Chanel - "Imitation if the highest form of flattery."

Coco Chanel once said "Imitation is the highest form of flattery."

However, I don't think many other designers would share this idea.

I love bags and shoes, and quite often I fall head over heels in love with designers items that I cannot afford but wish I could. In those times I look to the high street as more often than not they produce the bags that make you happy as they are the quality of designers at more affordable prices.

The Chloe Marcie bag, soft leather piping on the front and tassels, for the small hobo bag it is £845, I bought a very close looking bag by Fiorelli for £29.99, it should have been £65 ohthe joy of TKMaxx. It is even nicer than Chloe if I can be so brave as to say that, but as a Fiorelli bag it is still a good quality bag at a fraction of the price.

The Alexa Mulberry my lust after bag. I walk past that shop that proudly displays them in the window and it makes my heart flip, sad but true. Those bags are about £695 for the small version. I bought one from Next £30, just as gorgeous, it has everything I like about the Alexa.

Now when I talk about imitation I am not talking about those knock off bags you get. Not bags that are pretending to be designer but those that share the same characteristics but that people can kind of tell isn't the real thing. Not the bag that people are second guessing because that kind of imitation I don't think is all that great. Bags that look like it great, bags pretending to be it...not great. 

I suppose it is the same with shoes. Nearly every woman I would think wants a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes, a pair of patent Mary Jane's with a flash of scarlett sole, you are in New Look and you see a pair exactly the same even down to the red sole. However, much you want the patent MJs there is something different about owning a pair of Louboutins, there is a classiness and elegance that owes to owning a pair.

I just think that owning an imitation that is trying desperately to be the real thing is lacking, as something that looks like it is great as it is flattery but something that is trying to be it is a little sad. Well that is what I think anyway.

I do think Chanel is on to something as it is a compliment as if people like it enough to want  a piece of it, it shows that the designer is doing something right.

There's something about the alexa bag

The new mulberry Alexa bag, I just have the undeniable urge to buy it, yes it is £695 but in my head I paid £500 for a vintage Chanel bag so paying the extra £195 for a brand new bag seems justifiable.

I’m looking for a satchel or messenger bag at the moment, none of the shops have what the style I want and e-bay has turned up dud after dud of overpriced, not particularly nice bags, so when I initially saw the new mulberry Alexa bag my heart had a little flutter, all I saw was the photo of the gorgeous tan, leather satchel and then felt a stab in my stomach of dread when I saw how much it was.

I’m also a firm believer in cost per wear, my Chanel bag for instance cost me £500, I have used loads of times, at least 50 times, and therefore the cost of the bag is £10 per use!
However, at the moment the good shop angel is whispering in my ear and as of yet I’m going to resist the urge of buying the bag and be a good girl.......... this is helped by the fact it’s sold out everywhere :)