A difficult question

Do women need more than one handbag? The answer is obviously a YES. But how many bags does a woman needs? On an average, a woman should own at least 6-10 bags to suit different outfit and occasions. If we can only buy one bag in our entirely life ( that'll make our life very miserable, wont it) then what could it be? This question is harder than I anticipated.....am I entitled to have more than one answers?


I will recommend a neutral, reasonably size shoulder bag. It got to be nothing too trendy or seasonal, something that will last for ages. And of cos it must be functional yet beautiful. Nothing too over the top and able to match most of my outfit. Not too formal or too causal, not too big or too small. If such bag exist, then one is all you'll need.

What about The TOD's Ivy Sacca Media Shoulder Bag? It may just be the answer.

It is just a simple bag that performs its essential function without any fuss. It is big enough to junk in a cosmetic bag, wallet, iphone, ipod, a sets of keys, and throw in a scraf or a sweater. For those Hermes lovers but cannot afford to spend Hermes prices, a bag like this could be the best alternative.





TODS. $1720 @ thedeborahshop



It's Michael...Michael Kors!

Recently, we just introduced a new brand, Michael Kors to thedeborahshop. This gives our customers a wider selection than just Gucci and Prada. When I started talking about MK to my customers, they often raised an eyebrow.-" Michael who? American brand? I only know Coach and Kate Spade!

Well, MK worked as a creative director for the French fashion house CELINE in 1997 and in 2003 he came out to start his own line of fashion for both woman and men.

His bags are practical and well designed (leather skin). He designs stuff that are suitable for everyday use, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring. Most importantly, the price tag is very reasonable. As a new kid on the block in a very competitive fashion industry, one has to be humble.



Michael Kors at $760- Uptown Astor shoulder tote

What really excite me about this tote is the detailed gold hardware that is featured all over the bag. In my opinion, golden studs looks much better on the bags. It makes the bag stand out more, and compliments the leather well. It comes in gunmetal, black, blue and teak colour.
I think this bag would be a lovely bag for all seasons weather like in S'pore- literally you can carry this bags all year round. It is that versatile! It goes well with dark colors, casual clothes, or even all dressed up. Yes for many different outfit. It’s definitely a great bag to add to any growing handbag collection.

Do you carry LV?

I am often puzzled by how a person sees or loves a particular brand; get bag-struck with it and had to have at least one in their wardrobe inventory. I had an encounter with 2 ladies asking if we carry LV. LV as in Louis Vuitton.
It started off with one of them talking about buying LV bag in Paris during a work-trip as it's cheaper. She was proud to announce that she only gets her LV stash in this manner. (Smart gal, I thought to myself, why pay more for luxury goods if you can get them at a lower price!) I smiled back when they asked me if I have been to Paris..... 
Yes. I had been to Paris many times. I remembered visiting Paris with a few friends while I was studying in England. That was 10 years ago. I did think to pop by the flagship store cos the guidebook said I should look at the internal decor - but ended up being too lazy and decided it was much more pleasant sitting in cafe, watching people and feeding myself with the delectable croissant and sipping little espresso.

Anyhow, at that time, I was not really into bags yet. One of my friends commented that she didn't buy any LV when she visited Paris, and said that the LV trademark logo is too obvious (as compared to Prada) - cos she doesn't want to be robbed. What was it about LV cos all my girlfriends were talking about it? I was clueless then.

And since this is something which supposedly all ladies are expected to know (and for men, good to know) - what for, I have no idea - I came home and flipped through all my girly magazines to find a LV advertisement; to make sure I got at least one good look at that dratted logo.(at that time no such thing as google yet!)  Which was probably a good thing, cos to me, it looks alot like it should be read as VL instead of LV. So it ensures that next time I won't get into a situation like: "hey.. new bag.. it says...VL.. oh the brand's the reverse of LV! Is it trying to copy LV? Lemme guess... bought from bangkok?"

Can it be read as VL?

On the topic about fake bags. In recent years, I found out that there are in fact a lot of fake LVs around. It's everywhere. My fishmonger neighbour is carrying a LV. I asked her if her husband bought it. She replied in market english " oh very cheap one this brand. Only $10 for a bag, bought from pasat malam downstairs"
Oops! does she knows that it is an expensive brand if it is a real one. The market these days are flooded with replica of branded bags, shoes, clothes, and including baby milk powder. I am careful not to get myself into buying any replica. My heart will certainly stop if  I had spent an exorbitant amount to find that it was a fake. Hence, I don't buy anything expensive online esp in ebay.
As for LV, Sorry, we don't carry LV in our shop. Personally I dont quite like the brand. It is too common; almost everyone has one, whether real or fake; I never own anything LV, perhaps I will change my mind one day. I have nothing against LV, just a personal preference. I think LV makes good leather goods. Their collection range from seasons to seasons, some fabulous ones, and some not so great! Below are some LV spring collection 2011. I will let you be the judge.



LV- Sprng 2011



A typical day in the shop

I like meeting new people and I do, since I work in a shop. It is nice to meet and interact and to get to know people who have such different lives and experiences from your own. That's the good thing about working in sales. Somehow it comes more naturally to interact with people (part of customer service) who you wouldn't normally get to interact with when working in a cushy office. It's then that you realise how far the sphere of interesting activities/experiences/opinions/behaviours extends beyond your field of view.

And yes, I do get people asking typical questions, which lead me wondering if I should tell my boss to put up a FAQ.

"Are these second hand handbags? - Er, no. All these bags are brand new.
"Ohhh (horrified tone) You mean they are imitation??? (incredulous look) - Er, no, Mdm all these bags are also authentic. We import them from Europe..
"Are you sure you can do that ? - (And of course surprise to find that we are not in any illegal business.)

The best part is, they seemed quite serious in finding out all our bags prices and comparing them with the boutique.

thedeborahshop

"Yes Mdm, the Lady Dior bag is $2900, the boutique is selling them at $3600 - Wow! I need to tell my friends. Got namecards?

I am quite ecstatic whenever a customer gets excited about the bags and starts asking probing questions, like are you the boss?. It is also incredibly fun to observe the interactions whenever my colleagues are serving customers. I am so looking forward to the next work day!

A bag for every season ?

Spring and Autumn are my favourite seasons. Springs are often associated with new life, new beginning and a variety of colours. The sun creeps out and finally shine right through the thick clouds of England. I can feel the warmth in months. I look out of the windows and the field are now filled with beautiful blooming daffodils, dancing away in the early sun rays. What a sight to behold!

The vibrant colours of yellow possibly inspired fashion designers to use intensely bright colours for the new spring/summer collection. The results we get are a set of overly elaborate, flashy, often not so practical handbags. These bags will often go on sale after the season is over.   

Will you spend on something like this ?

Miu Miu 2011 spring

Marni-2011 spring


Or rather a bag that can give you a better mileage and versatility?

The bag you carry tells people about you, who you are- for better or for worse! Seasonal bags tell people that you are up-to-date, a fashion parrazzi and most of all you can afford. At the same time once the bag goes on sale, it may give an indication that you are a bargain hunter and not so fashion conscious. So see the opposite effects.

All this said, fashion isn't rocket science. It is simply fun way to express yourself. You may fancy a change of style and a new bag can do that for you. If you want to carry a YSL studded hobo bag with an elegant evening gown, do it. Go right ahead. Your life, your style, go do it, the way you wanna baby! We do not have to always follow those fashion pages to the letter.



YSL Suede Roady Studded Bag, S$3,100