style notes: buying for keeps

via tumblr

is it just me, or is this so common that it's becoming a cliché? [insert designer name here] builds loyalty and acclaim around gorgeous, great pieces, customers flock to the brand, brand buzz builds to the point of hype, prices increase, and...quality decreases.

a change of heart

  via tfs

in light of the blogger meltdown, last week was a nice week to take a break from blogging. i have some news to update here - and it does seem like a lot has changed since i last posted!

so those of you who read my blog regularly may remember that about two months ago, i splurged on a vintage Chanel classic flap, my holy grail bag after several years of wishlisting and saving for it...

after i got it, i wore it pretty regularly for a few weeks, and did a few style posts about it here as well. however, i noticed that i just could not bring myself to get past the stage of 'babying' it. even though the lambskin leather on the vintage jumbos is a lot more durable than the current ones, i was always slightly too-careful when i was wearing it out. also, as it turns out, the large CCs made me rather self-conscious. so, last week, after much mulling, i sold it.

since i am not a fan of the current classic flaps, i am now newly obsessed with the 2.55 reissue in distressed calfskin. the way Daria is wearing it in these photos epitomizes the kind of stylish ease of the Chanel flap bag that was just missing in my vintage classic flap.

the ever-chic lin and S are also fans. sigh...this is such a bad time to be in the market to buy one, as the much-ballyhooed price increases have just made both the classics and the 2.55 reissues go up another egregious 20% (!!). oh well. patience and more research and ebay stalking for now...

there is quite a bit of trial and error and some fickleness with shopping, of course, but for me to shell out so much for a Chanel bag, i have to be 150% satisfied with such an investment purchase.

have you ever changed your mind after a big-ticket purchase?

love-hate luxury

the vintage Chanel classic flap (jumbo, black lambskin)

let me preface this post by saying that i've been thinking about this bag for a long time. this is the splurge of the year, not to mention the last bag (or sartorial item in general) that i'll buy for a long time.

investment purchases

jane birkin and her original 'birkin bag', a simple woven basket

'investment purchases' and 'investment dressing' are phrases that have been bandied about quite a lot in Vogue, blogs, and elsewhere in the media since the recession. it's a controversial idea.

what not to wear

six items or less founder tamsin davies and her minimalist picks - more photos here

i just read this article on the NY Times about a web/blog challenge called 'six items or less'. i think the idea is absolutely brilliant, as i and many other fashion bloggers have posted about ways in which we try to edit down our wardrobe, cut out impulse shopping, and really try to refine a personal style that transcends seasonal trends.

i am intrigued and really want to do the 'shopping diet' experiment for a month as a conscientious daily regimen to supplement my ongoing closet-editing on laws of general economy. since we have a wonderful community of commenters and fellow bloggers here, i am also very interested in what your thoughts are on this experiment. perhaps we can start a small viral community of '6 items or less' bloggers for a month?

what is 'fashion' to you on a daily basis? what is your current shopping modus operandi? my efforts to scale back and refine my consumption habits and sartorial purchases in the past few years can be characterized as efforts to rationalize what is essentially an irrational desire: the love of beautiful clothing and the thrill of discovering 'the new'. do let me know what you think!