Byline: KATE MULVEY
MY SISTER shrilled 'I've found it!', as she held up a pink and tan Gucci handbag. We had spent an entire Saturday afternoon in search of this season's definitive glamorous bag. It cost [pounds sterling]325, and it was gorgeous. But as I looked at the winter Prada number slung over her shoulder, I couldn't understand why she had given over a small fortune for yet another piece of leather to carry her things around in.
But, it seems, I had missed the point. Louise was wallowing in an accessory moment. To me it was just a bag; to Louise it was a crucial part of her wardrobe.
She and many of my friends are prepared to spend hundreds of pounds a month on items such as necklaces, scarves and bags. But even they aren't a patch on the women in Femail recently who spend more than [pounds sterling]20,000 a year on accessories.
Unfortunately, I think the result makes them look like overdressed Christmas trees.
Last week, a friend showed me her [pounds sterling]160 Nina Campbell embroidered pashmina.
Gucci Ring'It's looks so sweet with my fringed Moschino bag, don't you think?' she squealed. I smiled as I thought 'you mad woman'.
The idea of spending anything over [pounds sterling]10 on something barely large enough for my keys and a lipstick is rather like wallpapering my flat with [pounds sterling]20 notes.
I own only one bag. A decent black Herve Chapelier carrier, it is big enough to carry my gym kit yet just smart enough to take out in the evening.
But finally, after one fashionista friend told me to leave it at the reception desk of an upmarket hotel (we were going for a pre-party drink) because it made us look cheap, I decided to see what the fuss was about and went off to purchase a little bag du jour.
I eventually chose an Orla Kelly beaded number from a quiet boutique. It was not too Top Shop, but not expensive enough to warrant re-mortgaging my Replica Chanel Wallet home.
Buying an extra accessory was all very well, but, as I was to discover, the whole two-bag experience was a nightmare. Owning more than one bag means having to transfer the contents from one to the other every time you go out.
I found myself arriving at restaurants looking deliciously girlie, but was then forced to watch my look disintegrate during the evening because I had left all my makeup in the other bag.
Then there was the question of the small straps.
Bags are designed for the shoulder to create minimum fuss. As soon as you have to use one hand to clutch your bag you are at a disadvantage. You end up leaving the damned thing on the back of a chair and arrive outside your front door with
embroidered patches your keys and everything else still back at the club.
But it isn't only the waste of money that I object to.
Accessories look fussy. Baby hairgrips, floaty scarves, neck jewellery and useless pashminas look stupid. There is so much detail to focus on that you end up looking messy and cluttered.
Style should be about simplicity. I opt for a simple polo neck and skirt for the day and a plainish dress for the evening. Besides, if the dress is well cut and the personality is sparkling, who needs diamante to get attention?
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