When I was a senior in high school, I bought my very first “fancy” bag: a bamboo-handled black crocodile-print Dooney & Bourke that I found on sale at Woodbury Commons.
I loved that bag: it was just the right size for both daytime and nighttime, the bamboo handles gave the structured shape a more laid-back vibe, and it made virtually any outfit feel simultaneously up-to-date and classic. It also somehow survived a decade of constant wear by someone who is possibly the least precious bag-owner on the planet: I stuffed that thing into suitcases, carried it cross-country several times, tossed it onto countless bar and restaurant floors, and probably sat on it once or twice…and it always looked brand-new.
It was stolen during the Great Apartment Break-In Of 2010, and I still miss it. It was perfect.
When I saw photos in this week’s US Weekly of various very stylish actresses carrying Gucci’s updated Bamboo Shopper, I was both very excited (bamboo bag, yes!) and very sad (Gucci bag, no).
So I did a little scouting, and…
ta da:
The Gucci is classic and amazing and timeless and will never ever ever go out of style and I would happily own it…but that Anne Klein (also available in a black croc that looks virtually identical to my erstwhile Dooney & Bourke) is also very amazing.
And you can own THIRTY-SEVEN of them for the same price as the Gucci. (I did the math for you.)
