Ladies of Bangkok, I have news. There are more than five bags available to buy in Thailand.
I love the fashion micro-trends in Bangkok – the girly prints, the floaty layers and the rocky androgynous look. Accessories are my weakness, and in Bangkok I know I can go out and find a cupcake headband, a teeny tiny top hat or a ring in the shape of a duck with no problem at all. It’s heaven for an accessories freak.
Fashion here is fun, quirky and exciting. Except when it comes to bags. In that respect, Bangkok is as dull as it gets.
Take a look around next time you wander down the street. Whether you’re at a market, in a high-end mall or on the BTS, there seem to only be five types that crop up, regardless of the owner’s style, budget or the occasion.
I mean it: Try walking down the street without spotting ALL of these bags.
- 1. The Longchamp Pliage tote. YAWN.
- 2. A terrible, fake Louis Vuitton bag. Ugly.
- 3. An Issey Miyake bag from the eco-friendly bao-bao range. Seriously; get over it already.
- 4. A fake Harrods bag. Why would you even bother faking a shopping bag?!
- 5. A Cath Kidston bag. These horrid plastic-coated totes should only be used for carrying laundry.
Not only am I sick of seeing them but, I have to tell you, if you’re carrying one, everyone thinks it’s fake. Whether it is or not. And while I’m on the subject, why bother buying a real, let alone fake, canvas tote from a London department store? I just don’t understand it.
I’m not one of those fashion snobs who can’t see the appeal of a counterfeit, believe me. I just don’t understand why you’d bother faking a bag that’s already ugly and cheap looking.
For the love of all that is fashionable, please try shopping a little outside your comfort zone; perhaps a classic quilted number from Marc by Marc Jacobs? Or a timeless piece from Coach. Or, if your budget is more in the region of mine, and you can only press your nose against the glass in longing for these ridiculously-priced handbags, how about heading to Terminal 21 to see what Thailand’s talented designers can come up with? Or trawling the markets for vintage curiosities or colourful leather shoulder bags? Just make sure those Longchamp copies don’t distract you.
I’m almost tempted to march every woman I see carrying one of the offending bags with me to the nearest street market to kit her out with something demonstrating a little more imagination. And style.
Yes, it’s a sad reality, but unfortunately every trend must die, no matter how much we spent on it or how much we longed for it when it was in the shop window.
The Harrods and Cath Kidston bags never had their time, but The Pliage’s time has surely come. Let it die a peaceful death while it still has some trace of wear-ability. Perhaps you can tuck it away in the wardrobe and revive it in a few years when you’re not one of 3,000 people on Sukhumvit sporting the exact same bag.
Come on Bangkok, it’s not like you to get stuck in a fashion rut. It doesn’t have to be hot pink, or covered in tassels or so up-to-the-minute even Anna Wintour is on a waiting list for it; it just has to not be one of those hideous and/ or boring five bags.
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Bangkok Fabulous: Where Gaby Doman explores fashion and beauty in the Big Mango.
If it’s hot, it’s here. And it’s hot in here.
