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The world of celebrity puts priorities in a new perspective.

For instance: the fuss about the bags Martha Stewart was carrying when she entered the courthouse Jan. 20, when her trial began in Manhattan.

Did you ever see so much attention paid to a tote bag or, in this case, two bags?

Not since Imelda Marcos and her shoes have we zeroed in so obsessively on a woman's accessories and her appetite for self-indulgence.

Well, maybe Jackie Kennedy and Nancy Reagan were also overscrutinized, but they weren't on trial -- at least not in criminal court.

How many people would know what those bags cost unless the media had made it a case in point and spotted the small Hermes logo?

Was it a bad move on her part to use the kind of bags she obviously uses in her everyday and privileged life as she arrived for what is undoubtedly the fight of her life?

And with average Joes and Janes watching?

Should she have played the little game of courtroom image-changing and carried something less ostentatious? Maybe even a bag from Kmart?

In other words, should she have tried to pull off the fact she is not all that well off financially and that she does indeed carry "looks-like-leather" handbags, the way many American women do?

"I'm one of you" would have been the message.

Not likely.

Robin Givhan opined in an article in The Washington Post ("Martha's Moneyed Bag Carries Too Much Baggage") that Stewart carrying a bag "surrounded by such a thick cloud of wealth and privilege" was ill-advised since appearances play too important a role in a jury trial.

That's one way to look at it. On the other hand, to pretend to carry a vinyl handbag at this stage, not Hermes leather, would, it seems to me, have qualified her as dishonest, and that could have carried over to her statement denying she sold her stock with insider information from her broker.

Givhan also wrote that the price for a Hermes Birkin bag (there is a waiting list for certain styles; I am not on it) begins at $6,000. Stewart's bag (only the one is identified) is 11 years old.

Truthfully, unless you know what a Hermes label stands for (everything with that designer name is expensive) or if you even recognize a Hermes bag as opposed to a Liz Claiborne, does it matter?

I'm guessing that Stewart's high-heeled boots weren't Keds, but we didn't pick on them. She might even have been wearing an Oscar cashmere coat or sweater, but no, it was that Hermes -- readily recognized in fashion circles -- that stirred the most comment.

On TV's "The View" the day after Stewart's appearance at federal court, her bags were the hot topic of discussion. It was even suggested that she should have somehow disguised them (she's clever that way) or, at the very least, maybe carried a bag from Kmart.

As we know, this is the store that, by selling her taste in towels, sheets and toilet bowl covers, allows average shoppers to imagine they live like Stewart.

Yes, $6,000 is a lot of money to pay for a handbag. She seemed to hold her handbags high as she exited her limo at the courthouse, either showing them off intentionally or being clueless they were going to become more important than her plea of not guilty to charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and securities fraud.

With that looming over one's head, who thinks about changing a handbag?

There aren't many female moguls like Stewart and, like it or not, she has a lot of money, some of it from you and me. High-end shopping is her way of life, except when she is picking mulberries in her garden to decorate a basket she has made from tree sprigs.

I would guess if you went through her closets, you wouldn't find a cheap handbag, or a cheap anything. Maybe nail polish. Well, maybe not.

Remember, she didn't wear little gold-toned Monet earrings for a recent interview with Barbara Walters. She wore small, tasteful earrings and yes, we were told they were diamonds.

I'm not convinced that the Hermes handbags in her closet are a mistake in judgment or even, as has been suggested, callous disregard for the little guy (or gal).

Stewart isn't alone in getting all this attention for what she is wearing far from an awards show red carpet, where we've come to expect it.

Michael Jackson's badge and the medal hung on a ribbon around his neck when he arrived for his meeting with the judge regarding child molestation charges had reporters scurrying to find out just what the jeweled items meant and, of course, how much they cost.

He has always dressed in bizarre fashion.

Did anyone seriously think he would show up wearing khakis and a button-down shirt?

When Kobe Bryant wore no tie for his first meeting with a judge, it also was scrutinized as a bad move. For some, the lack of a tie indicated disrespect for the serious rape charge against him.

We take celebrity-watching seriously, on the red carpet or at the courthouse.

