New York Times Editorial Article

Page 1

Ha ndba gsTha tCos tMor eTha nCa r s : Ne c e s s a r y ?IThi nkNot ByMadi s onWhi t e Publ i s he d:Januar y1 ,201 4

Jus tt hi nkabouti t . . .oneme di um s i z e dl e at he rhandbagc oul dpot e nt i al l y buyy out wo,ormay bee v e nt hr e ec ar s . Howi st hate v e npos s i bl e ?Idon’ ts e e m t ohav eanans we rf ory ouot he rt hani t i sc ompl e t e l yr i di c ul ous . Dur i ngandj us taf t e rt her e c e s s i on, pe opl ec ons c i ous l ybe gant ol owe rand i ns omec as e ss t ops pe ndi ngal lt oge t he r .Mone ywast i ghtandf r i v ol ouspur c has e swe r e j us tnotne c e s s ar y .Thi sofc our s ewasnott hec as ef oral lAme r i c ans .Theuppe rc l as s e s , l e s saf f e c t e dbyt hemone t ar yc r i s i sdi dnotc e as es pe ndi ng,i ns t e adt he ybe gant opur c has e v e r ys pe c i f i ci t e ms .Pi e c e sofc l ot hi ngandac c e s s or i e swi t hahi ghqual i t yandl uxur i ousf e e l f r om s t or e swi t hi mpe c c abl ec us t ome rs e r v i c e ,s oonbe c amej us twhatt he s es oc i al i t e ss pe nt t he i rt i meandmone yon. Thi sde s i r ef ornamebr and,qual i t ypi e c e shasgonemuc ht oof ar .Ev e r y onehashe ar d oft heHe r me sBi r ki nbag,oratl e as te v e r y onei nt hef as hi onwor l d.Themos te xpe ns i v e ,t op oft hel i neal l i gat orl e at he rBi r ki nbagc anr e t ai lany whe r ef r om $60kt o$80k.Ye s ,t hat numbe ri si nt hous andsandi ti sc ompl e t e l yi nc ompr e he ns i bl et ome .Don’ tge tmewr ong, He r me shasawonde r f ult r adi t i onofc r af t s manc r e at i nghands e wni ndi v i dualpi e c e swi t h ani nt e ns eamountofde t ai lands ki l l .Compani e s ,l i keHe r me st hathav ebe e nas t apl ei n l uxur yf as hi on f orov e r1 50y e ar sandt he yar ev e r yi mpor t antt ot hei ndus t r yt oday . Wi t ht hatbe i ngs ai d,t he s eBi r ki nbagsar et aki ngi tmuc ht oof ar .Theonl yi ndi v i dual s i nt hi swor l d“ l uc ky ”e nought obebl e s s e dwi t ht heabi l i t yt oaf f or donear ec e l e br i t i e sor i nc r e di bl ywe al t hyt y c oons .Some onewi t hami ddl ec l as si nc omewoul dne v e rdr e am of us i ngt hatamountofmone yt opur c has eabag.Foranav e r agef ami l yoff our ,oneal l i gat or Bi r ki nbagc oul dge ne r ous l yf e e dt he i rf ami l yf orov e r6y e ar s . Tome ,i tj us tdoe s n’ ts e e mr i ghtt hati ndi v i dual swoul dwantt obeas s oc i at e dwi t ht hi s amountoff r i v ol ouss pe ndi ng.Wi t hal lt hebadgoi ngoni nt hewor l dt oday ,i nmyopi ni on, i fy ouhav eadi s pos abl ei nc omewhynotdonat et oc har i t i e s ?The r ear es omanyor gani z at i onsal lac r os st hewor l dt hatwoul dbec ompl e t e l yc hange dwi t hadonat i onashi ghas t hepr i c eonaBi r ki nbag. Ev e r y daywear ebombar de dwi t hl uxur ybr andname si nmus i c andmov i e s ,ande s pe c i al l y ,whe nl i v i ngi ns uc hac e l e br i t ydr i v e n c ul t ur e ,i nmagaz i ne s .Wi t ht hi si de aandi maget hatwene e dt he s e l uxur yi t e msi nourl i v e st of e e lc oolori mpor t ant ,t heknoc kof f br andmar ke thasbe c omel ar ge rt hane v e rbe f or e .Pe opl ear enow abl et opr e t e ndt he yc anaf f or dabagt hat ,f ors omepe opl e ,c os t s mor et hanahome .Andf orwhat ?Si mpl y . .t ol ook“ c ool ” . I ti si mpe r at i v et hatwemov eawayf r om t hi sf r i v ol ouss pe ndi ng andt hei de at hats uc he xpe ns i v ei t e msmakeusc ool e randmor e gl amor ous .I ti sj us tnott r ue .I fwec ont i nuet oc ondonet hi shor r i bl eme s s age ,pr i c e swi l lr ai s ee v e nhi ghe r .So,ne xtt i mey ouf e e lt hene e dt oi ndul gei ns uc h apr i c e yi t e m,t hi nkt wi c e ;t hatmone yc oul dbeus e di ni nf i ni t e l ymor eme ani ngf uland i mpor t antway s .

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