How to look 'expensive' 2

[IkeaGoddess]

(old thread got to 1000 posts)

Well my leather leggings are Helmut Lang and no WAY am I putting them in the washing machine. I'm out £700+ if that goes awry.

Fair enough.

Totally agree with Higge and Amber re fake handbags. If you don't/can't buy the real thing then there are loads of nice leather bags out there at a cheaper price point.

I think a lot of pleather leggings look as good as leather nowadays.

Before and Boffin - great example of this is a Kardashian with a Birkin - quickest way to make a thing of beauty look cheap as.

On the other hand at a lunch last week, there was a stunning girl, about 5ft 9 with white shirt, long knee length charcoal grey cardigan, ankle length dark blue skinnies, slip on trainers in black leather, and black Birkin - a tad contrived possibly, screaming expensive definitely - I even followed her to the loo, she had small slim leather strap watch, delicate silver necklace, and diamond studs. Just perfect. And about a size 12- not skinny but definitely not fat!!! I am assuming she was not going outside, and if she was, obviously sacrifices style for warmth - I am not there yet!!

A £2000+ bag doesn't necessarily make an overall look, look expensive. I couldn't agree more, expensive handbags will not carry a poorly put together outfit - but a fake? What does that say - to me it says cheap and tacky!

So where do we buy an excellent quality hand bag that is NOT a wellknown designer and NOT fake and has NO LOGOS?
I have a bag I love but it's Luella and definitely has a logo by way of a dangly thing. Cost £250, that's about my limit.

BTW I bought a Bottega Veneta white shirt from Ebay this week for £25 - inspired by this thread!

For some reason the Birkin bag has never appealed to me.

Right now I'm really pining away for a YSL bag.

So where do we buy an excellent quality hand bag that is NOT a wellknown designer and NOT fake and has NO LOGOS?

Portobello market?

Actually higge I think you make a very good point. When Boffin first linked there were no indicators that these were fake bags. If I liked a bag and thought it good quality, I'd buy it not necessarily knowing it was a copy of something else. What I'd never do is buy a bag because it was a Birkin, or an anything else. I'd only ever buy something because I liked it. Sadly, I quite like expensive things but I can't bring myself to do it for a bag. Now, a piece of jewellery or a picture and you could get me on the hook

I don't buy many bags because I don't like logos. I currently carry one made by Mimi - I have another bag by Ceannis - lovely soft thick leather.

I used to buy my bags in Spain :)

I had a huge Mulberry slouch bag that lasted for donkey's years with daily use - it was stolen a few times, and the last thief got to keep it - but my Spanish bags are every bit as good, at something like a tenth of the price. And they are logo-free.

The second woman in pleather looks immeasurably better. The first woman looks good too; she just does not look 'expensive' - and that's ok. You don't actually need to look expensive per se, to look good ... which is what I meant by this thread morphing.

I just like structured leather bags, and I am not a logo queen at all. I bought the tan bag because it fitted my colour and shape criteria, stitching was tidy, fitted my laptop, not fussy or slouchy or Bohemian, removable shoulder strap.

I have one by Phynes that DH got me about a decade ago that is still going strong and that seems to be a good brand, but you don't see it over here very much.

These copies look pretty cheap and tacky, I think, in comparison.
Birkin copies

And you would need a lobotomy if you went and spent cold hard cash on this on Ebay IMVHO.
Second hand 'Birkin'

And a double lobotomy if you bought this one.

[http://www.ebay.com/itm/Authentic-Hermes-Noir-Black-Matte-Alligator-Crocodile-Birkin-Bag-30cm-PHW-/121855077728 Nearly 38,000 USD, good grief]]

You could buy a house and a car for that and still have change for a new sofa and a Mr Whippy in some parts of the UK.

So shocked I couldn't type

If you don't/can't buy the real thing then there are loads of nice leather bags out there at a cheaper price point.

With designs copied from other bags on the market too. There are only so many designs out there.

Blatant copies with massive fake logos are just not on.

Jigsaw and the white company do nice plain leather bags. It is pretty obvious when mulberry/hermes are copied.

And the whole fake industry is awful in my opinion.

Disclaimer: I haven't checked out or used this site but all this handbag talk reminded me that you can hire bags. For some reason I think I learned this from Sex and the City

www.fashionhire.co.uk/index.asp

Prices are still high though for me.

Watching The Affair and I think Helen (Maura Tierney's character) does the expensive look well.

Is this thread really about the difference between the style associated with inherited wealth and that of the the self made?

Who knows, Crevice, who knows?

😄

I've just been looking on-line at Mulberry Bayswaters and they are rather nice . I might look at them in the flesh. May have to sell a teenager!

I dont want to look like I'm part of a social set, I want to wear good quality beautiful clothes. Paul Smith would be my preference, but I have M&S spending power!