Could a red carpet soon be part of spectacular courtroom cases? Would Joan and Melissa Rivers be there?

Followers of the HBO series Sex in the City will remember the episode in which Samantha (Kim Catrall) went to absurd lengths to acquire a Hermes Birkin handbag. Samantha's over-the-top pursuit of the handbag could very easily serve as a proxy for the actual heights that legions of real handbag-obsessed women will climb in order to sink as little as $5,000 and as much as $80,000 into owning this bag. What is it about the rounded double handle, tiny metal feet, the fold-over top and the belt-like closure that wraps around the bag's body that drives women to endure the reported two-year waitlist? Well for one thing, the Hermès Birkin bag is the handbag equivalent of a Rolls-Royce or a dozen illicit Cuban cigars.

First introduced in 1984, the bag has surged in popularity over the past couple of years due to television spotlights and unexpected media exposure, like Martha Stewart showing up for a court appearance carrying one in a warm shade of brown. The handbag's creator, French luxury goods stalwart Hermes, is use to all the attention however, given the equally global popularity of Hermes ties, scarves, and fragrances. I spoke recently with Robert Chavez, CEO of Hermes USA, to get to the bottom of all the excitement.

Harbus: How has Hermes been able to maintain its prestigious image?
Robert Chavez: The company has maintained its prestigious image because of its commitment to quality and craftsmanship that it has adhered to since the day it started back in 1837. We continue to be very committed to hand-crafted products created by the finest craftsmen in Europe and to making products of the finest materials.

Harbus: Was the company surprised by the wild success of the Birkin Bag?

RC: Obviously we expected to have a good response to the bag, but we were surprised by the extent of the bag's popularity. I think one of the things that makes it so desirable is that it is very functional. Also, I think our clients appreciate the quality of the leather, the quality of the workmanship, and the beauty of the design. The bag was designed in house and inspired by Jane Birkin herself.

Harbus: Does product placement on television have an impact on sales?

RC: The results from a product being placed on a television show can be remarkable. It happened to Hermes a couple of years back when one of our bags was featured on an episode of Sex in the City. Part of the episode focused on the lengths one of the characters was going to in order to obtain our Birkin bag. Immediately after the show, our phones started ringing all across the country.

Harbus: How do products get placed on television shows?

RC: For Hermes, it is really happen stance. Generally, someone will call us and make a request to put Hermes products in their show or to have someone on their show use Hermès products. It's great when it happens, but we don't chase after product placements.

Harbus: Is counterfeiting a problem, given the popularity of the Birkin handbag.

RC: We are very diligent about pursuing counterfeit products that reach the market and we take action on them when necessary. We take counterfeiting seriously because this type of infringement on our registrations and trademarks is very damaging to our brand. For instance, if a person is walking down the street and sees someone carrying what looks like a Hermes bag from a distance, they might not know for sure if the bag is an actual Hermès handbag. If the person makes a mistake an assumes that a counterfeit bag is a real Hermes bag and the counterfeit bag is of poor quality, the person might walk way believing that Hermès does not have the level of craftsmanship that they thought it had.

Harbus: What exactly does craftsmanship mean?

RC: In addition to only using the finest materials, we are able to make extremely high quality handbags because only one craft person makes each of our bags from start to finish. Most manufacturing today uses an assembly line, which results in one person doing a couple of parts of a bag and then someone else doing another couple of parts of it and so on. At Hermès, one person works on a handbag from start until finish. It takes anywhere from 18 to 24 working hours for one person to complete one bag.

Harbus: So what's new at Hermes?

RC: Every year we continue to come out with new and exciting things. This year we introduced a new women's fragrance, Merveilles. Also for this fall season we launched our new women's ready-to-wear collection designed by John Paul Gauthier.

Harbus: Besides being French, why else was John Paul Gauthier given the nod?

RC: Hermes became a 35 percent investor in John's company a few years back, so the relationship was already there. When Martin Margiela, the pervious women's wear designer, contract was nearly up, we started discussing who would take over and John seemed like the logical choice. And as expected, John has been terrific.

