Fashion is somewhat baffling to me. I have never been able to understand why anyone would pay the prices that designers demand for the kitschy crap that totters down the runway each season, but clearly someone wants it. In fact, someone wants it so badly they are willing to just rent it.
From Bags to Riches is a reprehensible little company that will allow you to use an absurdly priced designer handbag for an absurdly high monthly fee. Observe:
I would think that it should be obvious that a handbag should NEVER cost $1900, but apparently someone is willing to pay that amount. Equally baffling to me is the idea that someone would fork out $190 and then give the bag back after a month. Is it not obvious that if you can't aford to purchase a luxury item, you definitely shouldn't rent it?
If you simply must have the bag, basic math should tell you that you could save $190 per month for 10 months and you could own it. Of course, by then this little bit of wretched excess might not be in style anymore, but you'd have a little nestegg set aside for whatever the new bit of fluff is that you can't live without. I would even posit that you could buy the bag, use it for a few months, and then sell it for less than purchase price on Ebay and still have paid less for it on a monthly basis than if you rented it from these folks.
The most appaling part of their website is their mission statement:
"At From Bags to Riches fashion has a deeper meaning than just the latest styles and trends. We believe the power of fashion inspires excitement, confidence, and that “feel good” vibe every woman gets from wearing something new. We know that when a woman looks her best she feels her best. Our mission is to extend this feeling to every woman on a regular basis by offering high fashion at a highly affordable price."
Do I need to point out that getting your "feel good vibe" from fashion accessories is kind of pathetic? This is indicative of an absolutely ridiculous level of status worship. Priorities have gone completely wonky. Please tell me that my Flock is more sensible than this...
Fashion Gone Awry
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8 comments:
hmmm. The only time I could see that being even remotely useful would be if you needed the handbag as a prop for a movie or play. I'm not interested in spending much for things unless the increased ticket price means more functionality. Having worked in the fashion industry, I know how much the manufacturer has to fork out and how very much the price goes up from there. All they're doing is catering to very elite sheep.
i love cute shoes and cute purses but alas i'm not Trendy so i usually keep the same purse in use for quite some time before changing. The most i have ever spent for a purse is $60 - real leather etc. on sale.... designer not a knock off etc. A true shopper knows how to attain these things. others just pay the normal asking price. sucks to be them.
Tara got a "Gucci" bag from a friend in California during our honeymoon, for free. I hear some women would kill for such an opportunity.
Did I just comment on a "purse" post? Damn! I wonder if that's a sign of me potentially being bi-curious? Jim? ;)
I do indeed have a Gucci bag. I debated selling it on ebay:) But it was a gift from a good friend of mine and I just couldn't do it.
Normally, I just buy what I like (which is something sparklely, colorful or unique in some way) and it seems to work for me.
This is beyond ridiculously stupid--this has delved into the realm of recockulus.
The biggest issue I take with this is this snippet:
We believe the power of fashion inspires excitement, confidence, and that “feel good” vibe every woman gets from wearing something new. We know that when a woman looks her best she feels her best.
What they're actually saying is:
We believe the power of fashion inspires excitement, confidence, and that “feel good” vibe every woman gets from wearing something new but only as long as it's socially determined by our panel of designers. We know that when a woman looks her best she feels her best due to the heavily-programed commercialism drive, and then she will feel her best only when decked out in the latest designs, regardless of their ability to flatter her figure or personal style.
See, the problem is that "feeling her best" has less to do with what accessories she carries, and more to do with her internal sense of self-happiness. What this hypothetical "every woman" (which, thank you very much for lumping us all in the same category, jackasses) is feeling when she saunters down the street for a month with her Rent-A-Bag is the sweet sweet feeling of being in the clique. "Look at me!" she's saying, "I have status! And I am at a higher class than most of you schlums."
I'm not knocking high-fashion as a whole; there are some cut and designers that produce good works and I know people who enjoy wearing them. But these people, who aren't falling into some textile keeping up with the Jones', aren't going to drop their high-fashion designs on a whim, as this business is advocating. In fact, they are proposing that you could give the illusion of being able to afford such high-price items, and thus stay on the cutting edge of popularity.
While actually paying more than you would have to pick something that you actually like as opposed to what they say you should like...
If your handbag bill is more than your car payments, you need to be kicked in the junk. End of story.
What if your your handbag bill is more than your car payment and you are without "junk" to kick? ;)
I'd just use my insane sexual wiles to convince someone else to buy it for me.
Actually - I have been known to do stupid things for shoes, but that's different, I have an addiction :) I won't tell you what my most expensive pair cost me, because you'll probably excommunicate me, but I was late on rent that month. I still have them (3 years later) and they are my favorite pair of boots.
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