Good god...I bought a Coach bag.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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yes I am female and I have lots of suits and every one of them has pockets with in the jacket or in the skirt. As i said for a job interview I only carry my car door key with me so really i don’t need a lot of carrying space.
The point I am trying to make is that if you haul in a purse that you are having to juggle around and figure out what to do with it during the interview you will be detracting from your main point which is how well you will be able to perform the job. Secondly, carrying an expensive bag if you have an interviewer that knows enough about purses to recognise the probably cost of the purse it coul make the interviewer have a negative reaction, e.g. “if she has a $500.00 purse we can’t pay her enough so she will be leaving soon for another job” or “her application says she just graduated how did she get a bag that expensive?” You will be taking the focus off your job skills.

Personally I would never carry a bag that expensive if I was a mutimillionaire, it makes you a target for thieves and wer out at the same rate as a less expensive but still well made purse. I have nice leather purses that are department store brands and cost a 10th of Coach bags. If it makes you feel more confident, go for it.

[QUOTE=Penchan]
I have so many people to reply to that I took notes for each person. :stuck_out_tongue:

ahem
adhemer, I don’t know if you’re female, but it’s a little harder for females to leave the bag at home. About 80% of the suits that I saw while shopping around didn’t have real pockets. The pockets consisted of fake slits that were sewn so they looked like pockets. The other 20% consisted of small pockets that would fit maybe my chapstick and a key, but would bulge horribly from my sides. Women’s clothing are different from men’s clothing. They don’t allow for many things to be put into pockets. The female suits that do allow for more substantial things are of a cut and size that do not suit me. Oh well. I suck it up by carrying a purse around with my leather portfolio with the necessary things. Don’t judge me for doing what’s necessary. Unless you’re willing to buy me the wardrobe that allows me to put more things in my pockets, don’t tell me what to do. I didn’t ask for your opinion whether to bring a purse to a job interview or not.

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[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever]
Do you like the BurntScrotum purse in “Caucasian Pink”? Just cause everyone has their BS dangling off their arms in their different patterns means that you can’t have yours? (not you personally)
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It looks like brown is the hot new color for scrotum bags. I didn’t see any in pink.

You can choose the “Little Cute Scrotum Pouch” or the “Lucky Pouch.” It wasn’t so lucky for the kangaroo, now, was it? If that’s not weird enough, how about a toad purse?

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[QUOTE=Penchan]
alice_in_wonderland, nice bags are needed for some corporate jobs. My friends who work in corporations told me that it sure doesn’t hurt, and can only help to have a nice bag. It sucks that they judge you on first appearances, but why not make that first impression be a good one? I’m not saying you need a nice bag to get there, but it surely can’t hurt to put in that effort. Besides, I love my new bag and I honestly feel like I was overly judgmental before about Coach bags. My ignorance was fought because Coach bags really are made very well. HazelNutCoffee was right in that in some jobs they do judge you if you don’t have a nice bag. That’s just how things are in some parts of the world and in some parts of the job market.
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Uh, yah. You know that I have a coach bag of my own and have been extoling it’s virtues in this thread, right? Not that I think you didn’t read my posts, but I think perhaps you haven’t read my posts.

Anyhow - I think I need a break from this thread. If one more condescending snot-box makes a snitty comment about those of us who happen to enjoy expensive handbags, I’m gonna puke on my keyboard in disgust, and that’s just not good for the power supply. God it must be nice to be able to look down your nose at people who have different tastes than you do.

BTW - your bad, despite my preference for all leather, as opposed to the logo bags, looks very nice.

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[QUOTE=alice_in_wonderland]
Uh, yah. You know that I have a coach bag of my own and have been extoling it’s virtues in this thread, right? Not that I think you didn’t read my posts, but I think perhaps you haven’t read my posts.

Anyhow - I think I need a break from this thread. If one more condescending snot-box makes a snitty comment about those of us who happen to enjoy expensive handbags, I’m gonna puke on my keyboard in disgust, and that’s just not good for the power supply. God it must be nice to be able to look down your nose at people who have different tastes than you do.