Michael Kors fashion show

The Michael Kors fashion show Tuesday should have been called “Welcome Back from the Hamptons” as Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss, Liz Cohen, Helen Lee Schifter, Olivia Chantecaille, CeCe Cord, and Jamee Gregory tucked away their Hermes beachtowels and donned Tod’s loafers, tweed blazers, and crocodile bags for a front-row seat. With boldfacers that even Dan’s Papers readers may not recognize, the paparazzi stormed Jessica Simpson and best friend/personal assistant CaCee Cobb as they walked to their seats.

Fabian Basabe somehow finagled a chair front row and flirted endlessly with the socialites on either side of him—one playfully touching the hole in his jeans while he bopped around to “Love is in the Air.”

The most shocking appearance was the arrival of Lil’ Kim just as the lights dimmed. Wearing head-to-toe Michael Kors (a plunging brown jersey dress with a cropped fur coat and python heels), the always blinging rapper squealed, “I thought the show was so sexy, so expensive, I mean, so oh my god. I love it. Especially the white dress with the blue crystals in the middle, the leopard-skin bikini, the snakeskin dress with the snakeskin bikini. I could totally see myself in everything.” And although Lil’ Kim’s silhouette is constantly changing, she insists the reason she loves Kors’ clothing is because “he truly understands a woman’s body.”

With models like Carmen Kass and Karolina Kurkova strutting the runway, his incorporation of gravity-defying boobs remains to be seen.—Joanna Douglas

HERMES 40 CM BIRKIN BLACK LEATHER BAG PURSE HANDBAG
PORTERO Fashion - The "IT" bag of all "IT" bags

FEATURES:

- Original Hermes design
- Signature Birkin handbag
- Black pebble leather exterior
- Dual handles
- Top flap with twisting lock closure
- Silver-toned hardware
- Fully leather lined interior
- 1 interior multipurpose pocket & 1 zippered compartment
- 4 Protective feet
- Dust bag included
- Made in France

MEASUREMENTS:

- Dimensions: 40 cm/15" width x 28 cm/11" height x 20 cm/8"
- Handle Drop: 4"

CONDITION:

- This item is in good condition.
- Exhibits scuffing along base and 4 bottom corners.
- Please note slight markings along front base.
- Please refer to photographs to verify condition.
- Please note that all items are sold As-Is.

AUTHENTICITY:

- Front exterior marked Hermes Paris Made in France
- Hardware marked HERMES PARIS
- Markings: C4

ABOUT HERMES:

There are status symbols, and then there's Hermès, a luxury brand that for more than a century has transcended easy categorization. The Hermès handbag holds unique status as a coveted collector s item, while nothing elevates a woman's chic factor faster than an exquisite Hermès silk scarf or bracelet. But beyond the classic appeal of its signature accessories for example, the famous Kelly handbag, named for the late Princess of Monaco there is also innovation. Under master designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, Hermès has become a force to be reckoned with in women's fashion. Witty and whimsical, Gaultier's penchant for the outrageous is in equipoise with polished, expert tailoring and attention to detail. Look for surprising color pairings, nipped-in jackets, classic trenchcoats, body-conscious pencil skirts, flirty flamenco skirts, and the best tiered skirts going. A favorite of style-conscious sophisticates, especially those who appreciate a jolt of the unexpected.

Hermes, the maker of the famous Birkin bag, is bringing a trademark, trade dress and unfair competition lawsuit in federal district court against a New York store for selling a replica Birkin bag made of rubber rather than leather. The owner claims it's a satire on the hideously expensive Birkin; Hermes isn't amused.

Here's Hermes's argument:
[W]hat aggrieves Herm賠lawyers most is the attempt to convey the gestalt of a Birkin or Kelly bag, which they consider a violation of the company's intellectual property. . . . [T]he widespread celebrity the bags have attained constitutes a trademark in itself. "If everyone on Madison Avenue has a fake Kelly or Birkin, it dilutes the exclusiveness of the brand," he said.
I leave it for others to evaluate the merits of this argument. Read the New York Times article here
Of course, anybody who has been to New York's Chinatown district, or similar places around the world, knows that knockoff bags are everywhere: you can buy nearly indistinguishable Hermes, Kate Spade, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, etc. bags at a fraction of the genuine cost. By the very nature of the object being copied, bag-design infringement is not as widespread as copyright infringement, but, like pattern piracy, it's there and often very, very mainstream. Some parties may see intellectual property as property; it's clear, though, that many people from all walks of life think quite differently, and act accordingly.

