Monday, March 10, 2008

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...

      15 comments:

      1. What a brilliant collection. I think my faves are the first one (grey wide frame bag) and the Club Monaco. Which do you use most?

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      2. this is a great collection of unique bags. I love them all, but my fav is the first clutch

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      3. Enc: Such a good question. I try to put them all in rotation but the Disco Lady bag and the vintage, zebra satchel are pretty new. The orange bag is practically garbage at this point from overuse (so sad) and I've probably had more positive feedback on this bag than any other (strangely). The Club Monaco is a few years old and I put it in rotation spring and fall (the strap is a bit tight with a coat and the shape a bit slim for winter puffiness). The clutch, which I love too, is pretty new and I've worn it a couple of times to fancy events. I should show the lining, which is awesome. It was on mega sale from 200.00 to 100.00! Truly, it's not so much for my lifestyle, but for the fancy lifestyle I know one day I will have... I love them all like my babies.

        Fruchtzwerg: Thanks for your comment. It seems you and Enc are leaning in favour of the grey clutch...

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      4. Beautiful bags, my favourite is the first grey clutch and the disco one below is a close second!

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      5. Think I should take a leaf out of your book regarding bag budgets, although surely I could be forgiven as I usually only buy one a year!

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      6. the blue bag rocks and its one of my favorite colours.

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      7. I like your orange thrift find too; a dash of color and an unusual shape/texture are always welcome!

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      8. Why thank you Miss White. BTW, I tried to leave you a comment about that gorgeous wallpaper profiled on your blog but it seems to have bounced back.

        IWALL: What was your most recent fancy bag purchase?

        Thanks Wendy!

        Miss C: What you can't see in the pic is that the circles are sewn with different (garish) colour of string. People seem to love that.

        Readers should know that my (almost) eight-year old has just figured out how to post comments on my blog. The anonymous one on this post just happens to be hers. (Great spelling M!)

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      9. I'm fond of the vintage disco and the orangey-brown bubble purse.

        I have a question about the disco one. How do you feel about having two different strap/handles? I had a purse with dual handles a while back, and it annoyed me to no end. I think it was just the idea of having a bag where the surplus straps were not removable that got to me. What do you think about yours?

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      10. Great collection! I had a snakeskin version of that Hobo clutch. And I love the disco-lady one.

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      11. Nancy: The genius is that the shoulder strap is detachable on that bag. Otherwise, I agree, it would drive me nuts.

        I Heart: Was your snakeskin clutch actually by Hobo i.e. same brand and design, different material? It would be so special in snakeskin...

        Atelier: I getting so much uptake on the grey clutch that I'm going to post a shot of the lining very soon.

        Thanks all for comments. K

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      12. mm, i love vintage. and i'd love to be the pseudo-academic, bulk-carrying hipster!

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      13. I love to have a glance into someones wardrobe, thank you K.Line :)

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