asking for trouble
Must be all the Christmas advertising, the end-of-season sales, the general air of "let's make merry now that we've gotten our year-end bonuses"that's exhorting me to shop - I've been looking around and feeling the itch to spend more frequently these days (as you could tell from some of the recent posts, which involved admiring merchandise).
Today, I wandered into YSL - I don't often venture in shops like YSL and the similarly-priced, knowing it's fiscally very, very bad for me, but I was on a high after receiving the good news I was working toward and hoping for, and I had this idea that yes, I deserve a spontaneous treat.
There were some items on sale. Principle tells me that if something is worth the price in terms of design and quality and make, and that it is cherished investment rather than a temporary indulgence (and is at least halfway necessary), I don't need to wait for a sale to snap it up.
Practicality and circumstances however, beg to differ. I love sales because they put within reach something that would otherwise be prohibitively priced. This doesn't mean I buy things simply because they are on sale. The stars and moons need be aligned for a situation of rational desire, need, and the right price to come along.
Today is possibly one of those days; I saw this --
Not in black, but in mouthwatering charcoal grey. The delicately-creased patent leather was soft, and the clean lines of the bag was pliable against my body when I slipped the bag over my shoulder. It held its shape whether it was empty or full. It was in a size I find I use most often. It has a distinctive simplicity that makes it seem like it's waiting for the personality of whoever buys it to come along. I find it modern and classic.
I don't have anything quite like it. I really quite want it. The price was a terrific surprise - reduced to S$475. I wouldn't have bought it at full price, only because it would have been a substantial percentage of my monthly salary. But now it's within my reach.
I left the store. Buying it was like a betrayal of all the perfectly functional and lovable bags I own (all 5 of them). I made a fairly significant purchase earlier this year when I plunked for a Mulberry Bayswater, and told myself I would try to buy nothing for the rest of the year. Needless to say, I didn't quite keep to that promise. But I didn't buy any bags, because I felt that bag-wise, I was fulfilled.
I wouldn't be to-and-froing on this if I hadn't asked for trouble by walking into the bloody boutique, which also means I would have lived quite happily without knowing it existed. my head says if I lived without this happily as I did, I don't need it, and I shouldn't buy. My heart tells me I think too much and why of all things do I need to stress over this.
Have I fallen down the slippery slope of no resistance to beautiful things?
Image from ysl
Today, I wandered into YSL - I don't often venture in shops like YSL and the similarly-priced, knowing it's fiscally very, very bad for me, but I was on a high after receiving the good news I was working toward and hoping for, and I had this idea that yes, I deserve a spontaneous treat.
There were some items on sale. Principle tells me that if something is worth the price in terms of design and quality and make, and that it is cherished investment rather than a temporary indulgence (and is at least halfway necessary), I don't need to wait for a sale to snap it up.
Practicality and circumstances however, beg to differ. I love sales because they put within reach something that would otherwise be prohibitively priced. This doesn't mean I buy things simply because they are on sale. The stars and moons need be aligned for a situation of rational desire, need, and the right price to come along.
Today is possibly one of those days; I saw this --
Not in black, but in mouthwatering charcoal grey. The delicately-creased patent leather was soft, and the clean lines of the bag was pliable against my body when I slipped the bag over my shoulder. It held its shape whether it was empty or full. It was in a size I find I use most often. It has a distinctive simplicity that makes it seem like it's waiting for the personality of whoever buys it to come along. I find it modern and classic.
I don't have anything quite like it. I really quite want it. The price was a terrific surprise - reduced to S$475. I wouldn't have bought it at full price, only because it would have been a substantial percentage of my monthly salary. But now it's within my reach.
I left the store. Buying it was like a betrayal of all the perfectly functional and lovable bags I own (all 5 of them). I made a fairly significant purchase earlier this year when I plunked for a Mulberry Bayswater, and told myself I would try to buy nothing for the rest of the year. Needless to say, I didn't quite keep to that promise. But I didn't buy any bags, because I felt that bag-wise, I was fulfilled.
I wouldn't be to-and-froing on this if I hadn't asked for trouble by walking into the bloody boutique, which also means I would have lived quite happily without knowing it existed. my head says if I lived without this happily as I did, I don't need it, and I shouldn't buy. My heart tells me I think too much and why of all things do I need to stress over this.
Have I fallen down the slippery slope of no resistance to beautiful things?
Image from ysl
Comments
Functionality is usually important to me, but in this case I am sold mainly on design :)
-h: I spent the last few days thinking exactly that. I shall find out today if the bag has been snapped up, and if not, whether it's as fantastic as I remembered it to be...