Many years ago, or maybe it wasn’t so long ago… I used to really like stuff by Marc by Marc Jacobs because of its quirkiness. Back then, there was often a regular update of their designs by a new mascot that they would use, whether it’s a Miss Marc or Mr. Actually, I’m not sure if it’s Miss or Mr, but I thought sometimes it looked like it could be a male. That was what drew me to the brand anyway but after some time, I dropped off. It probably isn’t sustainable for my wallet anyway haha, and to be very, very honest, I don’t need so many bags / earrings / pouches / accessories / what-have-you.
Some time back, I got to know that they are going to discontinue the line, as in this sub-line would be consolidated into the main Marc Jacobs brand. I am not a big Marc Jacobs fan simply because I don’t follow it and am generally not a fan of any single brand. It’s about affordability, one thing, and of course, I prefer diversity and variety. It’s more practical anyway. It was only recently that it became clear to me that this quirky brand is going to be no-more, and of course with most of such occurrences it means existing products become sought after since they will no longer be produced. It’s not about it becoming a collectible (these are not Chanels or Hermes) but rather this quirky brand would just disappear. And the most important thing, the remaining products are typically sold at discounted prices! Call me a cheapo but if you can get the same authentic thing at a fraction of the original price, why not? Savings are always good. Not thinking about the ‘savings’ from if I don’t buy them at all. That’s another perspective.
So after what seemed like a long time, I decided to splurge on bags again! I can’t remember but the last time I bought a bag was probably last April when I went to Tokyo? And it was an Agnes B. tote that wasn’t all that pricey. Compared with what I used to buy, that was really a fraction. With MBMJ this time, I bought two at a go, from different sources though – one online because there was a further promotion from the website I got from, and another from Isetan as they were also offering it at a discount.
Check out both my buys, pictures taken courtesy of Nordstrom.com.
The one on left is fruit-print canvas tote with lemon/lime prints all over. I really liked this when I saw it online, although what caught my attention in the beginning was the white/cream version that carried cherry prints instead of lime. I decided to get the black version because we all know how white or cream based canvas bags are a disaster waiting to happen over the longer term.
On the right is similar to something that I already have, a cushion-y tote that’s so soft and comfortable to carry, not to mention light. I was told that this is a bit more fragile as compared to the one I currently have so I was advised to not overload it for example, with a laptop. I had wanted to get the medium-sized tote for this but as I was carrying it, the sales assistant told me the smaller version compares better with my current piece and the medium would be a little too big because of my size. Well, I won’t call myself petite or anything but tend towards a thinner frame now so probably the medium-sized tote would overwhelm me.
The combined prices of both of these bags probably add up to just 10 percent, or definitely below 20 percent, of what one of those past bags cost. Of course neither of these are leather so that explains the lower price tags, but leather bags are much harder to maintain and heavier to carry. Also, with these it just means I won’t feel as much heartache when they become worn with use and they are more utilitarian and versatile for my daily usage!
Beautiful days 