In the Bag

I know, I've been promising to show you a few pieces in my (moving towards unwieldy) purse collection. In a recent post I spoke a little bit about my bag philosophy but here's the expanded rationale:

I'm very into vintage because I can find splendidly constructed pieces, which have obviously stood the test of time, for a fraction of the (seemingly ever increasing) average gorgeous bag price. I also appreciate the uniqueness of the vintage bag and that I'm possibly purchasing the original look and not the homage to the original look. Note: I do recognize that homages are often great modern riffs on tried and true design and that sometimes they even trump the first iteration (gasp).

I'm also into shopping in interesting - read: slightly grungy, colourful - neighbourhoods and boutiques (TO area readers, I'm referring to Kensington Market) for great deals on excellent, admittedly cheaply designed, merch that will not stand the test of time and will disintegrate hideously (but will garner lots of positive commentary until that time). Some of my happiest purchases have been on plastic-designed-to-look-like-leather bags in zany colours and shapes. The average pricepoint of these goods is $40.00 and I am delighted to say I can usually haggle the tax off, at very least. (For those of you horrified by or questioning of my propensity for the deal / bargain / haggle, pls. know that I am always respectful of vendors and I do it in the spirit of the thrill of the chase.)

I'm more inspired by shape than material, though beautiful leather or suede is always a thrill.

I carry around a crap-load of stuff and walk an average of 4 miles a day so the bag has to be a) big enough to carry everything I can't do without and b) small enough to be manageable while trekking through snow, beating hot sun, rain and the other elements that challenge the urban walker. Of course, different days warrant different sized/shaped bags.

I do enjoy buying Canadian goods, when possible, because I believe in supporting my own economy. (Don't worry, I believe in supporting everybody else's too.)

I'm not so comfortable spending more than $300.00 (and this would be at the very outside) because I don't have so much disposable income that this wouldn't eat into spending on all the other items I can't live without (not to mention the food, shelter, childcare part of the equation). On this topic, Enc has a great poll on bags happening right now (it's been amended to reflect additional pricepoint options) so definitely check it out...

For the lady who lunches:

Hobo Leather Clutch, Handle folds into the bag

For the Disco-era lady who lunches:
Vintage clutch with detachable strap

For the pseudo-academic, bulk-carrying hipster:

Vintage Leather/Skin Clutch

For the would-be Montrealer (oohlala chic plastique):

No name brand from Simons, rue Ste. Catherines

For the Torontonian:

Club Monaco

For the fearless wearer of unwearable colours:

Kensington Market Thrift Find (People, this is so far from leather...)

For the intrepid weekend errand-running girl (hands-free

M0851 - The strap lengthens enough to use across the body, over the shoulder or around the waist...