BTW - your bad, despite my preference for all leather, as opposed to the logo bags, looks very nice.
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Oh man, I’m terriby sorry alice_in_wonderland. I just wrote in my notes that “bags are sometimes necessary in the corporate world” next to your name, so I assumed that I had to argue my point, not that I was thanking you for agreeing with me. I apologize for the mix up. I blame it on a case of being up for 15 hours and on my feet for about 9 of them. Again, thanks a lot for your contribution to this thread and your level-headedness through the craziness.

I know it’s hard having to defend our appreciation of a nice bag, but at least you know that most of us in this thread understand your feelings. We can ooh and ahhh over bags together and let the nitpickers be sour together while we enjoy our well-earned purchases. :slight_smile:

Thank you for the compliment. It may not be your cup of tea, but I appreciate that you see that I like it at least. You’re a cool chick.

adhemar, first of all, I don’t get confused as to what I do with my bag in an interview. I walk into the room, shake the interviewer’s hand, put my bag on the ground and open up my portfolio. There’s no fuss and no muss.

Second, I don’t see how you can connect me having a bag that’s around $250 to an interviewer thinking that their salary offer won’t be enough to fund my spending habits. I’m applying for that job for a reason. If I don’t like the pay, I won’t accept the offer. If I do, then cool I’ll stick with it. What I buy with that money is my own business and that shouldn’t reflect my skills at work. I find it insulting that you could think that my having a bag that’s worth a few hundreds - NOT thousands or tens of thousands - could imply that I’m not a trustworthy employee.

Third, perhaps I worked for my money? It is possible in this day and age to work while you’re in school. I did seasonal waitressing and continued that job after I graduated. I worked 80 weeks for a few months and saved up quite a bit of money before the restaurant was sold. Now I have to look for a job, so I can afford to buy some nicer things like suits and bags for interviews.

Fourth, what you do with your own money is your business. If you wanted to fund some crazy and extravagant endeavor, good for you. I’m not passing judgment on you like you are on me.

Fifth, there are a multitude of things that make you a target for thieves. A bag is just one of them. Should I stop wearing my white gold promise ring because it might catch the eye of a thief? Should I start wearing dirty, messed up clothes in hopes that I won’t be targeted? Hell no! I’m living my life the way that I want. I’m responsible and cautious when I carry my Coach bag around. I hold onto it tight and I never let it leave my sight. But you know what, sometimes shit happens and you do get mugged. I sure hope it doesn’t happen, but it does occur to people sometimes. Hell, it even happens to guys who are minding their own business and don’t look very descript.

It seems to me you’re pawning off your paranoia on me and I won’t live my life to ease your fear or annoyance. I’m not complaining about any of the issues stated above, you brought them up and you’re making up scenerios that most likely won’t occur. Chill out.

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I apologize if I sounded condescending, it was not my intention. And I never knocked you or your choices. I simply presented a different view point. And appear to have hit a nerve.

I could care what you do with your money, more power to you, spend it if you got it. It was y’all who spoke about how having a good bag makes you feel so self confident and assured. I was merely pointing out that there are those who don’t get that. Y’all were the ones who brought up the feeling of being judged based the the ‘quality’ of your handbag. I was simply pointing out that , in my humble opinion, you are being judged, but often not in exactly the way you are thinking. I’m not opining on the rightness or wrongness of that, just that it happens.

I only came in to offer the view of those of us who think that logos are an entirely unnecessary premium to pay for. Like it or not a large segment of society thinks you just might as well leave the pricetags on your bags, clothes, shoes etc.

I again apologize if my view has upset you. Perhaps you’re right and I should have kept it to myself. Again, I did not mean to offend any of you. I could never have guessed you would be so closed to another view or take it so personally. Nothing in the up thread lead me to expect such.

