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Reader E suggests this lovely handbag, noting: “I saw this handbag and nearly fainted from its gorgeousness. It is way out of my league, but I would love to carry it to work!” We agree, it's a gorgeous bag (and definitely a splurge!) — we particularly like the stones hanging from the handles. It's $2,850 at Neiman Marcus. Nancy Gonzalez Python and Croc Satchel
Kristin
Sorry, but I think this looks like a grannie purse. And I really can’t get over how much some women will pay for a bag. Ridiculous.
martha
i know, i feel guilty if i buy a bag that costs a tenth of this one.
Chicago K
During my college (and post college days) I bought several cars that cost less than this! :)
Shayna
Those were my first and second thoughts!
My parents bought me a gorgeous overpriced designer bag as a graduation gift whenI got my master’s… I rarely use it because I don’t want it to get dirty/worn/etc. — which means I don’t want to put my pens in it, let it sit on the ground, or carry it when the weather is anything less than 100% sunny…
divaliscious11
Its a BAG! Wear it, use it, carry it. I don’t understand this not using/wearing your things. What good is having something in a dust bag in a closet?
But according to my 90 yr old grandmother, before she died, “A woman should never put her bag on the floor – you’ll never have any money!”
Close your pen and wear your bag!
Shayna
I know – its horrible —
I put the bag on a shelf, if that helps —
I ruined a bag years ago with a pen that (somehow) broke/leaked all over the inside… And you’re right, it’s not good.
I have started to take it out when I’m going somewhere nice/on dress to impress days… but a few years ago there was a special on (I’m going to say Dateline but I’m not sure – could have been 20/20) that said that the best place to put your purse when you’re out is on the ground between your feet to keep from getting pickpocketed… and I don’t want to put my bag there — oy, too much thinking!
sarah
I usually love big bags, but I think this scale is just really off. Way too big for something out of those materials. All that is missing is the tail!
jojo
…and the shoulder straps.
CFM
I like the colors.. but those stones… I do not it looks like someone hung a trophy for killing the animal on the side or something.
Anon
The stones remind me of the episode of Sex and the City where Steve is considering a fake “stone”…
CFM
hahaha exactly what I was trying to hint at
A.
LOL :)
dee
I think I am over the huge python bag – too prissy for me (worrying those scales will fall off). what i can get into is a huge crocodile bag in yellow:
http://bit.ly/ayTllo
MelM
I was just going to say that I LOVE LOVE the yellow bag! my pet peeve is that these websites rarely show the inside of the purse, which is as important as the outside. I hate a big bag where everything has to be dumped into one compartment, meaning you will never find anything easily again. I like lots of pockets and dividers (but NOT like those granny wallet/purse things you see on the back of the Sunday Parade magazine!:0)
dr
Mel M, there are those joey jr. pocket things that set into purses and help organize, hold, and transfer things (although I don’t switch purses) … used to be just available on line and yesterday i saw some in cute patterns at the Container Store.
MelM
I have seen those, but completely forgot about them. thanks, dr!
D
I bet the python was way more beautiful when it was alive.
Legally Blonde
Yep.
JP
As opposed to the cow that was alive befor she was made into your shoes/bag?
Delta Sierra
I think your point is well-taken. Cattle go through a bad-enough process, but I can’t imagine what these exotic animals go through. For me it comes under the heading of Just Not Necessary.
Lynette
Wow!! I don’t even spend this much when I pay my monthly mortgage!!
I can’t run with the big dogs.
KZ
way too much for me (and I find crocodile and snakeskin accessories mildly disturbing), but for those of you who like it, this looks like the type of thing that is trendy enough you could find a very similar concept at a cheaper price point–eg http://www.michaelkors.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod7030025&parentId=cat8519&masterId=cat9102&cmCat=cat000000cat101cat8501cat9102cat8519&index=19&tid=P9 or something like that
AIMS
Not a fan of the Michael Kors. But LOVE this bag. It’s a bit much, but I think it’s fabulous. Not that I have $3K to spend on it, but I definitely get its allure.
Lawgirl
@KZ – The Michael Kors purse is stylin’ and only $198. That’s my reality nowadays…. Would make a great Mother’s Day gift!
K
I didn’t like it in the Corporette pic but when I viewed it on the NM website, I did really like it. But yes, no $2800 bags here :(
Anon
On the theme of suggesting things to others that I could never afford myself, check out this gorg Valentino leather jacket: http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod97270123&parentId=cat11320735&masterId=cat6060749&index=14&cmCat=cat000000cat000001cat000009cat000019cat6060749cat11320735
I fell in love with it, and will silently pine for it while staring into my empty wallet….
jcb
Now I will be pining as well.
