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What's not to love and fuss about bags these days?
They come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors and materials. And not to mention the multitude of bag categories and their sub-categories and hybrid categories. For instance, under the 'tote' bag category, there's the hand-held mini tote, shoulder tote, oversized totes, longish duffle-style tote..etc.
Again, I'd like to give credit to one of best shopping pals who should be given an award for her passion and dedication in collecting and preserving every species of bag alive in her closet. Maybe she should open a Bag Museum one day. Just kidding! But really, she's a serious bag-lover and her collection is much admired by me. Thank to her as well, I developed a liking (sometimes overrated as a fetish) for designer bags, especially bags from...yesss, it's the golden 5-letter brand name - GUESS. A cool brand that is within my affordability range, of course. This only started in university when many girls in campus strutted around with their 'It' bags - signature-print satchels, cutesy bowlers or big slouchy totes with huge silver G-logo buckles that call for envious attention. My bag style had always been real simple - understated plain canvas bags or practical cross-shoulder strap body bags. But this fancy designer bag craze kinda rubbed off on me and I found myself hankering for one. Plus GUESS concept stores and their shiny, posh displays of fancy bag designs managed to entice me further. Then the day came when me and my bag-freak bestie went to a departmental store sale where GUESS bags were being sold for half price! And so i bought my very first mini Guess shoulder bag - it's got a greyish background with black signature prints and shiny leather strap. It was dainty and chic with a unbelievable discount to boot.
My second (only) GUESS bag only came into possession recently. It's a splurge, apparently but one that's definitely worth it, if you ask me. I guess this is one of the shopping perks of being a working girl with a monthly salary, as compared to being a student on a shoestring budget from a pathetic monthly allowance. This bag is a simple, yet lovely affair - a medium-sized roomy super-stylish bowling bag with an embroidered GUESS logo on the front and sleek, white-colored PVC trims. The exterior material is canvas, while the interior is made from flower print silk fabric. Besides the double handles for us girls to hold in our hand or let droop on our arms, there's a removable shoulder strap to be used when we have too many a shopping bag to carry which makes us wish for extra octopus arms...
My next bag mission will be themed 'classic & basic'. It's high time I get myself a functional yet stylish black and white shoulder bag, tote, satchel..whatever you call it. Of all the bags I've owned (which really doesnt amount to many, as compared to that friend's..lol), I've never had a decent basic black or white color bag that's able to go with most outfits and occasions. It's a wardrobe essential, as a matter of fact. It's gotta be just nice in size for practical everyday use - not too big, small, long or short. Preferably with a shoulder-length strap that fits nicely three to four inches under your arms. And it can only be in either black or white. Every girl needs a LBB (Little Black Bag) or LWB (Little White Bag). Just like every girl's wardrobe has to have a LBD (Little Black Dress). And I've a feeling it's gonna be GUESS again..heheh
I believe everyone has had their younger frumpy days. I won't ever forget having mine. You know, those younger carefree days when I was just a little girl who couldn't care less about what I wore. As long as I wore something, apart from my everyday school uniform. Long, slouchy, shapeless oversized T-shirts were worn to death on my tiny pre-puberty frame. Let me enlighten you with the sources of these once-upon-a-time bare wardrobe essentials : 1) Once-a-year bulk purchases in the kid's department by Mom during Chinese New Year; 2) Hand-me-downs from my elder sister who was slowly developing her individual fashion sense (hence the convenience of having a younger kid sister to purge all her unwanted items); 3) Loyalty membership tees bought for the various clubs and societies that I was actively participating in (read: tacky club logos and cheesy taglines on the fronts and backs). But it didn't matter at the time. To a 12-year-old girl, the term 'fashion' was completely alien and belonged to the adult world of complexities and sophistication. When I got to high school and peer pressure set in, I started become self-conscious about the way I looked as compared to other girls who looked sweet and demure in their color-coordinated pair-ups. Denim was the 'in' thing among Malaysian youth then. So everyone wore jeans, either plain or embroidered, paired with colorful mini tees adorned with denim jackets or denim vests.
