Admit it. You want an It bag.
You’ve always wanted one but couldn’t justify the high price.
So you’ve settled for on-trend high street alternatives over the years. Part of the concern is investment risk. What if you buy one, get bored and stop using it? What if your style changes?
The trick to ponying up is finding THE ONE that’s right for you and that will survive your evolution.
So, what’s an It bag anyway?
- Boasts an iconic, instantly recognizable design.
- Continues to stand the test of time.
- Is referred to by name and it’s not necessary to prefix them with the design house they hail from. For instance, a Birkin is just called a Birkin not a Hermès Birkin.
- Represents a status symbol more than a vessel for lipstick, keys and sunnies.
- Lastly, usually hard to find but has sparked enough ‘inspiration’ to be found on street corners, à la the rampant parallel replica market.
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| Think Audrey: iconic, easily recognizable, hard to find and often addressed by first name |
Where do they come from? When was the term coined?
French fashion houses have been creating It bags well before the term was coined in the late 1990s. While It bags are mostly of French origin, the Italians are an unmistakable second, while a smattering of British and American designers are thrown in for good measure.
Historical Irony?
Contrary to their origin, it is the Baguette (by Italian house of Fendi) that is touted as the bag that started the It bag craze, courtesy Sarah Jessica Parker's patronage in Sex & The City.
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| Which Sex & The City fan doesn't remember the infamous bag thief scene? Yep, that was the Baguette. |
Why are they expensive?
The bigger question, why do we pay the dosh?
Fashion houses will tell you it’s all in the raw materials and craftsmanship. High quality
of leather, real gold/metal hardware, and exotic skins such as
python and ostrich all dramatically raise the price.
A Crocodile Birkin is yours for a cool $120,000. Yikes!
With the team of designers and craftsmen employed by Hermès their bags are handmade works of art. Their craftsmen are more like artisans who undergo a couple years worth of training to create a Birkin.
A Crocodile Birkin is yours for a cool $120,000. Yikes!
With the team of designers and craftsmen employed by Hermès their bags are handmade works of art. Their craftsmen are more like artisans who undergo a couple years worth of training to create a Birkin.
For one, you’re paying for more than the brand, missy!
It’s the symbol of what the brand represents.
Coco Chanel was voted one of the top 100 most influential people in the world so when you buy Chanel you buy a slice of the myth, the aura, the woman that was Coco Chanel.
What else makes them so coveted? Waiting lists, limited availability, fashion press and celebrity endorsements all contribute to the ‘covet-worthiness’.
It’s the symbol of what the brand represents.
Coco Chanel was voted one of the top 100 most influential people in the world so when you buy Chanel you buy a slice of the myth, the aura, the woman that was Coco Chanel.
What else makes them so coveted? Waiting lists, limited availability, fashion press and celebrity endorsements all contribute to the ‘covet-worthiness’.
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| Your It bag is a SYMBOL of the myth, the aura, the lifestyle. The top-notch raw materials and craftsmanship are an obvious plus. |
Up next : The It List
My exposé of the top 10 IT bags of all time, and and why every girl’s gotta have one.
My exposé of the top 10 IT bags of all time, and and why every girl’s gotta have one.
Images
http://500px.com/photo/40835276/fashionista-hijabista-by-dikmie-kimie
http://www.ndf.fr
http://www.fabsugar.com
http://jocette.com/2012/03/22/coco-chanel-quotes/
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