Shayna
Insert sob here…
I actually know someone who has this jacket — A (much) wealthier cousin (who also happens to be 5′ 10″ and gorgeous… have I mentioned now not fair life is??) – I didn’t know it was this expensive, but it is soooo gorgeous in person!
Clerky
Do people really pay this kind of money for one bag??!! I can’t imagine ever paying this much for something, even if I became a fancy shmancy partner some day.
A.
I really like this. However, I am pretty sure that if I bought this (or anything else in a similar price range) my next big expense would be a divorce lawyer. I don’t think it’s ridiculous to spend this kind of money on a bag, if you have the money. However, I think the number of women who actually do “have the money” for a $3,000 bag – meaning they don’t need the 3k for housing, food, transportation, debt service, retirement funds, or college savings – is pretty tiny.
divaliscious11
Not necessarily, and the women I know who’d spend $3K or more for a bag aren’t buying one every month, or even every season.
I’d spend $3K on a bag, but I don’t like snakes, dead or alive….
V
If you’re looking for python, THIS is what you should get:
http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod100220221&parentId=cat8380746&masterId=cat5100733&index=2&cmCat=cat000000cat000141cat000149cat000226cat5100733cat8380746
Much better shape, and the pared-down design highlights the python much better.
KZ
I’m curious about the note on this one: “Please note: Python is not available in California.” Is there some law in California about this?
V
yes, it’s illegal to sell python to California. However, if you’re interested in the bag I would call NM and a nice sales person might be able to get it to you in CA anyways :)
Jay
How lovely to try to thwart animal protection laws. Enjoy ethics class?
martha
now that is gorgeous. not that i would buy it for many, many reasons . . . but gorgeous all the same.
PG
ughhhh
How does one justify buying anything made out of skin of exotic animal? Wrong on so many levels. And the cow hide argument does not fly….humans do eat cow for food. Its the senseless killing for sake of vanity that I am against.
AN
I’d rather not get judgemental about killing exotic animals vs. cows (given that I’m a vegetarian, I think people can stave off hunger pangs without killing anyone at all in the first place).
That said, I think the bag looks a bit ‘granny’ – also dislike that it has no shoulder straps. I struggle with the colour personally (too light & would get dirty soon) – not sure if it’s treated leather or not. If not, difficult/impossible to get stains off.
RP
BUT no one eats the cow that is used for your bag/shoes. That argument is weak. As if we are using every part of the cow- hilarious! Come on now, this is America. We waste things. Cows that are slaughtered for food are different than the cows that are slaughtered for their skin. Different type of cow, different raising, different killing.
Kind of an arbitrary line to draw between killing an “exotic” animal and a “domestic” animal.
AlwaysLurking
The distinction I make is wild vs. farmed (or ranched, or whatever the proper word is). Products from cows, pigs, goats, sheep, mink, etc. that are raised for food or leather or fur are fine in my book, but I think it is a bad idea to buy products made from animals that were taken from the wild. So I’m fine with a mink coat, but not a lynx coat. (Unless there is lynx ranching that I don’t know about.) There is, of course, the argument that any kind of fur coat stimulates demand and thus enourages poaching, but I generally don’t take the issue that far when figuring out what I am personally comfortable with.
ER
Wouldn’t you rather than your animal had a little bit of a life before you wear it, as opposed to being kept indoors and raised only to be killed?
AlwaysLurking
If the human and (wild) animal population were balanced enough that we could satisfy our demand without putting the animal population at risk, then absolutely a natural life for the animal would be better. But as things are now, using wild animals to make things like bags and coats seems to put the animal population at risk. There may well be certain animal populations that would not be at risk (there’s some limited alligator hunting in some areas, for example, and presumably the hide is valuable), but my personal rule is to stay away from things that I *think* were made from wild animals, because that’s the approach I’m comfortable with. For the record, I’m not thrilled with factory farming or the way most “crop” animals are raised or treated, but I draw lines for my personal life that I’m comfortable with. If I liked more vegetables, I’d probably be a vegetarian, but I don’t, and I eat meat. While I personally don’t like furs (or snakeskin bags), I have a hard time seeing how a coat made from ranched mink is meaningfully different from my hamburger.
PG
Are you sure? Links please. I would feel really guilty if that is the case. sighhh
Shayna
Not that I either like this bag, or think that python skin products make sense, but for the record, python meat is edible and there are a lot of people out there with entire books’ worth of recipes — like this site: http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Best-Snake-Recipes-Exotic-Recipe
PG
Having said that I would love to splurge on a leather (non-exotic) bag someday…maybe a marc jacobs? Being out of work does not help the situation though. :(
mille
Thread hijack– I am livid. I told my bosses that I am 14 weeks pregnant. (Yesterday). Today, the decision was made that I will not be doing any more family law. They say it was a decision that was already made, but b.s.. BS. I know being pushed out when I see it.
