For people who don't understand the attraction to handbags, let me just explain a little bit. As someone who has been plush size (yeah, plush) for the majority of her life there are only a few aspects of fashion that I personally can partake in : shoes, handbags, and misc accessories. Luckily, those are also the cheapest, or at least more accessible items sold by luxury brands.

Why is partaking in fashion important? Well, to a lot of people it's not. I used to be one of those people. I liked to blend into the background because I was ashamed of who I was, being morbidly obese. The last thing I ever wanted to do was to draw attention to myself. However, for many people, what you wear (regardless of labels) is a form of expression. Being able to cultivate your own sense of style and portray that in your every day life is a beautiful thing. It brings women (and men) confidence and sometimes can empower them to achieve new goals. There's a reason the "power suit" was so popular with female executives... and to some extent still is.

Growing up poorer than dirt, I never thought I'd ever even get the chance to see a Chanel "anything" in real life. Owning a handbag for me is like owning a piece of art but it's better than art because you can live your life in it. I can't do my errands while carrying around a giant painting or an extremely fragile sculpture, but I can do them with a Louis Vuitton Neverfull.

I also see handbags as a bit of an investment. The very first designer bag I ever fell in love with and finally came to own as a gift for my 30th birthday, was the Chanel flap handbag. It's a design that has been around since the 1920's and is a staple in nearly every handbag collector's bucket list. Since that purchase, 3 years ago, that same bag has gone up nearly $1000 in value. Would I ever sell it? Ummm no! It was a gift and it was (and is) my dream bag for nice occasions. But, if I ever HAD to, I could turn a profit as long as the bag is still in good condition.

But, Genna are designer handbags really worth all that money? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Certain brands make high quality products out of high quality materials that last a long time. Other brands ride off of their label's previous success and pray nobody ever notices that their new products suck. In the end, you do you. If you enjoy a $20 bag you found at Target because it has utility and fits your style, rock that bag. If you feel like you absolutely must have a Givenchy Antigonia bag and know that every time you carry it, you're going to feel amazing, get one. One of the best purchases I've ever made for myself was an LV Emilie wallet in Monogram with a Rose Nacre interior. Every time I use that wallet, I open it up and the pretty rose color makes me smile. Is that worth the money? To me, it is.

So anyway I hope this maybe helped some of you who don't really get my obsession with handbags or maybe it just confused you more, I have no idea. All I can say is that I'm really grateful to so many designers for putting out completely hideous looking bags this past year because you have helped me spend less money on my one vice. :)

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