I am wildly covetous. I crave and want expensive and luxurious things. But I never actually buy them for myself – and when birthdays and Christmasses roll around I am too embarrassed by my grasping consumerism to actually ask for the thing that I want. “Anything,” I flap my hands when asked by my husband what I want. “Get my anything. Nothing! I’ve got my health, what more could I ask for?”
Which is crackers because the three really expensive things I own – my Jimmy Choo shoes, my Fendi bag and my Joseph coat – I love exactly in proportion to how much they cost. My Jimmy Choo shoes – studded black courts – I adore them so much that I keep them in their box with their shoe trees in them. When I lift the lid off the box the two or three occasions a year that are special enough to warrant putting them on my heart actually skips a little beat. They are divine. When the kids are bored and try on all my shoes and stagger about the kitchen wearing them, they are the one pair they are absolutely not allowed to touch.
But there is another thing that puts me off buying expensive and covetable things – and that is that they go out of fashion. If I am going to ask for something that costs north of £500 it had better last forEVER. This – and just general Protestant guilt – is what’s putting me off casually (not casually) jotting this Chloe Drew bag down on my Christmas list.
The Chloe Drew, nano, mini and shoulder bag. From £750
I will love it and care for it like a third child, sure, but will it shortly be as dated as that clunky Mulberry cross body that everyone’s got? Or the Fendi Baguette? Or a Prada nylon shopper? (Though those have gone so far out of fashion they’re back in.)
I know myself too well and I will be too shy to ask for this bag. While it’s pretty and will go with, like, everything – it’s just too much responsibility.
Completely agree about the Protestant Guilt – I too am by nature extremely covetous but my tortured Puritan soul keeps me pretty grounded.
HOWEVER I think if one does get one’s grubby mitts on something expensive and fashionable the only way of assuaging one’s guilt is to wear or use it ALL THE TIME, before it goes out of fashion. I have had some lovely things in the past which I squirrelled away, patted lovingly … and then realised that they either looked suddenly wrong or didn’t fit any more! Horror!
I had – still have – a very, very, very cold-sweats-very expensive gold bracelet which I wore every day for a whole decade, and it brought me so much pleasure to see it all the time. I only stopped when we started renovating the house and it got covered in grot all the time.
Oh, and anyway, the Chloe will surely be ‘vintage’ in about eighteen months’ time, right?
I meant to add: vintage – so you can have another season with it back on fleek (what does that mean? Did I use it correctly?).
“on fleek”? never got the hang of it myself… xx
The bag is beautiful, Esther, you should have it. And I can’t see it will date quickly. I am 68 and I have many more regrets over what I didn’t buy/have than what I did. The shoes are beautiful. Such things bringpleasure. I’m the same with jewellery, which gives joy unrelated to the cost. Please don’t worry about your weight – you’re perfect! Enjoying the blog though we have little in common.
Hmm. I’ve just had a look on the Chloe website … no mention of prices (which I find a bit terrifying). Realistically I would only spill beer on it. And then cry.
I think you are being clever. Maybe some kind member of your family will read this and get the hint. Or maybe Chloe? Do they do freebies? Would they like my details?
Susan I’ll keep you posted xxx
Tell yourself that you are being very clever in buying it as it will be an investment that can only go up in price therefore it would be silly not to have it.