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I have a set of black leather Coach luggage that I absolutely adore. There’s an overnight bag, a medium bag, a large bag, a suitcase, and a hanging garment bag. I collected it over about a 3-year period at various Coach outlets. Since they’re plain and black, my husband and stepson also use them- they don’t look girly at all.

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[QUOTE=katie1341]
I have a set of black leather Coach luggage that I absolutely adore. There’s an overnight bag, a medium bag, a large bag, a suitcase, and a hanging garment bag.
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<drool> That sounds…fabulous. I think I would tie a scarf around the handle when I traveled, just to make grabbing it from the luggage rack easier - I think I would worry a little about a coach suitcase going for an unintended walk.

Elbows, please keep your non-apology to yourself. You don’t care for expensive bags. Bully for you. Perhaps you should start a thread about that. Those of us who enjoy nice bags will continue to post about it in this one. Further, if you think you’ve upset me, you’re giving yourself too much credit. I just think your post was very rude.

Penchan - no worries about the mix up - this thread has been moving pretty fast! Frankly, I find that notion that carrying a high quality hand bag makes you appear untrustworthy to be farcical. You know, it’s amazing what people will come up with to justify their petty jealousies.

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[QUOTE=alice_in_wonderland]
Elbows, please keep your non-apology to yourself. You don’t care for expensive bags. Bully for you. Perhaps you should start a thread about that. Those of us who enjoy nice bags will continue to post about it in this one. Further, if you think you’ve upset me, you’re giving yourself too much credit. I just think your post was very rude.
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Elbows isn’t the one who’s being rude here. This thread wasn’t created just for people who like nice bags–the OP was very obviously expressing her mixed emotions about buying an expensive bag. It’s not up to you to decide that only people who like to drool over ridiculously expensive accessories get to post in this thread. :rolleyes:

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[QUOTE=MagicEyes]
This thread wasn’t created just for people who like nice bags–the OP was very obviously expressing her mixed emotions about buying an expensive bag.
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And obviously the OP wanted a bunch of snot-boxes to come in and slag her off about her purchase, and make bitchy comments about people who buy trendy bags, having just bought one herself. I know when I make a decision that I’m a little iffy about, nothing makes me feel better about my choice than having a bunch of prissy snits tell me it was the wrong one.

BTW - in case anyone wasn’t clear - the above IS sarcasm.

No, it’s not. However, attacking the OP of this thread about her bag choice is really fucking obnoxious and I’ll gleefully point that out.

Now, perhaps you and your plastic Walmart check out bag have some business elsewhere, humm?

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No one was attacked. No one was slagged. No one said the OP’s choice was wrong. Next time read for comprehension.

I was not being a snot box or a prissy snit, nor did I call anyone names.

I was simply expressing a differing view.

I offered you an apology for any offense you may have taken. I fail to see what else anyone could do to get your (no doubt designer) panties untwisted!

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[QUOTE=elbows]
I offered you an apology for any offense you may have taken.
[/QUOTE]

Generally speaking, apologizing to someone for the offense they took is not really an apology.

No dog in the fight, etc, etc, but your posts really did come off incredibly condescending to me. You can’t offend me with them since I’m a handbag philistine.

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::glosses over the hostility in thread::

You know why I don’t have a Coach or other expensive bag? Because I’m fickle. :o I’ll take quantity over quality in bags and shoes any day, because I never carry the same bag for more than a few months at a time (sometimes weeks!) and love having a mad variety of shoes to wear. And some cute new style is always catching my ey–oooh, shiny! :cool:

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TroubleAgain, I’m actually totally with you in some confusing regard heh. For whatever reason, I can spend $200 on a bag and feel confident in my choice because that bag is a more “classic” one that I will use for a long period of time; for the uber trendy (like right now I’m wanting a BRIGHT YELLOW patent leather bag), I go for discount stores and the such and pick the bag up for less than $20.

