Purse On Us

Though I was born in the Fall, Summer is my favourite season. I absolutely love the freedom of dress that Summer weather allows (now bulky layers, constricting clothes and dark colour palettes). However, this Fall’s sartorial offerings have me hankering just a little bit for the cooler weather.

As a recent college graduate my mind has been drifting to stylish office appropriate workwear. This Alexander Wang draped cotton-knit dress is perfect for the office – warm, versatile and figure flattering.

When the clock ticked from 2009 to 2010 I vowed to take more fashion chances – more volume, more prints and more colour. This Stella McCartney gray wool belted cape-style coat is the perfect way to add a little volume, and warmth, to any outfit. The gray colour and tailoring of the jacket makes it “safe” while the volume of the arms adds a little daring.

Alexander Wang has done it again with the leather Rocco tote in brown leather with gold studs on the bottom. An update on the Rocco in black leather, the newest addition is a rugged and versatile tote that can be carried by the handles or the detachable leather strap.

J’adore…

-Septembre

It has come to our attention here at the Enthusiast that while in an enthusiastic state, common rules of decorum break down. Manners fall apart. People ass out. Chaos can ensue.

So we’re piloting a new column on TAE, Ask The Enthusiast, where you can ask us all your most enthusiastic, drinking-related questions. And which we will be happy to answer.

After we’ve made sweet sweet love on my … is this a cot?
This is called a cot, right? On my cot.

The lone fifth: To yoink or not to yoink?

If I am at a house party, it’s after beer-30, I’m planning to stay a while still, and I notice there is only one fifth of liquor left in the kitchen, is it okay for me to grab it and hide it in my purse to ensure I stay properly enthusiastic for the duration of my time there? Or do I need to share with the other guests?

—Sobering up in Seattle

Dear Seattle:

The fact that you have used the word “sober” in your sign-off alarms me and indicates to me that your search for the answer to your question is genuine and sincere, and that you may in fact be in some kind of physical danger. Since your question has multiple levels of complexity, I’d like to help you sort it out by first breaking it down into its component parts. First of all:

— “…and I notice there is only one fifth of liquor left in the kitchen…”

The key here is that you are saying “I” and not “me and a bunch of other fools.” Why is this? Well, as an enthusiast, you are equipped with some natural abilities that exceed that of a normal human while inebriated. Therefore, the answer to your question lies less in the realm of “inebriettiquete” and more squarely rooted in the realm of the hard sciences.

The eye of a normal human can only see a maximum of three frectrums of wet/dry differentios. The Enthusiast—up to seventy quee. What does this mean?

In layman’s terms: non-enthusiasts simply cannot see the difference between empty and full bottles when drunk. Take the image of the graveyard of empty bottles below for example:

This party’s over, right?

Now take a look at the same image, showing what an Enthusiast’s augmented vision sees:

(Enthusavision augmentation simulation generously provided by NASA and a grant from the Carnegie Institute.)

And that’s why that lone fifth isn’t being treated like a slice of bacon in a kennel. Right now, it’s just you and Jim. Making eyes at each other. Wondering who’s going to break the silence first … which leads us to the next layer of your conundrum:

—   ­“…is it okay for me to grab it and hide it in my purse…”

Well, it’s just sitting there invisible to everyone but you, as science has just irrefutably proven. So the answer is clearly yes, both morally and scientifically … you can’t steal something no one can see, that’s preposterous! So it’s not morally wrong. And you can’t hide something that’s already invisible. Because science.

Which leads us to the peeling of the layer of onion that gets us to the core of the apple:

—   “…Or do I need to share with the other guests?”

The answer to that, Seattle, as I think I’ve extrapolated from our exhaustive dissection of your situation, is fuck no.

Look at it this way. If they can’t see it, they’re not going to drink it. If they’re not going to drink it, it might as well be empty. Which is how you’re going to replace it.

Right after you meet me at the spot we talked about so we can rip through that bottle in four minutes of quarters.

—The Alcohol Enthusiast

WHICH CONSUMER ARE YOU?

