Hermes, Chloe, Fendi, Chanel… The Pricier The Handbag the Higher the Self-Esteem?

Chanel, Louis, Fendi, The Row, Hermes… what do these designer names mean to you? Are you part of the elusive 1% who can drop a king’s ransom on a handbag without the blink of a well placed false eyelash, or are you like the overwhleming majority of America, who feels that they should be sporting what the hottest celebs are toting around but it’s a toss up between that must-have handbag or paying the mortgage this month? Or, are you comfortably paying all of your bills and you could spring for that handbag that US Weekly and Vogue says you have to have to feel complete, but you know that you really should add that disposable income to your 401K, your IRA or to plan that much needed vacation where you may actually have a meaningful experience with memories that will last a lifetime?

I know I sound a bit snarky here, but what’s the deal with handbags that cost $5,000, $10,000 or even $20,000 a pop? Are they serious? And what is in it for us, the consumer? Being a publicist and an entertainment journalist I can attest to the fact that many of today’s most photographed celebrities are “gifted” with these off-the-wall items just so that they can be randomly photographed wearing them, promting Jane Doe to feel inadequate if she doesn’t go blow her week’s or month’s salary on the same bag.

I have to call bullshit here.

Here’s the thing, I have poor friends, working class friends, middle class friends and rich friends, and not one of them feels any happier or sadder in direct correlation to a material object of any kind. Sure, we all want a cushion in the bank, a fullfilling career, a nice quality of life, but I have never seen anyone actually feel happier or more at peace because they are carrying a Birkan bag as opposed to a Coach bag or even a LeSport Sac fanny pack.

I always equate it to my three year old son. He gets a shiny new toy, he feels elated and plays with said toy ad nauseum, a week or two later that same much coveted toy is collecting dust at the bottom of his toy chest or he simply tosses it aside in favor of something new. The chase after the next best thing never seems to end. It’s a bottomless pit. Experiences, however, seem to stay with him forever and continue to put a warm smile on his face and that makes me happy to see.

Before you hand over your credit card for a pricey designer handbag because you saw Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie snapped wearing it in some celebrity magazine, ask yourself if you’re simply mirroring society’s expectations of you and fallling prey to the advertising industry’s snowjob on your delicate female psyche, or if this is something you genuinely want or need in your life.

We all like to have nice things, but how do we determine when we are trading in our soul as layaway collateral?