But I was either just plain lazy, plain shy or plain rebellious. Whichever it was, I couldn't really recall. I just remembered adopting the denim craze in minimalism. Come to think of it, I never actually owned a denim jacket until I was 18 years old. I was always the slow-adopter in fashion trends. It can take me two seasons too late to hanker after a trendy item and by the time I'm up for it, it probably looks passe in the eyes of many. But I did remember ditching the T-shirt look and started wearing mini tees and three-quarter sleeve tops that gave more shape and definition to my skinny frame. A few wardrobe favorites are still vivid in my memory, such as a pair of wide-legged black corduroy jeans and a three-quarter sleeve purple top. However, everything was just random mix and match. I lacked the initiative, the drive and the curiosity to play copycat and dress up to par to well-groomed girls of my age. To me, it was just a transitional phase of wardrobe change. Nothing more than that.
During my college days, this laid-back attitude of mine towards fashion somehow evolved to extreme shyness, conservatism and even bordering on cowardice. Most girls in my class took the trouble to doll-up in funky tank tops, tight mini tees, slinky blouses and spaghetti straps paired with butt-hugging jeans and mini skirts, and not to mention the typical accompaniment of bling accessories and chic bags. I, on the other hand, was contented with my loose-fitting mini tees and baggy jeans, except for the occasional mini denim skirt which was worn on days when I felt braver and bolder than usual. Yup, I was pretty much a sad case then. It wasn't that I didn't want to look pretty. Only God knew how badly I wanted to be like one of those fashionable chics I see everyday, who didnt flinch or twitch a nervous muscle if their bra-strap was showing or who strutted their stuff confidently down the lecture hall in three-inch heels. I wanted to be just as attractive and cool as those girls. But I was struggling with a lot of negativity inside. I felt that I was losing out a lot in the looks department - I wasn't tall enough, thin enough, my nose is too big, my skin is too tan, my hair is simply unmanageable...etc. So I remembered thinking to myself all too often, " What's the point of dressing up to look good? You aren't even attractive enough to pull those things off! " It was really frustrating because deep inside I knew that I was as vain as any girl can be at the age of 18. I wanted to feel good about myself and I wanted others to admire me. Oh, and of course, the fact that I didn't have a boyfriend made me feel worse. Who would want to date a frumpy nerd anyway? So what followed were countless days of depression and self-alienation...
Come university days..I was finally, though not completely, liberated from my negative thinking and limiting beliefs of my outer appearance and fashion logic. I got to know a bunch of girlfriends who were fashion enthusiasts in their own right. They weren't overly-fashionable or overly-groomed in class to a point whereby you'll feel pressured to look good hanging out with them. They were just your typical giggly and gossipy girlfriends who loved shopping, talking about shopping and dressing-up to look gorgeous when the occasion calls for it. Trust me, when you hang out enough with these girls during shopping trips, you'd get converted overnight into a sucker for fashion. They were my ultimate influence of brand-consciousness, not necessarily a bad thing, mind you. Without getting to know these gals, my university life was just one big arduous stretch consisting of boring lectures, stressful assignments and brooding sessions at home. We had our share of partying and mucking around in between all those girlie shopping trips. They've definitely rocked this phase of my life. Well I've learnt one thing from the most influential member among the group (you know who you are..hehe). Branded goods obviously don't come cheap, but top quality is what you get. Dollar-for-dollar philosophy. I'm now a firm believer in this (not always, as i used to be skeptical about buying branded stuff).But at the same time, these gals also taught me how to be down-to-earth and versatile with budget purchases from lower to middle-range brands and boutiques that can look just as good on you. A simple and useful shopping philosophy always helps to ease our doubts, whether it comes to lavishing on branded stuff or going for cheap thrills- "Why not if you can pull it off?" I hereby pay tribute to my S.I.S (Sisters In Shoppinghood) who helped bring out the fashion-lover in me! Glad I've found a certain extent of enlightenment in fashion..something to be excited and passionate about in life..Thanks babes! Muahzzzz*
The above image 'Frumpy to Foxy' (apparently the cover of a book which I don't actually own) partially represents what I'm trying to share here. Frumpy I was, though I wouldn't call my present image 'Foxy' ( no, i really don't think i'm hot and bold enough to claim that.. the innate modesty in me speaks here). But it will do for now as I've got no other pics to insert here. Hmm..i might just try looking up my old photo albums and see if i can find pics of me in those hideous oversized baggy tees..
