The Unraveling of Designer Ella * Shopping * Fashion * Blogging * Lifestyle

We shopaholics have to casually undercut the appearance of prices on our purchases. Always round down - is the first rule. Round down to the nearest hundred, or say “400-something” etc. Forget it like it’s casual. Also, cut off everything but the first or second numbers. $1,500 could be, “1, 5.” “High 4″ or “high 4s” isn’t bad either. Never say a full price like $1,200 in public!

And remember, it never has to be another soul’s business what you paid for your IT Bag or how much those Manolo Blahniks go for.

Latest bag: Marc Jacobs Amanda, named “Oscar”:

I’ve been desiring a Chloé Paddington before I even knew it. Pursed Lips readers may remember I searched and searched for a bag with side belts/straps for months. (Somehow, I needed it, and it’s also an aspect I wish to focus on in one of my dreamed for handbag lines.) I finally settled on a few styles of large Coach satchels, and although I loved them, they didn’t satisfy my need.

Now I know Paddingtons are more about the huge padlock at the top, but they’re also the most known bag with side belts, and the satchels have just the right shape. Plus, they’re IT bags, and basically my first main IT bag I ever owned!

So first I searched and bought all the wrong bags, I bought Paddington copies by BCBG Max Azria, even. I liked the Paddington, I wanted the Paddington, but not enough to want to pay the price.

Then I was on some handbag blog and saw there was a sale on Paddingtons - 50% off. Oh, at that $800 price, I suddenly needed one. Needed one like a replacement liver! But it turned out to be a private sale for special customers, and I missed out. And some months ago, I joined the eBay bag message board, read guides, and learned a lot more about differentiating fakes from the real thing. And I knew the real thing when I found one in my perfect color, Chocolate, lovingly used at just the right 50% off price! (Plus at these forums, one gets feedback on authenticity opinions.)

And I’ve read that Paddingtons are over, but a gorgeous bag is a gorgeous bag, and I’m obviously not just following a trend. This is one of my ultimate IT bags, personally, even though I usually prefer more classic bags to hip. So yeah, bag lovers love bags even after their season!

A deal made to pay when I had the money, (it being Christmas-time and all) and that binding agreement later (it was mine! I just needed to do the little thing of “buying”), and I am the proud waiting-for-shipment owner of my very own Paddington. (Yes, I locked in the deal days ago and paid today. I got paid thanks to the 1st being a holiday and my Glam Media payment coming early as a pseudo Christmas bonus!)

Now when the bag arrives, and I’m back from my holiday trip to get ahold of it (don’t worry, my mums will sign or pick up at the postie asap - as I will inform her) I will show and tell all about its buttery leather, too-heavy-for-sure lock, etc. etc. You may even learn if a Paddington is right for you, and whether you should buy one! 

Omgosh, I’m so excited! I can’t believe it! In just over a week, I can carry my very own Paddington to the malls! I’m gonna step out with my new baby! (Another long overdue baby. :-P)

When I first started blogging, I didn’t know much about designer shoes. I liked affordable brand shoes (hey, still do, thanks). I cared about look vs. luxury and craftsmanship. A cute shoe could be found almost anywhere, and if it were cute, it was cute enough! I figured most of the regular fashionable gals felt this way.

Now I blog more about designer shoes—hey they’re interesting. I know about designer shoes. I understand Blahniks, and I respect Louboutin more than copies, of course. Yet I still buy brand shoes when I need ‘em. My luxury is handbags and that’s it.

But the difference is the view when blogging is the goal. I was so naive with it, perhaps. But in many ways, that was good. Was it better? I think I have a sensible view toward shoes now, but my handbag addiction is dangerous. Oy!

Ah, I miss the good ol’ days. I love blogging, and actually soon you’ll find some more brand shoes on Kiss Me, Stace.

This post is apart of my blogging anniversary series on the Unraveling of Ella over these 2 years.

It seems difficult to imagine that I once didn’t know the collections of Louis Vuitton bags. I’m sure I always at least vaguely knew the name. I didn’t know the style shapes, but before two years ago, did I even recognize the logo??? (I hope so to the dear Lord.)

This thought is scary to me. Quite. Yes, this thought.

Being a fashion blogger now, I need to know these things and more. But am I better off? Now I see a bag and a designer or style name immediately comes to mind (well not always). Is this good, or am I using my brain power for evil?

There was one day early into bag blogging at Pursed Lips, when I didn’t think too far into things, to flesh out the pieces. For instance, when I wrote a designer name, I didn’t think about who was behind the label. I, along with everyone in the modern world, knew that Gianni Versace was killed, and that his odd sister, Donatella, took over his design world. I knew this (and the Saturday Night Live skit about her), but when I wrote about bags I didn’t think of it. Not the they, he, she, it, no they were just bags.

I liked bags, but I definitely started out not knowing much. Pursed Lips began just as a journey into becoming a bag lady. I really, really liked bags, enough so to have a separate blog, but I was no expert. Who cares as long as you’re passionate? (Well many do.) But the blog’s grown, I’ve become quite knowledgeable, I love the blog dearly now and am so glad I have it.

But still there was one early day when I ragged on an ugly, overdone Versace bag and pretty much asked, “What was Mr. Versace thinking?” (Actually, I said “he” must have been high making the bag.) Because hey, all corporate heads are big floating “The Man” right? I think this is where I came from.