But shoes. . . man, shoes. I simply cannot bring myself to spend more than $30 on shoes. I mean, sure, some of my shoes are higher end that I got at an outlet for 85% off at $30, but yeah- no more than $30. I am totally the person he’s talking about in Silence of the Lambs with my expensive bag and cheap shoes heh.

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Without weighing in on your apology, this sounds completely condescending:

Your sense of style and self is entirely divorced from logos – as opposed to others in the thread whose sense of style and self is tied to logos. Who you are is much more important that what you have – as opposed to others in the thread who value what they have more highly that what they are. The implications of these statements are condescending and insulting. (The third phrase [“I project that everyday in every way”] is merely self-congratulatory and pompous.) I could then reasonably respond to you by saying, “Well, I actually care about quality and appearance” – implying you don’t – “and am not going to walk around looking like a bag lady” – implying you do – “out of the illusion that my anti-materialism reads as personal depth.” – implying that’s a POV you hold. That’s the sort of snarky exchage that we end up with when you ascribe unworthy motivations to others and attempt to set yourself off from them by pointing out you don’t yourself have the unworthy motivations they apparently do. I find it really hard to believe you would be astonished to find you have offended others with such a statement.

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I see I have not expressed myself well.

I spoke of ‘my sense of style’ as I could hardly speak to anyone else’s. ‘Who I am being more important…’, well I was only trying to explain my personal view. I cannot be responsible for all that you have read into my words.

Had you said, “Well I care about quality and appearance…” I certainly would never have read into it condemnation of my point of view or considered it an attack. Nor would “am not going to walk around looking like a bag lady” have hit it’s mark, I’m afraid.

I simply don’t see others differing choices to be condemnation of mine. In this we surely differ.

I am sorry to have offended. I can only apologize for offending you as I did not say anything that actually requires apologizing for beyond holding a different view than yours.

If you choose to see other choices as condemnations of yours there is little anyone can do to mitigate that beyond keep their opinions to themselves.

Which your words have certainly convinced me to do in the future.

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[QUOTE=TroubleAgain]
::glosses over the hostility in thread::

You know why I don’t have a Coach or other expensive bag? Because I’m fickle. :o I’ll take quantity over quality in bags and shoes any day, because I never carry the same bag for more than a few months at a time (sometimes weeks!) and love having a mad variety of shoes to wear. And some cute new style is always catching my ey–oooh, shiny! :cool:
[/QUOTE]

I totally know what you mean. All the other bags that I have are around $20 and some of them has endured my harsh abuse for years. But they show the wear and tear after a while and it sucks to love a bag so much only to have the zipper break or the fabric tear (I prefer fabric bags to leather). I thought it would be a nice change to have at least one nice bag to bring with me that I know can withstand my lifestyle.

And even though I didn’t accept the job that I was offered, I still brought my bag to a birthday party and a wedding this past weekend. I got nothing but compliments and a bit of envy over it. One of my friends who was sitting with me at the wedding held my bag and said she hadn’t seen that model. I told her that the salesperson at Macy’s told me that it had just come out two weeks ago. She nearly drooled and told me that she has some shopping to do!

I never thought I would have this kind of conversation over a bag, but I think it’s a fun girly thing I finally get to do (I’ve always been a tomboy growing up). Why not enjoy the work we put in during the week and treat ourselves sometimes, eh?

I really hope that the rest of the thread can continue on a positive note. There will always be naysays and finger pointers who will criticize you and tear you down. I’d rather not give them the satisfaction of being upset over their difference of opinion and lifestyle. I know who I am, I know what I like and I know that I appreciate the things that I buy. I don’t need to buy things to increase my confidence, but it sure does help you put that extra hop in your step when you have a new and pretty thing to show off to friends and family. Is that true with any new toy that you buy? Does that make you a horrible person? No, as long as you aren’t hurting yourself or others - and you really love and appreciate it, then what’s wrong with it? I’d like to think that I’m fighting my own ignorance by being more open-minded about these kinds of things and I finally get to talk to the girls about something that we enjoy.

Thank you everyone for trying to keep this discussion civil.

