Wednesday, March 15, 2006

My last word on bags

I was telling my book group about this bag search. One of them asked what make the £60 one was. I had no idea. She picked up her own bag and waved it at me. "I like nice bags," she said. I looked. Hers had a little leather tag on it in the shape of a Scottie dog.

"Oh, my £60 one has a tag like that," I said.

"Ah," she said, "a Radley!" I could tell that they all approved. It's not often that I impress people with my brand of accessories. Marks and Spencer doesn't do it for most of my smart friends.

One of the book group is particularly dressy. Some months ago - long before I'd given any thought at all to my clothes for Daughter 1's nuptials - she said to me, as we all sat round the table discussing the current book, "Are you going to wear a hat to the wedding?"

"I doubt it," I said - not feeling I was that sort of person.

"Well," she said, "you either have to wear a hat or dye your hair."

Hmm. Or stick a bag over my head, I suppose. Yes, my hair is beginning to grey a bit at the front, and no, I don't dye it. Too much like hard work to keep it looking convincing.

When I mentioned the £5 bag on Saturday, I enjoyed the look of horror on her face at the thought of my appearing in public with such a cut price item.

Daughter 1 suggests that I remove the dog label from the £60 bag, attach it to the £5 one and see if the dressy friend admires it.

Shocking idea.

5 comments:

  1. Isn't it frightening how we let other people rule our lives in so many respects? Fancy telling you to dye your hair if you aren't going to wear a hat! As a person who likes to shock people now and then, I would probably turn up wearing a motorcycle crash helmet, and say "well, it IS a hat, isn't it?"
    Isabelle, I don't know you at all (yet), but I am concerned for you being so worried about your weight. Unless you are seriously obese to the point of being unhealthy, why not simply buy clothes that cover you well enough, and that you feel comfortable in. If you have a look at other countries around the world, as well as the past hundred or so years in human history, you'll see that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. Some cultures adore big women even now, and as you would see in art by some of the Old Masters, big women were immortalised in paintings. It is mostly western society that has decreed 'thin is beautiful' and thereby responsible for several generations of very sick young women who are forever desperately dieting.
    Well, that's my opinion for what it is worth - hope you take some comfort from it! Sorry to waffle on - but do take good care of yourself, and learn to love yourself the way you are - other people do, I'll bet!

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  2. Of course you're entirely right, and thank you for your concern. And no, I'm not seriously obese. But if you feel fat, you're just not comfortable in any clothes. But it's not the only focus of my life - don't worry! It's just that I'm tired of being fat. And I'm sure you're right about the bag, too...

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  3. helloooo isabelle! thanks so much for your comment on my blog the other day, now I am happily digging round on yours. i love how you write, such warmth and humour, you must be a rockin' teacher...

    (by the way, hope it's not reeeeally your last word on bags, you can never have enough bag talk :)

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  4. Honey it may be shocking ... but if the brand is all that matters, I'm sure it would have worked, LOL!!

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  5. My no.1 daughter married 9 years ago on Halloween. I'm a jeans and t-shirt person. She insisted I get a dress to wear to the wedding. I suggested a witch outfit........(it's a dress afterall)

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