A recent post on Susie Bubble’s blog regarding Slow and Steady Wins the Race’s bare bones take on “It Bags” got me looking inward. I am, after all, a self-confessed bag addict…what is it about some bags that causes me to lie awake at night strategizing on how I can make them mine while others leave me cold? What are the magic ingredients? Or, should I say, what are my magic ingredients…for surely in this, above all else, beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.


Take Balenciaga…the more ubiquitous bags, though colorful, do nothing for me (strangely enough, I prefer SaSWtR’s canvas version shown above over the originals)…but the B-bags that I own in two of the less common styles are amongst my favorites. So, self-motivator number one…rarity, or at least not staring back at me from every street corner.

Motivator number two has to be the quality…not that I’m saying all my bags have to be python or crocodile, I have a lot of cotton bags that I love, but the majority of my bags are fundamentally well constructed so no matter how inexpensive they don’t look cheap. A good-looking bag adds so much to an outfit but a poorly made bag subtracts a lot more.

As I’m not a millionaire motivator number three has to be price. The Sales Gods have been good to me (which means I've only paid full-price for two of my pricier bags). I can love a bag but if there's no way it's going to be mine I can resolve to adore it from afar. And from the opposite standpoint, if there's any way I can scrimp and save to afford the bag...I probably will.

Okay, so I have rarity...quality...and affordability. By all rights I should have the bag equation that I've been looking for r+q+a = MY BAG. And yet, isn't there always that one exception that proves the rule? I sincerely hope so...otherwise where would the fun be?