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Sunday, July 06, 2008
I love to spend money, because I am American.

Not even going to lie or feel ashamed: I am a straight-up consumerist. It makes me happy to spend money on random stuff that I probably don't need. It makes me feel secure. Rich, even. Even if some of the people working at Neiman Marcus don't agree. Today we went to the Galleria (frou frou Houston mall) and I bought a bunch of cheap jewelry and a cheap purse. Yesterday we went to Harwin (Houston wholesale district) and I bought... well, a bunch of cheap jewelry and a purse. Yes. Actually, Harwin was extra awesome because I ventured past the usual stores (Trendy Jewelry, called simply Trendy by those in the know, and the purse store with the drawings of purses all over it, and the Korean grocery store), and found a tiny store in the corner of a shopping center that had real Indian stuff. And I got an Indian beaded purse, plus several fabulous cheap Indian bracelets. Even a gold bangle with red beads, even though I never wear gold and hardly wear red. I love Indian stuff. But then, after that, we went to an Indian restaurant and I took my bracelet off, because I didn't want people to think that I was some kind of Caucasian person with an Indian culture fetish. (Because everyone knows that I have an Asian culture fetish, instead. Hello.)

I'll still pass judgement on other consumerists, though.

My boyfriend's sister got him a Coach belt for his birthday, but it was too big. So he drove us to the nearest outlet mall so we could switch the belt for something else.

When the newest local outlet mall first opened, there was a line outside the Coach store. Why? I don't know. I mean, I'm guessing it's because Coach is the newest expensive thing that poor people can almost kind of afford, right?

We went to the Coach store to return the belt, and there wasn't a line to get in, but the store was super crowded and had a snaky, cordonned line for the registers. I stood in line while my boyfriend searched for something to switch the belt for. All around me, poor girls stood in line to spend their week's paycheck on a monogrammed Coach bag.

Remember back in the '80s, when Coach didn't make monogrammed bags? When they only made bags in solid neutral leather, and their catalogs proclaimed how well made they were? And gold diggers asked for Gucci and ridiculed old women who carried Coach?

Remember when poor people were obsessed with Dooney and Burke, and everything with a D&B on it was valuable as gold, no matter how freaking ugly it was?

Remember when poor people were obsessed with Polo? With Tommy Hilfiger? With a bunch of brands that don't even exist anymore, but which were always emblazoned with logos or names?

I wished I could interview the poor people shopping at Coach and ask them what they were trying to buy. Do they literally believe that owning a Coach bag makes them look un-poor? Or maybe even negates their poorness?

I'm the same kind of snob my dad is. When we were children and we asked for clothing with branding or logos on it -- like, say, a Pepsi cap or a California Raisins t-shirt, my dad would say, "I'm not going to buy you a shirt that advertises someone else's product. Why should you pay to advertise for someone else? They should pay you, if they want you to wear that."

I absorbed that lesson and others, and now I'd rather go nude than wear something with a big, giant logo, or monograms splattered all over.

Also, I'd rather be poor again than be desperate to pretend I'm someone else.

I wish everyone was stronger and less concerned with bullshit. I mean, buy yourself crap -- I always do -- but buy it because you like it and not because you think someone else will respect you more if you shell out a certain amount of money. You know?

I don't know who I'm talking to, here. Those little kids at the Coach store don't read my blog, I'm pretty sure. :)

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7:35 PM #

Comments:

 This is why I like my fake-ass/$25/Harwin backroom Louis Vuitton. If you want one too, I'll take you. =)


# posted by Anonymous Genevieve : 9:23 PM  

 I knit my own purses, so... yeah. Brand names and me, not really mixy.


# posted by Blogger jeanjeanie : 7:58 AM  

 This is tricky. I like the old style D&B handbags and I finally managed to get a couple-- but for like $20 each on Ebay. They're real and used, but I like them. I have a love/hate relationship with them, though. On one hand I think it's great I got some quality leather for so cheap, on the other hand, I don't like looking like I bought them to show off. I mean, no one knows I only spent $20 for them. I guess they're not even the right kind since they're not plastered with tacky logos. I don't know. When I was younger, even $20 for a purse would've been too much. I think I worry too much.


# posted by Anonymous keri : 8:25 AM  

 Gen: I thought of you at Harwin. And I'd rather have the fake Kate Spade.

JeanJeanie: Sweet. I'll go see if you have a blog with pictures of your purses. And, now that I've read your name, I'll be singing in my mind for the rest of the day: "Jean Jeanie/ lives on his back..."

Keri: I doubt you look like you're showing off. And even if you do, who cares? I mean, if you're fourteen years old and your baby's staying at your mom's trailer while you spend your Taco Bell paycheck on a full price D&B, that's one thing. But if you got them for $20 and you can afford it? Hell, yeah. Rock on, my sister!


