The quickest way to admiration is to wear an item with a well recognized designer brand name . Coach, Dooney & Bourke, Kate Spade, Michael Kors , Juicy Couture, Cole Haan , B Makowsky.. I could go on all day. For you ladies with more dough these names become Louis Vuitton ,Chanel ,Dior etc. I love designer handbags,shoes, watches, and jewelry especially if the item is unique. I have my favorites designers that I collect and then the other designers I might just have one from each. For the sake of variety and keeping up with new trends, when new styles come out I sell my pre-owned older styles in my ebay store DI$TINCT LOOKS . This way I keep a little cash flow going for my little "shopping addiction".
I use to really focus on obtaining the bags that made it very obvious that I was carrying a designer name. You know what I am talking about - the Coach bag with the signature "C" s or Juicy Couture terry bag with big letters written across the front. Lately I have started to focus on quality more than making designer name obvious. The canvas and fabric bags get dirty easier and also seem to be harder to clean. It is of my opinion that the leather bags look a little more classy and last longer ( over time and also trendwise). B Makowsky and Cole Haan make beautiful leather classy bags perfect for everyday use.
Click on the Cole Haan bag below to see what I am talkin about
However, ladies I am definitely not knocking logo accessories completely. What I am trying to say is if you want to stand out in a crowd, get the bag that no one else has. Its tempting to follow the most popular trend, but in order to be unique you have to put your own spin on things. Let me illustrate these points with some examples below:
Example 1- Everytime I see someone with a Louis Vuitton bag I see them with the usual iconic monogram pattern illustrated above. Louis Vuitton manufactures a large variety of monogram bags, but everyone has this style. When I see this type I think knock-off immediately , because it is the most commonly replicated . If you have the kind of money to get an authentic LV why not step out of the box. If you did buy a replica , hey I am not mad at you ... not many people have the $$ for these sort of high end brands. But for the love of all divakind , did ya know they duplicate all the other types too? Im sorry .. I know I'm being harsh but you know I'm right. Below is a bag that gives you the same color and logo recognition ..it shouts " I am classy " and whether or not its the real version when I see you at the mall I will be green with envy.
Example.2 Every year designers hit us with trend after trend season after season. Take Coach for instance, and the ever flowering "poppy" idea. I love them and I want all of them. I got one when they first came out , what I didnt realize is that Coach would come out with new types so often that basically my last year's poppy now resembles a wilted flower. Take for instance the two bags featured here. To the left we have the new Emma style and to the right one of the new poppies. While Emma is plain she is still an eye catcher and she can be carried for a few years without the average person knowing her true age. On the other hand, in 6 months when the next wonderful poppy comes out , and your nemesis Jennifer at work walks in with it and stands next to you and this poppy...how are you gonna feel? BMW and Corvette keep their body styles for years , this is great because I can have my 2006 corvette for 4 years and pull up next to your 2010 corvette and not want to kill myself because for the most part the cars will look the same and we both feel like stars for years to come. My point is , I know this blog is about unique accessories and the bag on the right is the most unique so it will be more noticed, but don't get too caught up in fads that will go out of style easily. Isabella Fiore makes very unique bags ,but the funny thing is I can sell any of my old Fiore bags on ebay in a snap because she doesn't constantly pump out handbags , stick with the same ideas, nor overpublicize her designs. Same goes for other "collectible "designers like Timmy Woods (though the eiffel tower bag from sex and the city is likely to join the fad line) and Mary Frances. So you not only want unique, but you want rarity . Also ,you not only want style, but a silhouette that you can wear every season.Example 3. I am going to use the same two Coach bags. Emma is leather and Poppy is canvas. They are both light colors. But you spill red wine on both, while you can just wipe of emma its a lot more unlikely you are going to be able to restore poppy without going through some trouble.
With the economy downtrodden , I cant write this blog without mentioning cost. Fortunately, it seems everywhere I turn there is a sale for the same reason. Usually the newest styles don't get markdowned for months and thats when I say try ebay.I check ebay for anything I see that I like in a department store or online because there are many times I can get something a lot cheaper there. If you have patience though eventually your dream item will go on sale. I like to Check out Macys friends and family sale twice a year (the only time you can get their newest bags at a discount (20-25%) or Nordstroms during their seasonal sales and clearance for good finds.
For the lady who must have >$1000 bag , but doesn't want a replica. Here are my suggestions:
Get a pre-owned bag in good condition- bagborroworsteal.com ,thrift/vintage stores , ebay, craigslist all provide options to do that. (just make sure you trust the seller, see pictures so you can compare to the original, and get authenticity cards).
Sample sales- These sales are an opportunity to get near perfect merchandise at a fraction of the price. A great site that I found is called TheTopSecret.com
. They give you instant access to premier fashion brands at up to 75% off retail and offer 3-5 designer-specific sample sales per week. Each sale runs 1-3 days. Click here to go straight to the website Save over 50% on Designer Brands, plus an extra $15 OFF with code “SHHH!”
Find a regular retailer that sells designer bags at discounted prices. BEWARE , trust your instinct- if the prices seem to look too good to be true eg. a new $1500 Chanel bag for $200 then its probably a replica/knock-off. To get a directory to help you find retailers that sell authentic designer handbags Click Here! There are sites that are private shopping clubs ( invitation only) . These sites are similar to sample sales sites in that the items are limited in quantity and the sale itself is short in duration. I am a member of BeyondtheRack.com
. It is a private shopping club for women and men who want designer brand apparel and accessories at prices up to 70% off retail. They obtain authentic designer merchandise and provide it exclusively to members through limited-time events. Each event starts at a specific time and typically lasts only 48 hours. After each event ends the merchandise is no longer available. Members are notified by email in advance of each upcoming event according to their preferences. There are three ways to join Beyond the Rack:
1.You can be invited by a friend who is already a member
2.You can get a special invitation from one of their marketing partners
3.You can request a membership. From time-to-time, they restrict the number of new members that are added to the Club, which can cause a delay in accepting a request or invitation to join. They will do this in order to ensure that all their members have adequate access to the merchandise in each events.
Due to the exclusive nature of the merchandise in their events, quantities are often limited and certain styles may only be available in a narrow range of sizes. To take advantage of the broadest possible selection, They recommend that you come to the events early (soon after they open) and shop quickly. To ensure that all members have an equal opportunity to get the items they want, They also limit the amount of time an item can stay in your shopping bag. All merchandise comes from either: the manufacturer, a licensed agent, retailer, or importer. They guarantee the 100% authenticity of every product sold. You can contact me for an invitation through shopaholicammy@aol.com if you want to try the site and you can't get in.
For other retailers that offer discounted prices click the banners below.
is also a good site they have a large selection of designer brands especially those I will mention throughout my blog. They most always have a sale. They have a 60 day return policy and offer free returns ( you don't pay a single penny for postage back to their facility).From my experience , they also ship fast and you process refunds fast.Most of the top designers and trends come out of Europe especially Italy. I found a site called Forzieri that carries all the leading designer accessories. Click the search box , choose your designer , press go and have fun browsing their site.
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