TOKYO — Walking down a street in Tokyo, it doesn't take long to see women clutching Coach bags.
The New York-based maker of fine leather goods is succeeding where other U.S. companies have struggled, winning over finicky Japanese customers who have long preferred European and homegrown brands.

With more than 100 retail outlets in Japan, Coach's sales tripled in the past three years to about $270 million.

Business in Japan now makes up more than a fifth of the company's global sales.

Japanese buyers are passionate about the leather and fabric bags and totes.

"I've always wanted a Coach bag," said Akiko Yamaguchi, a university student visiting a Coach store with her mother, who bought two bags for her daughter's 20th birthday. "I'd like to buy lots more if I can."

Coach is so popular that when it recently opened a store in the northern city of Sapporo, dozens of women lined up to be among the first to set foot in the shop.


KOJI SASAHARA / AP
Coach Chief Executive Lew Frankfort, center, with Coach Japan President Ian Bickely, speaks about the company's fall collection during a visit this month to Tokyo.


Known for its craftsmanship, Coach is the No. 2 imported bag and accessory brand in Japan in sales, trailing France's Louis Vuitton, a favorite for decades. Coach sells in department stores and has four flagship boutiques devoted to its products, with two more opening this year.

"We have a unique brand proposition. We are an accessible luxury accessories brand in which we offer extremely well-made products that are relevant to Japanese consumers' lifestyles at very attractive prices," Coach Chief Executive Lew Frankfort said during a recent visit to Tokyo. "We think the opportunities are abundant."

Coach keeps prices down — as much as a half or a third of European rivals — by maintaining low-cost suppliers and producing the bags in Chinese plants where workers are trained and supervised by Coach to maintain quality.

Still, the bags are not cheap, giving them the luxury-goods aura Japanese shoppers demand.

A Coach tote costs about $700, but smaller bags cost about $400.

It has also helped that the Japanese culture is brand-conscious. Even in the samurai era, people kept abreast of fashions, coveting brands in noodles, kimonos and bonsai plants.

Being out of touch with what's hip is potentially embarrassing in Japan and even costly for your career.

The brand loyalty often backfired on many U.S. companies trying to break into the Japanese market, although the Gap, Coca-Cola and Disneyland have been huge hits. Ford, Burger King, Gateway and Dunkin' Donuts haven't found Japanese buyers as welcoming.

"Coach is a case study in cracking the Japan luxury market," said Naomi Moriyama, president of New York-based The Moriyama Group, marketing consultants.

"Coach is winning in Japan because of intensive consumer research, superb product quality and customer service, stunning new stores and a constant flow of new products."

Japanese are snatching up Coach bags not only in Japan but also abroad as tourists. The same handbags are cheaper overseas because of Japanese taxes on imports and the costs of shipping and store space in Japan.

Some Japanese women say their loyalty to the Coach brand developed during shopping trips abroad.

Moriyama said Japan is filled with serious "power-shoppers," who see collecting brands as critical for status and self-expression, accounting for 40 percent of the world's luxury sales.

Many are single women who live with their parents, but a growing group of brand-conscious "power seniors" and women executives is likely to keep Japan an important luxury market for years, Moriyama said.

Stuck in small, cramped homes, Japanese tend to splurge on things like bags rather than larger goods like fancy furniture.

A Japanese woman spends four times her U.S. or European counterpart on accessories, according to Coach.

To keep its image fresh, Coach changes its offerings every month. Eye-catching bags, like this fall's collection that has a metallic sheen, are prominently displayed on counters.

Coach stores have huge glass walls to send that "accessible luxury" message. And the doors are open, unlike some of the European brands that exude exclusivity with doormen guarding the entrance.

But it's not just the cachet that has won over Japanese shoppers. The same qualities that have appealed to Americans are luring Japan's consumers.

"The leather on Coach bags is so soft, and the designs aren't as cluttered as other brands," said Shizuyo Sakabe, 47, a housewife who owns a Coach bag and wallet.

She summed up the feelings of many others: "I love Coach."

What started with a simple, glove-tanned leather bag — inspired by a worn baseball glove — has ballooned into a $2 billion enterprise for Coach. That's a lot of hobos and totes.

And while style-conscious fashionistas splurge on high-end designer handbags, à la Carrie Bradshaw on "Sex and the City," the 64-year-old accessories company has quietly generated a sense of brand loyalty based on a whole new handbag category: affordable luxury.

For longtime fan Kitsy Rose of KC Public Relations, the appeal dates to the late '70s, when she played dress up with her mother's black leather Coach tote. Today, Rose has seven Coach bags, including one in pink suede and one in denim, which she calls "guilt-free, affordable pleasures."

She also cites the "durable styles, which are now in bright colors and fabrics."

Alisa Henderson, Star 94's "Super Shopper," is another devotee who uses a Coach bag to carry her bills, daytime planner and phone.

"I bought my first black Coach bag at a garage sale," said Henderson. She also has several other "sturdy and classic" Coach bags, including a suede wristlet for evening.

And while few designer labels strive for durability in their luxury handbags, it's always been a selling point for the leather goods firm. Initially, Coach was known as a classic Manhattan leather house that manufactured small goods — mainly wallets — and crafted its first leather bag 21 years later. While the bags were known for quality, they were conservative; some might even say boring.

But in recent years, Reed Krakoff, Coach's president and executive creative director, has shaped the company's identity as a consumer-friendly option in the handbag market.

A graduate of the Parsons School of Design in New York, Krakoff worked at Tommy Hilfiger and Polo/Ralph Lauren — companies known for their ability to connect with U.S. shoppers — before joining Coach in 1996.

Krakoff's fall designs, which hit stores recently, include trendy mink-trimmed tweed hobos, backpacks in the signature Coach print and leather satchels accented with studs — styles that mirror trends found in Prada, Dior and Fendi this season.

Along with classic favorites, new fall styles retail from about $138 to $800; most Coach bags range from $138 to $398. The line's signature print demi pouch costs $158, compared with Louis Vuitton's $550 signature print pochette.

"The big success of Coach is predicated on the epidemic lust for luxury accessories that swept America the past few years," said New York trend tracker David Wolfe. "What originally began as an in-crowd rage for that black nylon Prada bag became a tidal wave for other designer bags including Fendi baguettes, Chanel chain handles and Christian Dior initials. Of course, the really hot bags were European labels and astronomically priced."

Wolfe added that Coach entered at just the right moment. "The brand redesigned, reinvented and repositioned itself to appeal to a younger, more fashion-aware — though far from cutting-edge — customer," he said.

For Krakoff, there's no concrete method to his design strategy, except to stick to his instinct. "It starts with an idea and quick sketch and develops from there into various categories," Krakoff said via e-mail. "I am constantly sketching and involved in the process [of making a bag] from beginning to end."

He describes his customers as "fun, independent, creative and sophisticated." Those style-conscious women have led to Coach bags and accessories appearing in department stores, online and in more than 375 Coach-operated stores worldwide.

The company has four free-standing stores in the metro area, including a shoe boutique in Phipps Plaza.

Department stores, including Macy's and Parisian, also have Coach departments.

"I think a customer is willing to take a 'risk' on a fashion bag that may be a little different than she is used to," said Macy's handbag buyer Laura Cooper. "But Coach is risk-free. It's high-quality fashion that the customer trusts."

Cooper also points out that Coach has changed the handbag market. At Macy's, which has carried the label for a number of years, Coach is the top seller in the better handbag area, with an average selling price of $230. "Many more moderate vendors copy Coach looks for the following season," she said.

"Coach is an excellent example of being consumer-friendly," said Michelle Bogan, retail strategist with Kurt Salmon Associates. "They tap into the consumer through interviews and surveys. For example, several years ago, women were asking for a weekend bag that was more casual. The result? The Hampton collection now includes a casual weekend bag."

However, older styles, including a 1973 duffel sac, are still an inspiration for Krakoff. Updated versions have become mainstays — in new colors and fabrications — along with the classic leathers.

"Coach is in a unique position," Bogan said. "It's high-profile, and consumers recognize the name. Reed brought in a fresh design perspective and listens to what the customer wants. Coach has evolved as their customers have evolved.

"Their momentum will continue for fall and beyond. They show no signs of stopping."

Coach Inc. is an American leather goods company.

Coach began as a family-owned business in a loft in Manhattan. It is famous for ladies' handbags, as well as items for both men and women, such as luggage, briefcases, and wallets and other accessories (belts, shoes, etc.).

Coach leather products tend to be somewhat expensive, but very well-made, using a thick, supple, high-quality leather that obtains a patina with age, and sturdy metal rivets and hardware (often solid brass). The company also provides leather care products for their items. Coach leather goods often last 15 years or more with proper care, and indeed, some of the original Coach bags from the 1940's are known to be intact and in regular use. One of the hallmarks of the Coach company is their policy that any Coach product may be repaired for the life of the product by simply shipping it back to the home office, for a nominal fee, with a note or letter stating the problem.

A curious characteristic of the company is its very high profit margins, which are several times higher than its competitors. Presumably, this is due to the fact that among high-end leather goods, Coach is somewhat of an oddity with its long production runs (the number of items of each design that are produced). With longer production runs, Coach is able to take better advantage of economies of scale than its higher priced and less profitable counterparts. Business analysts also attribute the continuing success of Coach to the fact that it has found a place in the niche market known as 'affordable luxury', wherein a brand is recognizable as a luxury product but is priced such that it is accessible to the budget conscious.

Overseas sales for the American leather company have also remained strong, especially in the Japanese market. Its main competition in the Asian country is Louis Vuitton, the top seller of women's luxury handbags.

It was William Shakespeare who said it best, "What is in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." In our materialistic society, names matter. They define who we are, our status and our mentality. Designers help us with this way of thinking by making their items the "must haves" of the season. To own something, especially handbags, with the moniker of Versace, Coach, Louis Vuitton or Burberry, shows the public that you are trendy and care about what is "in" and what is not.

It seems that everyday, more and more people walking down College Avenue have fashionable new handbags. At the same time, the handbag phenomenon leaves us to wonder: why do so many people have designer handbags that cost well above what the typical college student can afford? After all, the average sized Coach purse cost about $158. The answer is simple: designer knock-off handbags, of course.

The explosion of the handbag industry gives many knock-off companies the freedom to make replica designer purses at a much lower price. With our materialistic society rapidly growing, people are buying in to the industry and instead of paying $158 for the newest Coach purse, people are paying street vendors on Canal Street in New York City $30 for bags that looks somewhat identical to an authentic Coach bag, or paying $50 for a Nine West handbag that assimilates a Coach purse. People even throw "Fake Purse Parties" in their homes where their friends can look and buy the newest fashions in knock-off purses.

Professor Vasilios Christofilakos, Professor of Accessories Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, believes that the sale of knock-off handbags is both positive and negative to society. Christofilakos warns all handbag fans not to mistake knock-off handbags for those of the black market. Knock-off handbags are better defined as the imitation purses that are sold in retail stores such as Macy's or Walmart, while black market bags are those sold illegally (namely by street vendors) that are copies of originals by such fashion houses as Louis Vuitton and Gucci.

Coach Purses & Handbags
Give COACH items as gifts for your next special Corporate Event. See below for details.

Coach Purses & Handbags are among the most sought after brands in fashion handbags, and for good reason: Coach is one of the few brands that stand up to all the hype. When you hold a Coach Purse, you can see and feel the quality. If it weren't for the fact that fashions change so often, Coach purses and handbags could be used for a lifetime. The lesson there is that since trends come and go, hold on to those old Coach leather handbags - they might be all the rage next year!

Coach was started more than fifty years ago as a family business. From a Manhattan loft, six leather artisans developed a collection of superior quality leather bags and accessories using time-honored skills passed down through generations. Soon the Coach reputation began to spread, and customers with discriminating tastes began looking for the Coach brand by name. The first inspiration for Coach bags came from the simple beauty and rugged durability of a classic American baseball glove. When Coach's founder noticed the glove's distinctive markings and the supple texture of the worn leather, he began working on his own design - refining it, making it simultaneously softer and stronger, he created Coach's first leather handbag. To this day, modern leather finishes, unique leather grains and colors, and innovative materials are at the forefront of Coach's design process. But this baseball glove-tanned leather remains a Coach tradition. And those first leather bags are more beautiful today than ever before.

Coach has always maintained the absolute highest standards in both their materials and workmanship. They operate on a much larger scale than in the days of the Manhattan loft, but the integrity of their workmanship remains and their reputation is firmly in place as part of American history and culture. Coach handbags and Coach purses are available from the official Coach website, or you can check out some of the popular auction sites for a vintage Coach purse or Coach handbag that's sure to be as beautiful as when it was first made.

Believe it or not, there was a time when I owned only ONE bag. Shocked? Don't be. I'm a pretty practical girl, I don't particularly like clothes and modern day fashions... to me, a purse (more commonly referred to as a "bag" now) was to carry your money and brush around, and maybe sometimes food into the local theater. :) It was a simple purse, given to me second hand by my mom. I liked it because it had a cell phone pocket on the side that was a perfect fit for my cell phone.

I remember when I was younger my mother liked Dooney and Bourke bags. Back then I believe there was only the ever-so-fashionable "Duck" bag. Whenever we spotted a Dooney bag, everyone would exclaim, "Duck alert! Duck alert!" She wanted one badly, but didn't have any money. My stepfather told her if she rolled up all of his pennies (he had saved for years!) she could use them to buy a DB bag. I don't remember well how long it took, but I remember she finally finished, and bought her precious Dooney and Bourke bag. Since then of course, she has gotten several other DB and Coach bags. I never understood her obsession.

Many years later, when I was old enough to work, I began working in a Subway-type establishment. It wasn't the best kind of work, but it suited me at the time. There I met several girls. One in particular LOVED bags. Each and every kind of bag you can think of, but her main obsession was COACH. At first, I could never understand WHY she wanted a bag that was maybe 10 x 10 inches, yet cost over a hundred dollars. After all, a purse (not quite a "bag" to me yet) was to hold your money, right? Why be so fancy? She had MANY Coach bags, all different shapes and sizes. Every day it seemed, she would bring another Coach bag to work, each to match her outfit. (From what I learned from her, black and brown bags go with everything.)

I often went to the mall, which was about forty minutes away. Halfway to the mall, every Saturday there was a flea market. There you would find many things, like fruit, vegetables, fake logo t-shirts, and, most recently, fake bags. I went once with my boyfriend, and spotted a fake Coach bag. It was very cute, chestnut brown with obviously pleather trim. I liked this bag in particular because you could both carry it low to your side as well as use another strap to hang on your shoulder. It was $20. Of course, I snatched it up. I also purchased that day a fake Coach wallet, that I thought matched (Another lesson learned: your wallet ALWAYS has to match your bag) at the time, but in better lighting, I realized it didn't quite match.

I carried this bag for quite a while, and before long, I started buying other types of bags from various places like Wal-Mart, Target, the mall, et cetra. I was beginning to change my bag every day too, to (try to) match my outfit. Oh, the horror!

Then one day, it happened: My girlfriend brought in this particular Coach bag. A brown Signature Soft Demi. I LOVED this bag! I tried it on, and opened it: Oh my gosh! It had TONS of room! I had to get this bag! Since we worked on a military base, there was a Navy Exchange store just down the street. My girlfriend told me they had the same bags, only in Mini Signature, at the NEX. We worked for tips, so I saved. Once I got paid and added in my tips, I had enough! Luckily the bags at the NEX are MUCH cheaper than the Coach store or other department stores. We drove there during a break at work, and I withdrew the money at the ATM machine outside of the NEX, and I gave her the money. Since she is a military wife, she could purchase items from the NEX, and I couldn't. We grabbed the black and white Mini Signature Soft Demi and paid for it. Score! It was only $125! From then on, I was a Coach Addict!