INVESTMENTS OF A CHANEL KIND
I am not alone when I say that 'I wanted a Chanel bag' from a young age. To be honest I never knew what Chanel was until high school when girls had CC earrings or Chanel ads cutouts glued on their school diaries. Then hit The OC and Gossip Girl which sent a shift towards more than just earrings or fragrance but to the humble Chanel bag. Considered an icon of status, design and ultimately desire... and damn prettiness. Does there need to be a deeper reason to own one other than that?
I has been reported that Chanel bags are a strong investment, with the value of the bags more than doubling on the reseller market. Not to mention that the retail price has also reflected such growth. With incremental price increases, upon reflection, this can be the difference between thousands of dollars year later.
So cue me being in Paris. Karl Lagerfeld has recently died the week before, there are flowers laid out in memoriam outside Gabrielle Chanel's apartment and now boutique at 31 Rue Cambon. What better excuse other than simply being in Paris is there to do some would-be window shopping turned into a very happy camper. Having done a little bit of research before my trip I wanted a rectangle Mini Flap Bag, one of the smallest bags in the collections. The boutique had a small selection of colours and fabrics, but I fell for this particular one. Tweed from Lagerfeld's last Fall/Winter 18/19 collection. The palette of Grey, White and Brown with the Rustic Matte Silver Hardware... it was hard to look at any other. Granted classicly they did have the Mini Flap in Black with Gold, but I like my accessories to be more unique (leaving my clothes to be black black black)
A fancy souvenir some might say. Goddamn Crazy say others. I am one happy owner. I will preface that regardless of what/why/how you spend your money it all comes done to will it make you happy and can you truly afford it. Two years ago, maybe not. Five years ago... sure on my rather large credit card bill. But there is nothing more satisfying than buying something with your own money and not on credit. Maybe that's just me.
If you are considering buying a Chanel or anything that might break the bank or cause a dint, there are some tips to think about:
- Designer brands can be cheaper overseas than in our home country (this is true for Australia). Depending on which brand you are buying there are websites that will show you the current prices for particular bag styles for you to compare
- Duty/VAT Free Shopping for Tourists: it sounds a bit desperate but when you are spending a good amount of money you can claim back a good bit of tax back
- Exclusive Designs/Colours: Some countries get more of a selection than others so its best to suss out if you can get something more special than at home.
F A C E B O O K - I N S T A G R A M - P I N T E R E S T - T W I T T E R - T U M B L R - Y O U T U B E
