change of heart

k
via muus

I had the happy luck to borrow this Celine Classic Box bag from a friend with a very... comprehensive collection of bags. Hers is a lipstick red, it looked terrific with my outfit, and it was pretty terrific to use as well. I may be in love.

I've checked out this bag before at the boutique, chatting with their admirably patient sales people, trying it on. I felt a little unused to such a boxy bag, and I wasn't fond of the two-compartment interior, because I've never found a satisfactory way to store things in such confines. Also, the design is a little too much like the Hermes Constance, which feels a tad unoriginal.

But it was gorgeously made and heavenly to touch. I left thinking, 'nice, but not for me'.

A year later, I feel quite different. Carrying it around, it seemed to enhance my outfit. I liked the spot at which it hung, near my bottom ribs. I like the feel of the leather. I liked that it gave me an air of polish. I liked that in a sea of Chanels (why is it that every party I attend is stocked with people who buy Chanels like I buy sweets?), it was quite unassuming.

I've been thinking whether it's the "small day bag" I've been looking for. I visualise it sometimes when I'm getting dressed. I'd be looking for the right bag to bring out with me, and it would come to mind.

I still have misgivings about it. For one, does it deserves its price tag, it being a from house not known for its bag-making skills? And frankly, since I use a big bag five days out of seven, what is exactly is the point of a small day bag?

Let's see how I feel about this by the time my trip to Europe swings around this October. If it feels right, the trip will be the perfect time to pick it up.

Picture from muus

Comments

Joy said…
The bag is beautiful! I don't what kind of advice to offer per se since I am a "small bag ftw" type of girl here but I think you'll like the flexibility of choice between something big and something small. I love how understated Céline bags are, which definitely exemplifies 'quiet elegance', something that shows the owner had thought and care over her wardrobe. Def worth the buy!
Ammu said…
It is a gorgeous bag :) You have been wanting a small day bag for a while now, right? I have to say, I rarely use small bags, and if I do, it's almost always a clutch. But it's all a matter of what one likes to use.
I am currently mulling over a Bayswater - how do you find yours? Is it heavy? Can you comfortably wear it on the shoulder? I almost always get bags with messenger straps but there's something so elegant about the Bayswater design....
yanqin said…
Joy: Practicality-wise, I definitely use a big bag a lot more, and then I find myself lost whenever I don't have much to tote around.

Ammu: I'm quite okay with my Bayswater, but it all depends on what leather it's made of...my sister's oak leather one is definitely heavier. It sits on the shoulder comfortably, but if I'm out on assignment all day, I still prefer a messenger to be honest...a tote just don't sit flat against your body when you're standing and taking notes, aha. For a mostly office-meetings type of day, it's perfect and always elegant without being too ostentatious.
Ammu said…
Thanks for the feedback! I think I am going to mull over it some more. It's so elegant but I do like a messenger strap....
miss sophie said…
take your time on mulling over this bit-ticket purchase. i rather like the design/functional element of the H clasp on the Hermes constance, but the low-key girl in me has some qualms about such a flashy logo. i suppose Phoebe sensed this and came up with the box bag. i definitely try to buy handbags from companies that are renowned for that particular speciality, though. perhaps you can read some reviews of how the box bag stands up to wear from the ladies at the purse forum?
Anonymous said…
Such a beautiful bag!! I like how you really consider the pros and cons of it. The design is similar to the Constance, but I do think the box bag isn't just a copy, It definitely think it has a certain distinctness about it that appeals to me in a way the Constance doesn't, and I love the simple understated clasp. About the price, bags have just become so expensive, I wonder how much they will be charging 5 years from now. Although I can't comment so much on the quality, I have never read anything about Celine bags being bad quality. I have read A LOT of bad reviews about Chanel bags, which puts me off completely.
If you were to get one.. what colour would it be?
Anonymous said…
Hi Lin, hope you had time to read my reply! Anyway, love this in camel and it certainly does not have the fussy double flaps like Chanel. What are the prices like in Europe?

-eil
S said…
I think the bag is absolutely beautiful, but I can't stomach the price of designer bags anymore. Until you got to the Hermes level, didn't $1K used to buy you quite a bit of luxury and design? Long gone are those days!
yanqin said…
Ammu: Me too, I actually like my Longchamp messenger bag from the Pliage best for work and travel: lightweight and sturdy.

miss sophie: Reviews on the purse forum sound quite decent actually, there was actually a thread called Constance vs Celine classic or something like that, and there wasn't any negative remarks made about the Celine. I'll definitely mull it over...it definitely goes against my preference to spend less this year, especially since I bought my Cartier watch just earlier this year!

eil: I did, just managed to find time to reply! It's definitlely waaay less expensive than in Europe. It retails for over S$5k here for the box calf leather, and it's about 2400 euros (about S$4,100) in France, excluding tax refund.

S: I agree! When I started working, It bag mania was raging, but it's nothing compared to what we're seeing now.
yanqin said…
anon: Sorry I missed your comment! I would definitely get the camel leather, I don't have a bag in that colour and I have always wanted a camel leather bag.
Amanda said…
"What exactly is the point of a small day bag?" Precisely. And also, $4100 for a bag that hardly fits a wallet and a magazine is bordering on an extreme splurge.
yanqin said…
Amanda: It is an extreme splurge, so I'm still waiting for my rational mind to take over.

My bag needs are taken care of, so I am in fact looking for a splurge...it's only a matter of whether I want to give in to this. Obviously I'm overpaying for what any bag should be worth, but if it's something I'm going to love and cherish and not tire of like a novelty buy, I can just justify the decision.

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