It is said that the shoe doth maketh the man. Ok, perhaps I have said that myself, but I add jeans to that refrain and a great suit, and most definitely the watch. Get these right and we are already at Clooney standards. For the lady, well we promiscuously fleet from the heels to bags, sunglasses to scent, according to the call of the season. The portfolio of ‘IT’ accessories is a rapidly growing one, where past seasons join the vintage wish-list and new trends are urgently the must-buys...
There are certain cities and countries, however, where people just get this right and style is in the DNA – they see the value in authentic and they know the mistake of going fake. Asia, without a doubt, leads the way and, on my recent travels, I found myself scrutinising the statement-item scream of style that adorned the arm, foot, wrist of anyone who was anyone in the coolest of bars, stores, malls and…..airports.
Yes, the 'IT' bag has grown up, had kids and sent them to college. The family shopping list has expanded to having cool luggage and, as I peered above my over-sized shades at the cool collection to walk the reclaim carousel catwalk, I could see the big names were all there…Rimowa, Tumi, Mandarina Duck and old favourite, Samsonite (spinner-full set-alu, of course), and I wondered….was the secret of suppressing the recession in any way related to the mass purchase of over-priced suitcases?
We have all had that moment - hop off the plane, wait in the faceless front row queue for the carousel to start, hoping your bag is the first out to make it through customs and step straight into a waiting cab.
Hopefully, anyone reading this blog has NOT had the other moment….the one where the ‘What were you thinking?’ bag comes out of the carousel. The multi-coloured, neon bright, floral chintz bag that may have seemed as the best bargain of all time but has haunted you ever since. Or the makeshift, time to dig the grave and bury the antique bag, that comes out with its contents strewn behind it on view for the public giggle. And the 2 people that are waiting at the very end of the carousel, no rush whatsoever to start their holiday….they own those bags, happy to be at the end of the taxi queue, wishing they had thought ‘Accessorise’ and not ‘Bargain’
So, as I sign the mortgage papers for my next fashion victim addiction, I wonder...how much I will need to spend to stay on travel-trend or what is the cost not to be disgraced by your battered suitcase?
‘Til next time, Pandora
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