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Oh shit, handbag emergency, help!

33 replies

nicebutjim · 09/10/2012 21:59

Please help me. I have a meeting with a client tomorrow at midday. I'm new to my job, I'm anxious for it to go well obviously. The client is a company owning many brands of very fancy handbags and the problem is I don't have a proper handbag (I usually carry a scruffy, broken hand-me-down from my mum which I don't really like). I know for a fact they are very snobby about handbags, watches etc. and check you out straight away. It's their job I suppose.

I know this is very disorganised of me, I know. I've been ill, had other things to deal with, it just totally slipped my mind. But yes I'm crap, feel free to tell me so.

Please help me do some damage limitation here. I can see a few options:

  • I take the scruffy one - bad idea in my opinion, its a fabric one and in no way smart not even in a vintage chic kinda way
  • I play it too cool for school and take no handbag at all (but where do I put my keys, wallet, pad etc.? and can I really pull this off?
  • I pretend I need a laptop - even though there is no conceivable reason I would need a laptop at all - and take everything in a geeky-looking black canvas laptop bag
  • I take one of those fabric type bags you get given in fancy bookshops - I have one that has no logo and is light purple. Is this a terrible idea?
  • I dash out in the morning and buy a cheapo bag, but they'll obviously spot it a mile away
  • I dash out and buy an expensive bag - I'd quite like to avoid this. For one, I don't really have the money but also, I'm so clueless that chances are I'd buy something I thought was really stylish but was actually totally out of fashion or something

I hope someone reads this. I was too scared to post in AIBU...

OP posts:
Annianni · 10/10/2012 07:52

Must proof read before pressing post...

Itsgottabebags · 10/10/2012 12:13

Are there any shops that sell pre loved bags/consignment stores?

DonaAna · 10/10/2012 12:23

For midrange and France, Longchamp or Gerard Darel (24h for example)?

AmberNectarine · 10/10/2012 12:32

Not cheap but very Proenza Schouler CdeC

mamapower · 10/10/2012 20:07

Out of curiosity, what did you do?

nicebutjim · 10/10/2012 20:55

Thank you to everyone for saving me from handbag shame. I dashed out. I found a few cheapo bags which looked fine to me but probably wouldn't really have cut the mustard with the client so I decided to get a leather one which I suppose I'll get good use out of. I couldn't find a super smart tote like the ysl one queenbeebread linked to (actually I saw one really nice one but it was 400euros). But I found a leather one like this in dark grey and begged the shop for a discount which they gave me. I worried for a while that it wasn't goimg to be smart enough but then totally forgot about it when I suddenly realised 5mins before the meeting in a grotty cafe loo whose floor was covered in piss that I had just got my period! I didn't have any tampons because they were in my old bag at home. I really wanted post on mn for more emergency advice but had no hands free because didn't have anywhere to put my bag down. Sorry if that's tmi and not quite what you had in mind when you asked me what I ended up doing!

OP posts:
mamapower · 10/10/2012 21:00

Grin It's lovely and good on you for negotiating a discount. You can use the saving to buy some tampons Wink

Turquoiseblue · 11/10/2012 04:30

It s lovely. I have a few nat et nin bags and they re great quality and last so well. You might have also inadvertently had a handbag fashion coup - as nat et nin is owned by 2 sisters who s family worked for years for hermes .... They apparently use the same standards and materials Smile (well that s what was explained to me by a pal from France .... Hopefully she wasn't winding me upGrin)
So hopefully your client thought it was a subtly wise clever and cool 'budget' fashion choice .......

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