The right accessory handbag can change your life. I know this from personal experience.
My mother used to keep boxes and boxes of old stuff in her closet. Im not joking not even exaggerating. There was a whole section of her walk-in closet occupied by boxes of fashion relics dating back to the era of love-ins and Volkswagen buses. In truth, this collection was a treasure trove of abandoned designer duds, just waiting to come back into style. And thats how I discovered the little Gucci handbag.
I was in college at the time. I couldnt afford an expensive accessory handbag. I carried everything around in a rucksack, even when I went out in the evening. My only concern when it came to bags was functionality. How little did I know!
My mothers lovely little Gucci purse was a clutch handbag dating to the late 1970s. It was covered with the characteristic Gucci insignia, the two little interlocking Gs. And it had a green and red stripe of ribbon around the middle. Anyone who knows about handbag accessories would recognize it for what it was: pure vintage, and really cute. A similar pocketbook selling at a vintage store would have cost a few hundred dollars at least. And I got this lovely little accessory handbag for free, from a mom whose closet was so overstuffed, she had forgotten she even owned the thing.
Once I started carrying around the Gucci clutch purse, I discovered something amazing. Even the most ordinary outfit turned into a fashion statement when I carried my vintage Gucci bag. I could wear a ten dollar tee shirt and ratty old pair of jeans with sneakers, but if I carried my favorite accessory handbag, suddenly it looked chic instead of sloppy. I could convince myself that I didnt look like a lazy, poor college student, but rather a hip and edgy fashion maven. If I could afford an accessory handbag like that, and if I was savvy enough to go vintage, then I must know what Im doing. Anyway, that was the logic in my mind.
Truth be told, I was largely right, and I follow that simple fashion principle to this day. I dont bother filling my wardrobe with pricey designer clothes. I dont need to keep wasting money on the latest sartorial trends, knowing they will fall out of style in a matter of weeks or months. Instead, I save up my money and invest in a really fabulous accessory handbag every once in a while preferably a gorgeous, vintage designer bag. I pair it with everything from elegant eveningwear to sweats. And I always look like I know what Im doing.
6:29 PM