Hobo Therapy

Women who love to shop are surely in a conondrum.

These tough economic times can make even the most optimistic fashionista a little blue, but retail therapy is no longer a real option for emotional recovery.

What's a gal to do?

The answer, I believe, is cheap chic. Prada, Dior, and Gucci can keep their $2,000 bags. Today's shoppers are looking for a bargain without sacrificing too much in quality.

Enter the Tano Woven Handle Hobo bag. It manages at the same time to be both simple and stylishly feminine. I love the woven handle and silver stud detailing, and I think the color is at once fashionable and versatile. Keep this bag in your closet and only bring it out on special occasions, wear it every day, or do anything in between.

And best of all, the bag comes in under 300 bucks.

I know that still may seem high to some, but remember, people: you get what you pay for.

Buy it at Neimans for $275.

New Designer Alert: Treesje

A few weeks ago while strolling through Saks' otherwise disappointing handbag department, I discovered my current handbag brand crush, Treesje. I have no idea how the intriguing name is pronounced, but I do know that they make some pretty sexy bags. The metro clutch was the first style to catch my eye, but the website reveals a plethora of wonderful and practical bag options.

Treesje bags have an almost universal appeal. They're a good size, practical, and functional, but are fun and unique at the same time.

Also quite impressive is the way that the company organizes its line. At any one time, say, the fall season, Treesje carries around 10 different "collections" to suit different personal tastes. Within each collection are 3-4 bags that contain similar elements but serve different purposes, end uses, and times of day.

For example, the metro collection, seen below, has 4 bags with simliar hardware and pleated leather, to remind us that they are part of the same collection (each bag comes in a variety of colors). First we see the lovely tote (Hudson), then two different size satchels (Asher and Asher Grande), and finally, my personal fave, the clutch. I can imagine that this simple organizational scheme makes for a simpler shopping experience.

Pick Treesje bags up in department stores, boutiques, or online.

Desperate Times, Desperate Measures

The town right next to the one where I grew up is called Chevy Chase. Yeah, like the actor/comedian. A few years ago, some luxury retailers and real estate developers decided it would be a good idea to erect among the most high-end of high-end shopping centers in the country in the middle of Chevy Chase, flanked by Saks on end and a fancy shmanzy restaurant on the other.

This small but imposing shopping center houses no less than the likes of Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Barney's, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany, and Bulgari, to name a few. Some call it "The Rodeo Drive of Chevy Chase."

A few weeks ago, while home for my mom's birthday, I took a quick stroll through many of Rodeo's shops to "do research." As I was walking through the beautiful valuted ceilings, plush carpeting, and heavily guarded front doors, I wondered if Louis Vuitton had somehow become a portal to a decimated ghost town in the old west, circa 1890.

For, you see, I was the only shopper in sight.

Sometimes I hate being the only person in a high-end store; I can practically feel the store associates judging me with their superior, smug, and snooty attitudes. This time, however, i hated it for a different reason: the smell of desperation in the air.

Oh, those poor, poor associates. Every time I walked into a new store, they swarmed like bees. Did I want to see anything? Could they help me with anything? Would I like to see that shoe in my size? It was as uncomfortable as taking the 6 train during rush hour. But at the same time, my heart went out to them.

In Dior, the CDBee Cannage Deerskin Tote immediately caught my eye. Simple, stylish, and a little bit sparkly - in all, a beautiful bag. A store associate noticed my interest, and the following conversation ensued:

Associate: It's beautiful, isn't it.

Shannah: Yes.

A: It's made out of deerskin. It's going to be a very popular bag this season, a best seller.

S: Oh really, interesting.

A: I don't have any in storage right now, but...

S: Oh, that's ok, I'm not going to buy it.

A: ...but I could easily transfer one in from a nearby store.

S: Thanks for offering, but I don't think I can buy it right now.

A: Well, I'll have it transferred, just in case.

S: That's not necessary. I don't live here.

A: Well, just in case - I'll have it transferred for you. It's a beautiful bag.

The exchange continued, and even though I hade made it abundantly clear that I was never in a million years going to purchase the bag, the associated insisted, even as I was walking out the front door, that she would have it transferred "just in case."

I don't think I'll go back there.

In case you are wondering which bag caused all the fuss, a photo (notice the bee key chain, my fave feature):

I'm Back - But is Luxury Dead?

I begin my triumphant return with the discussion of a WSJ article on the luxury goods market and how aggressive markdowns and discounts in high-end department stores during the holidays diminished the attractiveness of high-priced apparel, shoes, and - of course - handbags.

It's an understatement to say that designers were a bit peeved by the startegies of Neimans, Saks, and other luxury retailers; they felt that their brands were being damaged, perhaps irreperably, and are now threatening to withhold the best items of their collection from these stores instead of going through traditional channels.

The fears of Marc Jacobs and other high-end designers may well-founded. Former Gucci, Prada, and Chloe enthusiasts alike were interviewed in the article, and stated that they would never again pay full price for luxury items. To paraphrase their rationale: how do they know that the very items for which they shell out 2 grand will not be reduced to a mere pittance the next day?

What say you, folks? Is luxury dead, as some alarmists would have you think? Or are we in for a temporary bump in the road, which will eventually resolve itself once the stock market starts to climb?

I for one favor the second theory. While I may not be purchasing any luxury bags in the near future, I will continue to oggle them until the economy is on steady ground and I can finally indulge again.