Forget about 'It': Some bags are best left on runway
By Booth Moore
Los Angeles Times
The Birkin, the Paddington, the Speedy and the Spy. Anyone who picks up a magazine or catalog these days knows it's all about the It bag. With the advent of high-low chic and today's more casual approach to dressing, accessories — not clothes — are driving retail sales.
It's easy to be caught up in the frenzy — the steady diet of paparazzi photos of celebrities carrying the latest bag (gifted, of course), the waiting lists that begin minutes after a bag has been carried down a runway, the limited editions, the purse blogs.
The latest It bag is the Yves Saint Laurent Downtown tote, size medium, in black patent. It's $1,395, or $2,195 with flower cutouts on the sides. Jessica Biel's got It in white, Salma Hayek uses It to cover her pregnant belly.
But the reality is, few people have the means to buy a new bag every season, especially when everyday styles cost $2,000 and up. So, Tim Gunn, America's favorite fashion authority from Bravo's "Project Runway," has a radical suggestion: "Just say 'no' to the It bag." This nugget of fashion advice and others are outlined in his new book, "A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style" (Abrams).
Gunn and co-author Kate Moloney talk about how to cure the It bag syndrome and choose a work bag that will last longer than a high school crush.
She and Gunn suggest spending money on your "workhorse," the bag that will go to the office with you every day. Choose a color that works with whatever dominates your wardrobe, and make sure the strap is thick enough to distribute the weight of the bag.
