thoughts

What is luxury?

 in General Fashion  tagged thoughts by

What is luxury? This question has been floating around online on various social media outlets with interesting definitions and discussions. In addition, it seems most people have different ideas of what luxury is, and what it means to them. So, let’s dive right into the discussion.

Oftentimes people associate brands with luxury. People will also associate certain vacation destinations with luxury. But I ask you, are those real indicators of luxury? What exactly is luxury? What defines it and what does it mean to you and me.

Advertising and marketing strategies have shaped what consumers believe to be luxury. Many people think a German Automobile, a designer watch, a designer handbag, and logowear defines luxury. In reality, those items are just expensive products with amazing marketing schemes.

True luxury to me is time, family, and comfort. I feel luxurious when surrounded by my family, drinking warm tea, and enjoying happy moments. Consumer goods do not equate to luxury for me, instead, consumer goods are fun and feel like rewards, but they don’t offer long-lasting feelings of luxury and happiness. They serve a purpose; we hope, otherwise they are a waste of money which could have been better spent.

That being said, consumer goods which help me feel luxurious include good tea, a comfortable sofa which fits my family, and soft clothing I can curl up on the couch in; oh, and a soft throw. Cozy equals comfort for me too.

When it comes to cars, I used to own a very expensive, “luxury” vehicle. It was awful. The car was always breaking down and having electronic issues. Once I sold it and purchased a car based on reliability and safety ratings, I was so happy! So now, I feel like a reliable car is more luxurious than owning a status symbol car. Plus, let’s face it, cars depreciate in value. Why dump money into a car when you can keep it in the bank, invest it, and watch it grow? That is luxury.

One form of luxury we often take for granted is living in the United States. We can safely sleep at night knowing we are not being bombed or invaded. While expensive at times, we do have high quality healthcare. Food is plentiful, and there are a lot of job opportunities. We have freedoms other countries don’t enjoy such as the freedom of religion, speech, and more. This is luxury, especially to those who don’t have what we take for granted. I see my roof, my full refrigerator, and my family as luxurious. I thank God for all of this.

What is luxury to you?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Sunset at the beach

 in General Fashion  tagged outfits / seal beach / summer 2024 / thoughts by
seal beach california waves
summer sunset seal beach california

wearing: striped tee (sold out, also love this tee) / earrings / black handbag / nail polish / black belt / cropped jeans / espadrilles /

There is something about watching the sunset at the beach that just hits different. You can see all the colors and stages from every possible angle. There are no obstructions. So, on a recent trip to SoCal, we stopped at Seal Beach to watch the sunset as well as check out the Strawberry Moon.

I wish I had my real camera with me. These photos were taken with my iPhone and do not do the sunset, nor the Strawberry Moon, justice. They were both beautiful and the colors were outstanding.

The older I get, I realize how beautiful nature is, and sometimes I feel like I have missed out during my lifetime at just stopping and admiring it. My life has always been full speed ahead and stopping to “smell the flowers,” as the saying goes, is really something I wish I had listened to early on. I am thankful for my daughter who loves the beach and watching the sunset. She has pulled me away from work and made me appreciate the beauty around us.

Slowing down and watching the sunset is something I need to do more of. It is something we all need to do more of. What do you feel like you need to do more of in your life?

Thanks for stopping by.

XOXO

Cathy

strawberry moon 2024 seal beach california
sunset seal beach

Price does not equal luxury for handbags

 in General Fashion / Handbags  tagged investment dressing / street style trends / thoughts by
mulberry handbags price does not equal luxury bay area fashionista

Pictured: my favorite mini tote by Mulberry /

Have you noticed a backlash on social media as well as the streets against spending a ton of money on a so-called luxury handbag? The current trend is to steer clear of logo embellished handbags, as well as handbag styles which are over-saturated. There are some handbags out there which are too recognizable and have been over produced lately. Those seeking luxury handbags have started to steer towards high quality and thoughtful handbag brands and styles. Gone are the days of the so-called “status” bag, which right now, looks tacky. The chic handbag look is high quality, quiet branding, and feeling like you scored a beautiful investment bag that didn’t break the bank.

While we have been talking about the anonymous handbag here at Bay Area Fashionista over the past several seasons, there is more to this discussion than just a mere street style trend. It goes deeper than a trend. The anonymous handbag is intertwined with what consumers deem to be luxurious in both perception and reality.

There are so many brands in the world which have superior advertising and marketing strategies. They have made us believe through imagery, celebrity and tastemaker endorsements, lifestyle images, and more that luxury is something which can be bought. I assure you; luxury cannot be bought.

Let’s take designer handbags for instance, since “handbags” is a favorite topic of mine. Many “IT” bags can be thousands of dollars while many mid-market brand handbags are in the hundreds. Is there a difference in quality? Well, funny you ask. . .

If you asked me fifteen to twenty years ago if price equaled quality I would have jumped up and said yes! Now, so-called luxury items from designer brands have increased production and cut costs resulting in lower quality products at higher prices. I don’t want to name names, but I will say there is a designer I used to purchase bags from multiple times per year about twenty years ago. Once their bags hit $3000 I stopped buying them. It seemed like I had enough bags and knowing the same bag had been under $2000 just a few years prior to the price hikes, I couldn’t justify the new, higher prices. I dodged a bullet there! That same designer brand now charges $6000-$10,000 for the same bag I purchased for under $2000 fifteen to twenty years ago. In addition, the quality has gone down and my bags are better made than the new ones.

Now, in the past few years, I have found mid-market brands are making better quality bags than so-called “IT” designer brands. Coach, for example, is still killing it with high quality bags. I have also fallen in love with Toteme, Mansur Gavriel, Mulberry, and more. In fact, Mulberry is higher quality than any other designer bag I have experience with.

There are designer bags priced in the high thousands, as well as in the five figures, which don’t hold a candle to Mulberry’s quality. I found Mulberry bags to be the ultimate investment and they offer a feeling of luxury no other designer offers me. Love that!

Here are a few of my favorite high-quality handbags which won’t break the bank:

I have always looked at purchases as investments, not status symbols. Finding better quality at lower prices is the most luxurious thing for my bank account, and me! What do you think about price and luxury? Do they go hand in hand or are they two separate entities?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy