Friday, January 18, 2008

Luxury handbags

The original meaning of carrying a luxury handbag is an indication of few things about its owner (carrier):
1. She can afford it.
2. She somehow know this brand, not just the name, but also the story of the company, its founder, or the designer. So, she will know…
3. what and how to appreciate the design, the materials, the cutting of the bag.
4. She has the taste to match the bag to herself for the right occasion.

Cos, a luxury bag is not just for carrying things, as a matter of fact, some of them I would deem as ‘ugly’ and can’t perform the most fundamental role of carrying things. Like some that I saw before which cost ten of thousands, but it looks like a ‘shinny’ minibus or a ship. Man, they are ‘ugly’, but ok, you can say that it is a piece of ‘art’ through other’s eyes, though to me, the distinction of a piece of ‘art’ and a piece of ‘shit’ is just a fine line.

Anyway, these days in the society that I’m living in, luxury bags can only barely meet the first indication. Cos, many carriers actually can barely afford the bag that they carry. Those officegirls who makes $12,000 a month carry a Louis Vutton bag which costs $9,000 a month. That happens regardless where she is just out of school with student loans, or older with kids and a mortgage. That doesn’t matter to them. They want a Gucci, they want a Louis Vutton. Why the want them?...... It is because their friends have them, their coworkers carry them, their moms wish to have them, their idols in showbiz have many of them, shopping/gossip magazines report the latest versions of them. So, all or some of those reasons above make them feel like they need those bags….sadly just like everyone else. So, she could ‘fit in’ in the society. Certainly, those who sell the bags love it, are those buyers really happy after they bought them. Yes, they do, but perhaps only for 3 days for the first bag that she bought. The margin of satisfaction for each additional one just goes down. Yes, there is second-hand market for these bags, but we all know that those bags depreciate, with only few exceptions - certainly not for most that got carried around on the street.

Some carriers doesn't know shit about the story behind the bags, the designer, the brand, and some of them can't pronounce or spell the brand. The just buy what is selling in the store. If the price is the highest, they think that is the best. So after they bought the bags, they just care them to everywhere they go, to work, to supermarket, to the park, to go hiking, to go fishing...u name it. Have you seen gals taken a LV with muds on her shoes while getting off the mountain?

So, it almost all come that to only the first point....show that they can afford it.....but wait, that's not the worst. The worst are certainly those who can't afford it and resort to buy the pirate goods. That's so sad! What is the point? Well, I think that actually it is fine for them, can't accept that fact that you can't afford it but still go for fake goods, all coming from a person with a low confidence, self-esteem and IQ. That's the perfect match.

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