orla kiely, cath kidston, or neither?

[TheMysticMasseuse]

hey, having a bit of a low moment for all sorts of reasons, anyway to cut a very long story short i am about to draw my last paycheck and leave London. Neither are due to my choice so to "celebrate" and cheer myself up while i still can afford to cheer myself up with consumer goods, i thought i'd buy myself an "iconic" London handbag.

Currently hesitating between choice a and choice b

or perhpas choice c and choice d

what do people think? will i regret it once i move outside of London (to a completely different country) and what now seems so hip and "normal" will just look bizarre and mumsy? or will i fondly look at it and remember my London working mum days? and if the latter, whcih one?

or are they simply horrendous?

thanks!

I like the mini saddle bag best. Hope you feel better soon.

Simply horrendous - but I am without style and hate the fact that in our town the incredibly useful hardware store got replaced with a Cath Kidston which is full of totally useless over priced floral junk!

I'm really sorry but they are a bit mumsy in my opinion

Ollie and Nic have some lovely ones

I love choice c, in blue. I would very much like that one, in fact!

I have one or two things that remind me of my 9 years in London, and they often make me smile when they remind me of things.

A definitely. It's loads nicer.

Saying that, I bought my mum and my aunt matching glasses cases and key rings in cath kidston today, then I remembered my aunt has had her eyes laswerd she'll have to use it for sun glasses.

I generally love Orla Kiely handbags, that's not my very favourite, but it is very nice and would look good with more outfits/colours than the usual green/orange ones.

The thing about cath kidston that puts me off is that the whole house in the country thing just seems so ridiculous when living in a box in the city. I would feel silly even having cath kidston oven gloves.

In this order

A - lovely
C - lovely
D - nice but more of a shopping or knitting bag than a handbag.
B - don't like the white strap handle. looks mismatched.

A and C are lovely. Don't like B and D.

I like them in order! A, B, C and D.

What has moving out of London really got to do with it?

I moved out of London and it turns out that cath kidston globalisation got here before me. LIke you, I had thought that only ladies within shouting distance of sw19 really 'got' cath kidston. no, no.... never seen so many cath kidston blinds and cups and clothes pegs holders ..

A defintely, quirky and unusual. Cath is everywhere...soooo common these days

none are my cup of tea really but I do hope you feel better soon and the move is successful. C is my favourite.

May I make a suggestion? As someone who will leave London next year, I'd buy something from Liberty. I kind of think that all of the bags you've linked to will date, whereas a day in Liberty (London icon!!) complete with afternoon tea in one of the tearooms and a lovely bag that you choose in the flesh will mean a fabulous purchase *and fabulous memories.

That's my plan anyway!!

Ooh yes - Liberty. Drool.

cool your jets LetThemEatCake!! you'll be ordering a liberty bag in a mo!?

OK, supposing you hadn't just spent 300 big ones on a bag, link to the liberty bag YOU'd buy.

I am not the oP by theway, just curious.

Not ordering a Liberty bag ... no intention of ordering a Liberty bag ... see no point in visiting the Liberty site, it's the store I love

But if anyone does want to order anything from Liberty online

£20 OFF when you spend £100 or more at www.liberty.co.uk - Enter code XMAS09 at checkout.

I bought an Orla Kiely a few years ago similar to C and was sick of it within a year. Also it developed holes in several corners on the outside (admittedly - probably - due to overfilling it with crap). They are so common now, especially among mums, so the novelty wears off quickly. Having said that, the oilskin is very practical, so I prefer A.

But all in all I'd splash out on a lovely leather bag if I were you - something timeless that will last you beyond the multistem/flower phase and suit your new lifestyle (I'm definitely getting a messenger bag next time - kicking myself for getting over the shoulder jobs again and again that are so impractical when out with kids). All the very best with the shopping and your new life!

here's one I can afford

cocok, do you want to give me your old OK bag??

Lovely choice MaggieBelle - that would just about blow my current budget too. How things have changed with this lovely recession we're having - just because a bag's mumsy with holes in it and I'm sick of it doesn't mean I don't use it . Am currently on eBay searching for the cheapest changing bag on planet (messenger style, obviously).

CocoK, I'll sell you my SkipHop changing bag if you want. Black, good condition blah blah

I'm not allowing myself to buy anything else extrav for a while,,, but i am going to blow 500 on myself on my 40th next year! is that wicked!? cannee wait!! (need to oil the pain of turning forty dont i)

Pllaning to get a nice bag, a really nice necklace,maybe john rocha, and a givenchy perfume 'eau de givenchy' which has been discontinued but reintroduced as a limited givenchy edition.

I won't nOTICE being forty i'll be so busy stroking all my nice new things.

Hm, thanks Cake - interesting... Which version do you have, does it come with a mat, will it blow my budget and will stroking it make me feel less pregnant and boring? to-blow-on-oneself-emoticon

er, that emoticon didn't go exactly as planned. am not telling anyone to blow on themselves!

it's this one and yes, there's a change mat although possibly not the original one.

nah, won't blow your budget - but it's no psyche-boosting number either - for that you need this which I have in chocolate - divine!!

I like C the best.

Could you stretch to Paul Smith? That's a good english brand to remember your time in London by.

Or, get yourself up to Bicester shopping village where there is a great Mulberry shop which has loads of good offers on beautiful bags. There's also a Cath Kidston shop there too, which generally has a good selection of handbags.

You lucky, lucky thing - maybe the OP should look into one of those? I like the Skip Hop, thanks - but think I'll need a bigger version to contain all the crap that ruined my Orla Kiely (and some baby stuff too, possibly). The search goes on...

You're thinking of buying a Cath Kidston Bag as an iconic bag of London? WTF? are you thinking woman? How did CK and OK become hip and normal when you live in London? I only left 3 years ago has it changed that much!

Right I haven't been able to afford a bag from there for a while but I have some gorgeous soft leather bags from Ted Baker if you don't have LTEC budget.