To sleep, perchance to dream
Une femme has been sleeping erratically the past few weeks. It’s probably a combination of hormones and warm weather, but I seem to wake up warm and restless between 1 and 2am and it takes an hour or so to get back to sleep again.
Usually I don’t remember my dreams, but had a very real and vivid one last night. I dreamt I dropped over $4K at Louis Vuitton. And I don’t even really like LV bags that much. I woke up to one of those “whew, it was only a dream!” moments. But the residual guilt from my dream lingers, which often happens when I behave badly in my dreams.
Here in LA, you can’t spit in any direction without hitting a Speedy. Style books will tell you it’s one of the “classic, “iconic,” “must-have” bags in every woman’s collection, and it seems a lot of women agree. It was one of the first designer bags that I purchased (based on that premise) and one of the first that I sold, mainly because it was so ubiquitous but also because it really wasn’t practical for me. I’ll also admit this was a nostalgia buy: when I was a young, poor working woman in New York, I used to see the (I assumed) successful career women with their LV monogram bags, and so that association stayed with me. But ultimately, what I admired in the past didn’t translate into the present.
Here in LA, you can’t spit in any direction without hitting a Speedy. Style books will tell you it’s one of the “classic, “iconic,” “must-have” bags in every woman’s collection, and it seems a lot of women agree. It was one of the first designer bags that I purchased (based on that premise) and one of the first that I sold, mainly because it was so ubiquitous but also because it really wasn’t practical for me. I’ll also admit this was a nostalgia buy: when I was a young, poor working woman in New York, I used to see the (I assumed) successful career women with their LV monogram bags, and so that association stayed with me. But ultimately, what I admired in the past didn’t translate into the present.~
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While these might have held some appeal to me at one point, based on discreetly-signalled quality, there’s nothing discreet about them now — they simply scream, “Look, I can afford this monogrammed bag,” and that kind of screaming seems the worst kind of tacky. I did love the LV luggage in The Darjeeling Express though!
Once an item is widely and convincingly faked, owning one ceases to be a sign that one grasps “quality.” And items splashed with logos are the first to be faked…
I just cannot get over the fact that these are canvas. As I cannot get over the fact that Kate Spade, Prada etc. may be nylon – if I’m paying more than $25, I want LEATHER!
Give me a bag dream rather than the ‘it’s my final exam and I revised the wrong subject’ one I torment myself with still, after all these years.
I find the designer bag thing bewildering. If someone wanted to present me with an original Kelly bag with some matching green shoes, I’d be thrilled (don’t worry – not holding my breath) but I don’t want to walk around with a bag decorated with a logo or pattern that is instantly recognizable and replicated on the arms of thousands of women in the same city. One time I was in the elevator of a hotel in NYC and three or four women stepped in, all bearing the same big white bag; after a while we all streamed across the lobby, more big white bags, and out on to the street where I began to bleat like a sheep.
I do enjoy an interesting trend, but wonder why aspiration isn’t about original. Any ideas?
Oh I loved that Darjeeling luggage too, so quirky. Here the Speedy is referred to as the Starter LV. I really don’t like them but I do love my friend Jim’s huge steamer trunk that he uses as a coffee table. (it was his aunt’s.)
Heard an interesting comment from a boutique leather goods buyer, he said the very highest end “it” bags are not the best made (except Hermes, depending on leather and construction)- he said they are too fragile to withstand much wear and company knows “women will trade them after a season anyway and not complain”.
Oh, I can’t stand them. While I wouldn’t hesitate to carry an un-logo’d LV Epi, the monograms are just so tacky. I’m such a terrible snob — whenever I see Coach bags with their huge, ugly logos all over them, I think, “Ah, Coach. For those who can’t afford Vuitton.” And now I’ve started to think, “Ah, Vuitton. For those who can’t afford Goyard.” (Not that I’m buying either of those things, mind you.) My newest bag is a buttery-soft Cole Haan that I got for a steal at the outlet. It’s beautiful and I lurve it. It has one small, discreet brass nameplate that I turn so it’s against my body when I’m carrying it.
Miss J has NEVER understood the appeal of the LV bag. Even as a status bag. Over-priced and hideous and Sweet sick bejesus, Miss J HATES logos! Thank goodness twas only a nightmare, Deja Pseu.
I always assume that the LV bags I see around London are fakes – they are everywhere, so there’s no way I’d want one myself – real or fake.
Déja, ici les faux LV sont partout, je préfère mes sacs un peu plus discrets.
Orane
Also was in NYC in my younger days and in high school all the rich girls (and their moms) had these. I never liked them, I just don’t get the logo thing.
By the by – have you seen the Helen Mirren bikini pics?! I don’t know wether to be inspired or depressed! But she is stunning inside as well. Go Helen!
I’m glad that I have never acquired the desire to have expensive bags, because I can’t afford them anyway. Luckily, they hold absolutely no appeal to me. A good, well made bag? Yes. Maybe a couple of hundred dollars at the most, which still gives me a bit of a heebie. But not a super expensive bag that’s trendy. No way.
Have you seen the services that rent them out, though? What a good idea for the must have type folks. 🙂
For some reason I have never wanted an LV bag…and I’ve never owned one.
One of the best ad campaigns ever, in my opinon, was the Botega Veneta campaign from the 1980s with the slogan “When Your Own Initials Are Enough”. That has always been my motto and still today I won’t wear or carry anything with a visible logo.
Still, the LV vintage steamer trunks are pretty cool.
materfamilias – yes, the LV logo has become the neon sign of status seekers.
drwende – I’ve never understood the desire some people have to buy fakes. It’s like eating a rice cake when what you really want is a cupcake, just not satisfying. (Never mind the illegality, and all that goes along with it.)
anon@716a – I never understood the popularity of the designer nylon bags either.
arabella – I guess buying into trends and “it” bags is a way of signalling membership in a particular tribe. Oh, and back in college I used to dream that I showed up for finals in my pajamas!
duchesse – I’d certainly believe that about “it” bags not being as well made as some less expensive brands. Hang out over on the Purse Forum, and you’ll see plenty of complaints about shoddy quality of some very expensive bags.
style spy – yeah the Coach logos really, really bug me, mostly because Coach used to be about timeless styles and quality, and it seems like they went and pissed on their previous customers in trying to tap into the youth market.
Julie – yes, there are plenty of great bags out there for under $200 (stay tuned, I’m featuring some in tomorrow’s post). You really don’t have to spend four figures to get a well-made bag.
miss janey – but tell us how you *really* feel about logos, LOL!
anon – yes and there are some BAD fakes out there. There’s a lot of information out there about how the counterfeit goods trade funds organized crime and sweatshops; it’s just not worth it and most of the time they don’t fool anyone with the fakes.
Orane – oui, c’est vrai; j’ai vu. I was surprised at how many fakes I saw in Paris too. I’d been told they really crack down.
Belle – yeah, if someone wanted to give me one of those steamer trunks to use as a chest or coffee table, I wouldn’t turn it down. 😉
I like vintage Coach bags…You know, the Bonnie Cashin designs made in New York? Recently found two on Etsy, in great condition. One looked brand new! But I also agree with Pseu…as a young woman working in Manhattan the LV Speedy s mand d to be the height of chic.