But I was corrected, that Versace’s head designer was a woman. Ms. Versace, indeed. And then my knowledge came to me, Donatella Versace = Versace = click! Thus I started a new thought process while blogging. And sometimes I needed to do more research.

It’s embarrassing to remember such things, but none of it really matters. I have fun, I enjoy playing the name game now, and also have some success through this learning process. Not bad.

Anyway, now I can tell you all the variations of Louis Vuitton monogram, call out style names, and tell if they’re fake. Quite a way indeed.

Tonight I sit and write on the wee hours after my 2nd anniversary of when I started blogging sill-il-y about shoes on Kiss Me, Stace.

I’ve come (er, gone) soo far in these 2 years. Bought so much, raised my budgets so many times, and grown my income to something I’m excited about. I’ve had a lot of fun, some tought times (the sandbox) and even gotten some good freebies.

But I started out as a different person. I was fashionable, artistic and a writer. I cared about animals and spent more time on intellectual pursuits than hunting down IT bags with buttery leather. And believe it or not, I didn’t know a $200 purse existed! (Until one fateful day. At a Macy*s. The object was COACH.) I thought $60 was expensive for a purse!

Then my budgets rose, my money shrank (and grew and shrank and grew), my hobbies changed, my morals declined, and maybe even my IQ has been ill-effected just a little bit.

Anyway, this week on Designer-Ella.com, I’m doing a special look back to what’s changed for Ella. I may even show pictures of bags blogging bought me.

Oh and I still need to show you my birthday present bags and tell you the COACH stores!! Don’t let me forget - and thank you for reading!

And I would love the Large Carryall, however the straps are too long for me. It’s going back. Les sighs. I do not regret selling the medium, though.

I do love the black striped Book Tote I also purchased with selling money, though, but it doesn’t give me tingly high feelings. I’m waiting on shipments. Come come come!

Photos and more stories are also coming.

Remember the Coach Medium Carryall I just died to get? Remember I called her my baby and named her Delilah? Remember all the posts about her?
Well, for a little while I’d been thinking about selling my beloved bag to upgrade to the Large Carryall, because I just can’t do even medium bags anymore! Is that bad and wrong of me when I called her my baby and said I gave birth to her? She was my child with COACH?

Is it bad that I’ve done it, I’ve sold Delilah? Is it bad that I’ve shipped her out, that she’s gone?

You’re not mad at me, are you? You don’t think less of me? Can you still take my bag love seriously?

Well, I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t get that attached to a bag before I even have it. Who really can commit to bags? They’re not children at all! They’re just lovers in passionate affairs—often brief.

Sometimes my Nans gives me money and tells me not to spend it, to put it away for a rainy day.

But you know I’m constantly encountering rainy days.

Every few months I have a budget crisis.

Or I discover I need a new bag or three.

Anyway, this month is one big rainy snowy time, my friends! And there’s a storm right now.

(Hmm, I think this means I need that All-Weather Leather Dooney I just purchased!)

Since the cold of last winter in my cute beret hat, I’ve wanted earmuffs, but good earmuffs are hard to find. Burberry had ones to match my cashmere candy check scarf, but they were expensive … and had shearling lining.

Shearling is like fur from lambs - cute lambs. They’re farm-raised, but babies, and they’re not necessarily from free range farms (the only meat I’ll buy from the market, although I’m not too wealthy, is free-range all natural). Still, shearling is not the same brutal thing as fur. I can be anti-fur and okay with shearling, maybe, right? …

A trip into J. Crew browsing scarves led to me amazing earmuffs, grey to match my coat, or a tan plaid to “go” with Burberry, sophisticated … shearling lined.

I touched them. Nice. I put them on my head … and felt murder. Or really what I felt was the guilt of loving them sooo much. So soft! I put them down to ponder them for one day.

I ended up thinking about them nonstop for two weeks. Until I couldn’t wait to get them, no matter my morals. Until they nearly sold out and I snatched the last grey pair. Merchandise credit + $9 and they were mine. I wore them out of the mall (tags and all).

And my guy best friend approved okay but teased me, “go on, say f*** you to the sheep.”

But I love them, I can’t get enough of them, they’re the warmest earmuffs could possibly be - which practically is reason enough, right? And I rationalize that sheep are farm-raised, it’s not at all the same as fur. It’s just … lambs are so cute! I couldn’t eat something like that (or I hope I couldn’t), what am I doing?

My BFF also called me an eco-poser. I have been slowly declining in my environmentalism for years. I hated wood until I wanted to get a guitar (okay, I was a nutty little 12 year old), then leather until quality shoes and luxury bags (ooooooooh, leather so soft!). I’m a hypocrite when something I stood against suddenly and selfishly works for me.

Here I am again, unraveling in my identity over fashion.

I just noticed a film in French on, so I started watching it. The movie turned out to be Le Divorce (thanks digital cable).

Then I noticed a Kelly bag.

…

At the last moment of the movie I watched ;-\, Kate Hudson tossed one of the most expensive bags in the world—an Hermès bag—off of the Eiffel Tower.

Trés =-O

I think I need to mourn. I’m appalled at this movie.

But it’s still on in the other room, and there’s an auction (not for the discovered bag, le sigh) … so at least I can brush up on my numbers. (That’s $4 million!)

Most recent bag carried: Coach “Delilah” Carryall