How You Swing

Yet another post that I should have published back in the summer:

As some of you may know, I oftentimes go to Holt Renfrew to help a certain friend pick up her purchases (and the ones I share with you are mostly handbag purchases).  This time around, instead of me picking up handbags for her, she gave me two handbags - one new, one used.  The first one I will share with you is the Coach Perforated Leather Brooke:

My friend has given me a Coach bag before, but it was a fabric monogrammed Coach that still has yet to see the light of day.  This bag, on the other hand, is leather, which instantly earned it a point from me.  And to boot, it may be monogrammed, but it's perforated, making it satisfyingly less noticeable.  The colour of the bag is a metallic dove gray, and when the bag is actually being used, it has a slight slouch at the top.  There's braided silver hardware on the handles, and they make a delightful clinking sound everytime I pick up my bag (I admit, it's my guilty pleasure).  I'm thoroughly in love with this bag for it's practicality - it's the perfect everyday bag - and it's looks.

The second bag I will share with you is one I have no doubt you will recognize:

Yes, you are looking at a Balenciaga handbag.  One of the most coveted handbags in the fashion industry.  It was within one meter of me, and for once, I actually owned it.  I had the right to pick it up, put it on the crook of my elbow, and take it out.  I wasn't dreaming, was I?  The distressed leather on this bag practically melts in your hands, it's so slouchy.  It's a roomy bag that adds that extra edge to whatever outfit you may be wearing.  And like the clinking of hardware on my Coach bag, the swing of tassels on this bag will make you feel like that sidewalk is all of a sudden a runway.  But unlike the Coach bag, this Balenciaga is recognizable only if you know a little something about handbags.  So when you get someone staring at your handbag on the train, you know it's not just because of the brand.

Two very different handbags - equal confidence boost.  It's not so much the handbag itself as how you swing it.

Image Source: Coach, Balenciaga