Don't laugh--it's the fastest way for me to check if the bag is leather or not. See, I'm a handbag fanatic; it's my definite weakness. The past few weeks I've been trying to find a new summer bag, preferably a roomy one for carrying on the plane to Nola. No luck yet.
One problem I've encountered on this search is that my taste is too expensive, even in places like TJ Maxx. It's inevitable that I'm somehow going to find the one $200 Italian leather bag and want it, eschewing the dorky canvas totes in my $25 range. Ulgh.
And lately, another problem I've run into is that, somehow, pleather bags have become chic. How, you ask? Simple--the sales associate declares that the bag is "vegan leather."
Today, for instance, at an unnamed shop in downtown Charleston, a handbag caught my eye. It was a gorgeous shade of chocolatey brown, so I picked it up and--you guessed it--sniffed it.
No cow. More like chemical factory. Yikes.
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| via slate.com |
A waif-ish sales associate came over to me, seeing me assault the bag, I imagine, and asked if I had any questions. "This isn't leather, but I like the color," I told her. (Surely she didn't think I was dumb enough to plunk down that price for a plastic bag?)
She nodded. "Yes. It's vegan leather, and it's very stylish," she declared.
Okay. I understand that vegans don't like leather bags. But does that make it right to pass off a bag made of PLEATHER as something sophisticated enough for that price tag? I just don't get it.
I'm not sure if the "vegan leather not pleather" craze is going to last, but my sniffing habit just might. It's faster than hunting through all that stuffing for a materials tag, after all.
What do you think about this topic, lady readers?
i like me a good leather bag too. cute post! sniff sniff
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