I have a “discussion’ with the partners tomorrow about the direction my future will take. I have a feeling I am going to walk at the end. The family law is what makes money. The criminal law does not. I KNEW this would happen. And I am so mad. I knew, because when I had sinus problems and they wouldn’t let me do family law until after my surgery, that they wouldn’t put up with me being pregnant.
K
Contact your state’s equivalent of the EEOC and document EVERYTHING. I’m so sorry this is happening to you.
Legally Brunette
Yikes, I am so sorry! I agree with documenting everything. That is crazy.
Eponine
Document everything – everything – and research employment law in your state. I’d start by asking your partners to communicate this decision to you in writing.
sam
try not to just up and quit due to your righteous anger: may limit your options later. absolutely get them to put it in writing. whatever obnoxious stunt they’re pulling, you may want to just suck it up until after the baby is born. you’re going to have a hard time finding another job while visibly pregnant, and places frequently don’t do much at all in the way of maternity leave if you’re brand new. not to mention issues with switching health insurance providers mid-pregnancy. and definitely document, document, document. keep a log, send confirmation emails, etc. you would think lawyers would know better!
anon
Hopefully inspirational:
During the rounds of layoffs last year, my biglaw firm laid off a 3rd year associate who was visibly (and officially) pregnant. She was a smart attorney, and so the first thing (besides not quit on the spot instead of finishing out her last week, allowing her continued access to our intranet) was document everything. She printed out/emailed to her private email all of her timesheets, as well as those of others in her class and one above and below (it’s all accessible on our timecard program). She also pulled copies of all of her reviews (all glowing), and unofficial feedback in emails (responses from partners saying great job). She copied work product and other docs.
She then took all that information to the Powers That Be at the firm and said, look, even if you say it has nothing to do with my pregnancy because lots of people are getting laid off too, I can prove I worked more hours then others not laid off, I have flawless reviews, and have never had any problems. I am an excellent attorney. If you don’t want me to go to the EEOC -and I will- then you are going to give me not only the severance everyone is getting, but the 3 months paid maternity leave WITH health coverage which is part of the HR package for attorneys at this firm.
She probably could have gotten more, but to her, that’s what was fair. And she got it. Then she went out, found a new job (interviewing at 6 months pregnant) that was temp-to-perm after her maternity leave, started working a couple weeks after she left our firm, and got hired as a permanent employee after her baby.
Print everything that can help you.
anon
Don’t delay. Check out EEOC filing deadlines.
Eva
Please let us know how the discussion went. It’s probably best not to up and leave (if you haven’t had the meeting already) unless your spouse has a very, very stable job with health insurance that can cover you.
Shayna
Don’t leave — you’ll lower your chances at getting this fixed, and your career stable on the track you want to be on — This is the time to pull out every bit of documentation you have on your performance to show that there’s no reason to move you.
AN
I’m sorry about this. I went through a phase where my boss tried to push me out the day I told him I was preg. Luckily all HIS superiors stood by me and I was OK and am now in a new role – same company.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do – and I am glad the US has strong anti-discriminatory laws. In Asia, we have none whatsoever – you’re vulnerable from the interview process on…!!
trial lawyer
I feel like the pushing out in America often happens after the baby arrives because of the law. Different timing, same result.
Shayna
If they can justify the switch, then they can get away with it — the U.S. has a long way to go in terms of women in the workplace
Sharon
Slight thread hijack: Shayna, your blog looks really interesting, but the pink highlights make it almost illegible. Would you consider a more typical way of showing hyperlinks?
Shayna
Hi — Thanks —
I would/am/can — I didn’t realize that made it a problem. Can you take a look at some point and tell me if the bigger font I used in the last post made it better?
I’m not much of a CSS/html whiz so losing the pink hyperlinks may take a few days (but its going to rain this weekend here anyway) :-)
Thanks!
Anon
Brutally honest assessment – the font, while pretty, is super hard to read. Go for something that looks less like handwriting. Because no matter how big you make this font it will still be difficult on the eyes.
Shayna
Thanks – I really appreciate the honesty — It’s so hard to know what other people think (being polite is always appreciate, but seriously, please, don’t ‘yes’ me!) :-)
I will see about switching to something in the Times New Roman/Arial family —
A co-worker did quickly help me flip the hyperlinks so now they show up as pink text, and when you hover over them with your mouse are highlighted in pink with white text — any other suggestions? (you can also leave them on Life: Forward – click my name for the link)
Shayna
I think I have achieved ‘read-ability’ – thank you ladies — and please, let me know if you have any other critiques :-)
75
This has to be a joke. Croc and python are fine, but how bout buying a small wallet or something like that? Just as elegant, but much cheaper! What would someone think if they saw me carrying such a bag? I tremble to think!