# posted by Blogger Gwen : 9:15 AM  

 (Side note to Genevieve: Dude, if I were braver, I'd buy one of those *super fake* LVs with the cherries that have smiley faces. I kind of want to get one, then walk around like I think it's real. I could walk into Neiman's with it and act like I'm rich.)


# posted by Blogger Gwen : 9:17 AM  

 Ok. So, I'm off the hook? Thanks, Gwen ;)


# posted by Anonymous keri : 9:23 AM  

 I hate having the "love hate" relationship with name brands. I only buy if it's marked down 70%! I need to check out your thrift stores one day.


# posted by Blogger Bianca M. : 10:31 AM  

 I totally agree. I'm kind of Coach's slave, but mostly because they make sturdy, small purses with very colorful, quality leather. I hate all the stuff with the logos on it.

I've lived in Houston for 5 years, on and off, and nobody ever told me about the magical place that is Harwin. WHERE IS IT???


# posted by Blogger Catherine : 12:33 PM  

 Keri: Everyone who reads my site is off the hook. I have decreed it.

Bianca: You do need to check them out. Or else you need to win the lottery. I'm trying to do both, too.

Catherine: Oh, my gosh. You poor thing!

From Downtown, go southwest on 59. Exit Hillcroft and go right on it. Then turn left at the first light, which is Harwin. You'll know you're in the right area because there'll be a zillion sari stores and giant inflated cell phones.

Trendy Jewelry is in a gray shopping center on the left, a couple of blocks after the intersection. It's dirt-cheap costume jewelry.

It goes on for several blocks... maybe a mile? And then you know you're out of it when you start seeing taquerias and apt complexes and stuff.


# posted by Blogger Gwen : 3:45 PM  

 More on Harwin:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/style/shop/destination/3461100.html


# posted by Blogger Gwen : 3:48 PM  

 I HEART you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!


# posted by Blogger Catherine : 3:59 PM  

 When I was very poor and saved up for something expensive, it was so I could have at least one nice thing.


# posted by Blogger Kai Jones : 7:00 PM  

 In a few months one of my big monthly expenses is going to disappear and I've been thinking of buying a really good purse when I have that extra money.

I mentioned it to a coworker who asked if I meant I was going to buy it from Hermes. Um, no. I was thinking Coach but hadn't even gotten around to looking at their website to see if there's anything I like.

I want something that is good quality and will not be out of style in six months. Any suggestions, Gwen?

- maggie

p.s. Love the backsplash in your kitchen!


# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 8:16 PM  

 Catherine: Please come back and let us know how you liked it!

Kai: That makes sense.

Maggie: Oh my God. Thank you for asking for my opinion.

I got all obsessed about how to answer you -- my first thought was Salvatore Ferragamo, because I always see well-made stuff that turns out to be by him -- but then I went to the web site and everything on it was ass.

Same goes for Cole Haan. Well, they had maybe 2 bags on their site that were okay...

So I can't give you advice. I can only tell you what I would do.

If I had $3K to spend, I'd go with Nancy Gonzalez.

If I had $1K - $3K, I'd go for Versace, or Dolce & Gabbana, or YSL, or Dior. (Or one of the plain/not-Rastaffarian-color-schemed Guccis.)

If I had $300-$1000, I swear to gosh on the Bible that I would go to TJ Maxx and buy the prettiest bag I found there, because every time I go, the prettiest bags I find are always Italian designers I've never heard of and they cost $300-$500, marked down from $500-$750. Every single time. And I'm too effing cheap to pay retail.

So... yeah.

P.S. If I had to get a monogrammed LV, I'd get a Vernis in pink or red.

(Are you sorry you asked? :) )


# posted by Blogger Gwen : 11:45 PM  

 Thanks, Gwen!

My budget is in the $300-$500 range but I suppose that it could stretch up to $750-ish if I found a purse that had a halo around it and a choir of angels singing as soon as I laid eyes on it.

I love your idea of the obscure/uncommon Italian designers. I've had some handmade Italian designer shoes in the past (bought on sale) and loved them.

I'm going to start doing my research now in anticipation of the month when I have the extra money in hand. I'll let you know what I get.


# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 9:37 AM  

 you may find this article interesting about comsumption
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/consumption


# posted by Blogger JTN : 12:51 PM  

 I read an awesome book last summer on the subject of luxury handbags (and how they're made, which ones are worth the $ for the leather and craftsmanship and which are a logo-fueled gimmick for people on whom the painful irony of the Onion article you reference remains lost)

It was called "Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster" by Dana Thomas, who used to write about the fashion industry for Newsweek. It was pretty fascinating.


# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 8:25 PM  

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