Once upon a time, when I got my first paycheck, I took my credit card to where every self respecting girl does, the Louis Vuitton store. About thirty minutes later, I walked out with the most inexpensive purse they had. On the cab ride home, I was overcome with guilt. Had I actually spent that much money on a purse? A short 24 hours later, I could breathe again. It didn’t take much time for me to start wearing my bag like a badge of honour, it signified freedom and independence – sans the guilt. I have loved handbags ever since, in fact they make me slightly giddy.
What’s to love about handbags:
Class quotient. I noticed that no matter what I wore, my nifty LV would always class it up, even if in a t-shirt and jeans. Accessories have the ability to turn up the volume on any look you sport, maybe even athleisure – I cringe as I say that. You need not have a designer bag to do this, just something unique that is true to you.
It always fits. Just like the nude shoe, bags ALWAYS fit. For a person like me who is always on some sort of diet, the handbag is a relief. Guaranteed to look good, no matter what kind of day or week you’ve had. Handbags don’t show me attitude, unlike my skinny jeans…and are yet to let me down.
Risk factor low. For those of you who like to keep things conservative (like me), take risks with accessories. Whether it’s a leopard clutch or a fuchsia tote, both make a bold statement and yet stay true to you. A leopard clutch is a far safer bet than a leopard dress. One word of caution, if you choose to wear the leopard clutch, please ensure you are not wearing anything else with animal elements, unless you actually wish to look like an animal. Similarly, if you are going fuchsia/bold colour, keep the rest of the look simple. No matchy matchy please.
Size does not matter. No discrimination based on size – everything goes. Typically, go bigger for the day, smaller for the evening. My only issue with bigger bags is that they fit in almost too much. At any given time, you may find a make-up pouch, jewellery, toy cars, a hairbrush and a few other random items in my large purse. I’m still better than my mother, she has all of the above (minus the toy cars) plus often a neatly packed stack of paranthas, you never know, right?
Repeatability. No law of diminishing returns here. Unlike clothing, there is no maximum amount of times you can carry a handbag. Very few people are going to wonder ‘is she wearing that purse again?’ they might say that about your leopard dress though.
It’s been a while since I’ve carried that first LV, when I look at it, I am transported back in time. I doubt I truly loved the bag, it was more about making a statement to myself that I could also rub shoulders with the cool kids. Over the years, I’ve realized that it’s not a brand that defines you. Don’t buy something because it’s a thing of the moment or because you want to belong, buy it because it’s an extension of you and you could simply not live without it.