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[QUOTE=alice_in_wonderland]
And obviously the OP wanted a bunch of snot-boxes to come in and slag her off about her purchase, and make bitchy comments about people who buy trendy bags, having just bought one herself. I know when I make a decision that I’m a little iffy about, nothing makes me feel better about my choice than having a bunch of prissy snits tell me it was the wrong one.

BTW - in case anyone wasn’t clear - the above IS sarcasm.

No, it’s not. However, attacking the OP of this thread about her bag choice is really fucking obnoxious and I’ll gleefully point that out.

Now, perhaps you and your plastic Walmart check out bag have some business elsewhere, humm?
[/QUOTE]
Maybe you could point out to me where the OP got attacked for choosing a Coach bag, because I didn’t see it. Other people have expressed their opinions about designer bags, which is what this thread is about. Most of the anti-expensive bag people haven’t been bitchy or judgmental that I’ve seen. Why are they not allowed to express their opinions? I don’t think anyone has even made any blanket statements about all people who buy expensive bags. There has been a good amount of criticism of people who look down on people who aren’t carrying designer bags, but if that doesn’t describe you, why would it bother you?

You act like people have been attacking you personally for liking expensive things. Nobody’s said that. It’s true that some people look down on people who carry accessories with huge logos, because those people are trying to impress everyone else with their status. If that’s not true of you, then why does it bother you when people say that?

I think you’re just upset because not everyone admires your exquisite taste. Some people think there are more important things in life than fashion, and I think you can’t handle it that they aren’t jealous of you because you have nicer stuff than they do. News flash, some people really aren’t jealous of you.

I think elbows has been very articulate and graceful about this whole thing, and if anyone is being a “snot-box,” it’s certainly not her.

P.S. I don’t shop at Walmart, but thanks for playing.

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[QUOTE=Penchan]

shayna, I’m sorry, that was my mistype. I meant to say that he was commenting on my heels for the next interview because it would be painful for me to wear all day at the next meeting, nothing nefarious. I didn’t mean to remind you of your painful experience. At least you beat that asshole and made him pay up for some of his dispicable behavior! Good for you! And thank you for the well wishes and the compliment. Unfortunately the job turned out to be a MLM that ran exactly like DS-MAX . So my feet hurt since I went through the field with my ‘mentor’. I’m pissed because the company advertised itself as a company that was hiring managers, but you have to go through all that crap to get to be a manager. No thank you. That’s ok, at least I got a pretty bag out of all of this.
[/QUOTE]
First of all, no worries about reminding me about my former dirtbag employer (who, by the way, was fired a year later when it was discovered that he was embezzling from the company!). It’s not as if it was a traumatic experience I’m reliving nightmares about or anything. :wink: It’s just that as a woman with a few years experience on you, I felt compelled to allow you to benefit from that experience, by advising that you tread very cautiously around men who would comment inappropriately about your attire, even if it appears casual. As it happens, that’s not what that comment actually was, so it wasn’t relevant after all, but at least now you might be more aware in the future.

Secondly, I’m sorry to hear the interview was somewhat of a waste of time. But you seem like a very bright young lady, so I have no doubt you’ll land something really fabulous in no time. Wishing you the very best of luck!

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[QUOTE=MagicEyes]
P.S. I don’t shop at Walmart, but thanks for playing.
[/QUOTE]

Why not? I do. I bought my kettle there, small kitchen appliances, closet organizers, bed linens, towels, etc.

If they sold Coach handbags, I would buy them there too.

Or what - is it ok to sneer at people who carry expensive handbags while at the same time looking down your nose at people who buy stuff at Walmart?

You really do seem to be having an identity crisis of some sort.

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[QUOTE=MagicEyes]

I think you’re just upset because not everyone admires your exquisite taste. Some people think there are more important things in life than fashion, and I think you can’t handle it that they aren’t jealous of you because you have nicer stuff than they do. News flash, some people really aren’t jealous of you.

[/QUOTE]

:dubious: