Designer shoes and bags are to women what watches are to men. Yet how many women can splash out on a simple fashion accessory that may cost more than the family car?
One alternative is to buy cheaper designer look-alikes. As I currently live in Thailand it is impossible to walk more than fifty paces without bumping into a “designer inspired store” of somekind.
There is another alternative. For those of us who can’t afford to splash out £1,000 ($2,000) on a handbag, another option is to rent one.
A new trend has emerged in designer purses, rather than hiring a car for a month, go for a Chloe or Louis Vuitton instead. You can’t fit the kids in the back but it will make you feel like million dollars!
Thanks to innovative new fashion firms in the US and UK, women can now borrow coveted couture purses. One husband and wife team in the UK rent out bags to would be fashionistas for a small monthly membership fee plus bag rental cost. Such has been their success that membership has grown from 3 to 3,000 in just three months.
Something like this would never work here in Thailand, where most Thais tend to be superstitious of anything that is second-hand. However, I can see the potential for handbag hire in most of the western world and have a friend in the States who thinks "bags for hire" is the best thing since sliced bread!.
What woman wouldn’t miss the chance of carrying a Louis Vuitton or oversized Birkin on her arm to the next Christmas Party or a fabulous Fendi on that first special date.
For many years we have been able to hire evening gowns and tuxedos for special occasions, so why not expensive designer bags?