Reported in the Wall Street Journal, research by two professors and Young Jee Han (a doctoral student in Marketing at the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California) has broken the luxury market into four strata of rich consumers – see below. The team’s study of luxury goods and their brand prominence aimed to define the different types of luxury goods consumers, their preferences and motivations.

• Patricians. High in financial means, Patricians are “principally concerned with associating with other patricians rather than dissociating themselves from other classes of consumers. They use subtle signals because only other patricians can interpret them.” They pay a premium for understatement.

• Parvenus. “Parvenus are affluent—it is not that they cannot afford quieter goods—but they crave status. They are concerned first and foremost with separating or dissociating themselves from the have-nots while associating themselves with other haves, both patricians and other parvenus.” Parvenus love the Louis Vuitton logo, the researchers say.

• Poseurs. Like Parvenus, Poseurs are “highly motivated to consume for the sake of status.” Poseurs “do not possess the financial means to readily afford authentic luxury goods. Yet they want to associate themselves with those they observe and recognize as having the financial means (the parvenus) and dissociate themselves from other less affluent people.” Poseurs like counterfeit luxury goods.

• Proletarians. These are less affluent consumers who also are less status conscious. “Proletarians are not driven to consume for the sake of status and either cannot or will not concern themselves with signaling by using status goods. They seek neither to associate with the upper crust nor to dissociate themselves from others of similarly humble means.” They tend to avoid luxury goods altogether.

The Pulse is produced by LdC Media: www.ldcmediacreative.com

Matt & Nat's Hendrix handbag is the answer to everything. $165 at Matt & Nat

This week on Sac du Jour we reveal what we believe is an absolute must for your handbag rotation: current sensation and much-photographed this season, the Hendrix hand bag by Matt & Nat.

We love the triangle pointed rows of zippers as trim in this perfect-sized hand bag. The heavy bronzed metal is a counterweight balance to the season’s neutral pink colour, although we’re as easily tempted by the blue, black or brown versions. We know that a bag slim enough for evening and just right for day is hard enough to find; this one even comes with long and short chain straps. And so for $165 of our hard-earned dollars, this is all starting to make a lot of investment sense.

Oh yeah- and we don’t mind at all that it’s a vegan leather product; feels great to know it looks and feels just like the real thing.

Also available in blue, black, and brown, the Hendrix bag is an everyday (or night) bestie.

Other picks from vegan Matt & Nat’s zippers & studs moment: this time we’re scouring the sale rack and we found a few treasures.

Phish vegan leather handbag, $126 on sale

Vega vegan leather bag, $157.50 on sale

Cleo vegan leather bag, $153 on sale

Jools vegan leather wallet/clutch, $72 on sale

Images courtesy of Matt & Nat.

I picked up a book to read from our local public library about purses.  I often make a note of books that I would like to read in my old-fashioned paper datebook (no, I do not own a smart phone or a PDA or any other electronic device that could substitute for plain old paper and ink).  Then I put holds on them through our fabulous public library system here in Toronto.  Anyways, the book is called “it’s in the bag” by Winifred Gallagher.  It’s a very charming little read with some history of purses and a lot of the psychology of why we carry the kinds of purses we carry.

I do not own an It bag.  Not that I haven’t wanted to – I’ve secretly hankered after a little classic Chanel number since my first Vogue magazine at the age of 11.  But I’ve never actually forked out all the money to pay for one.  And I probably never will for one simple reason: I cannot justify spending $2500 on a purse just so I can say I have one.  And everyone and their dog seems to have a Coach bag here in Toronto.  I looked at one inside out and backwards the other day in my local Coach shop.  I probably would have purchased one if 1) they weren’t an It bag themselves; 2) I was totally in love with the crazy colour and designs they’ve got happening; and 3) if the leather felt like butter in my hands like the ones from Roots Canada.

brown silk evening bag

As a postscript, I would like to quote Ms. Gallagher:

