultural way. An underdog in the style bets, this woman loves the fact that the quirky 1960s chintz-look pattern is retro chic. She longs to relive decades past, especially the 1960s and 1970s. She also loves the outdoors from time to time.
The quilted Chanel bag 2.55
Ooh la la… Chanel’s quilted tote bag is classic Parisian chic, it oozes class and sophistication and no matter what the current trends are, it has a timeless design that has survived many fashion eras. There’s something about that gold-tone metal and smooth-stitched leather chain that’s created a unique style icon for women around the world.
Chloe Paddington’s bag
This bag offers functionality, femininity and casual comfort. Now a cult classic, the Chloe Paddington bag is quickly becoming just like the Mulberry Roxanne. It’s made from soft yet durable calfskin that’s practical yet beautiful, it’s functional with one or two pockets to store things like your iPod and cell phone, and it has cute short straps to wear and flaunt on your arm. However, there is nothing particularly exciting about this bag. Don’t sit on the edge of innovation in terms of bag shapes, but that doesn’t matter. I think the user of this bag is feminine yet practical, they primarily want a bag to hold everything for daytime outings and they want a low maintenance bag that can be worn with almost any outfit to avoid the fuss of having to change bags regularly.
Leave a Reply