“The recent popularity of the pricey purse is yet another indication that transitional objects may be becoming more important in our increasingly materialistic, highly mobile, socially disconnected society.  In an unusually comprehensive study, 21 social scientists from UCLA’s Center on the Everyday Lives of Families spent 4 years intensively observing 32 socioeconomically diverse Los Angeles households.  They found that compared with previous generations, family members follow different packed schedules that limit their time together; indeed, five households failed to gather even once during the entire four years.” (Italics mine)

evening bag lying flat

Well, here’s my little tribute to having dinner with my girls every night of the week, and spending time playing and talking and doing stuff TOGETHER as a family.  I made it using Vogue Pattern 7221 out of espresso silk duppioni, and lined it with the same fabric.  Then I toddled off to the Fashion District and chose some lovely murano glass and bronze freshwater pearls to embellish it.

It’s unique and holds everything a girl could want for a night on the town.  It slips easily over the wrist, and the zipper makes it secure.   And it’s definitely not an It bag.

So Patti Blagojevich has her 14 year old daughter rocking  a Coach Purse in the Court Room…The Media is just having a field day, but we don’t think it’s that crazy….

GLOBAL COUNTERFEIT SEIZURES

7pc of global trade sales is generated from counterfeit goods, and last year US customs seized an estimated street value of more than $ 260 million.

According to the recent European Commission Customs Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) report, customs officials seized almost five million suspected counterfeit body care products last year. Shampoos and toothpastes, cigarettes, clothing and luxury goods, were the most common categories seized.

The biggest percentage of registered body care articles detained came from China, at 46.81pc, with products from the United Arab Emirates at 21.35 per cent, Italy at 13.38pc, and Turkey at 8.17pc. Across all product sectors (clothes, accessories, electronic equipment, and tobacco products), 64 pc of all infringing articles came from China.

More than 77pc of products were either held by customs, destroyed or brought to court to establish whether they were genuine or counterfeit. A statement issued by the Commission says that a proposal aimed at improving legislation and simplifying current rules on customs actions against IPR infringing goods is being constructed, and is expected by the end of the year.

www.cnbc.com recently posted the Top 10 most seized counterfeit goods in the US, below:

 1. Footwear: 38pc. $ 99.78 million

Bag is an accessory that is widely used by the fashionable woman. They will waive the handbag material rather than fashion. If you select long-lasting handbag, you will benefit because long-lasting bag will hold up for long. Many handbags models that get hot trends and sometimes women are tracking the bag to follow the actual trends.

In addition, numerous famous handbag trademarks that puts up a huge collection of handbags. In addition, they also supply outstanding handbag fabric. Some materials that you can pick out are leather and patent leather, which is a luxury product. Every material has a diverse monetary value because the usage of proper materials will increase your comfort when holding the purse. Leather material tenders a pretty appearing while the patent leather will render the nice and shiny impression. Patent leather has the highest cost because it is created with a specific action that creates leather feel glossy and waterproof. Rainproof bag is going to live long because the inner of the handbag will not get wet.

If you want a counterbalance between clothes with purse, color pick will be the fateful factor. Stable coloring materials look-alike black and white will match any outfit. The reward of the black purse is that they always suchlike new even though there was stain and junk. White bag will get you establish additional aid because the bright color will look dirty if there is a slight spot.

After picking out the exact material, you should get attention to some other component parts like the shoulder strap, zipper and stitching. Make a point that the zipper has a strong quality. Try to utilize all of zipper handbags for few periods. If the zipper ease operates swimmingly, it can be told that the purse has a well zipper. Purse strap gets it comfortable to carry purse when you are travel. Short or long shoulder strap is not a trouble because your convenience is a primary interest.

To find out an interesting handbag article, visit brown leather handbag and black leather bag. There, you will pick up many handbag reviews.

By Jessica Okui

I know I’ve been using “Can Has Cheez Burger” a lot in the titles but this tote bag was pretty much begging for it.  That said, in the future I’ll try to refrain from the Cheez Burger titles but I can’t promise anything.

Hello Kitty tote bag available at Sanrio.

via Gizmodiva