Chanel Arm Candy Motivation

I'm two weeks into my shopping sabbatical and it's going pretty well. So far I haven't succumbed to any clothing/accessories temptations, and the only things I've bought were things from the drugstore (shampoo and face cleanser don't count) and the Chanel paper doll book I pre-ordered in April, which was actually before my shopping sabbatical began in May. (More on that paper doll book in a future blog post!)

In the meantime, I keep returning to the Chanel website again and again, drooling and deliberating over the handbags that are there. As much as I love the idea of a cute compact shoulder bag for evening wear, I know that in reality I probably wouldn't use that bag much for the following reasons:

1. I rarely have special enough occasions that require a compact evening bag.
   Even if I were to go out at night, I much prefer the more compact clutch/wristlet that's just big enough for all the essentials and not big enough to be annoying.


2. Given that I'd most likely go to a bar or a club, I'd be terrified of getting something spilled on a purse as expensive as Chanel. I've learned my Cambie lesson well.


3. If I did need a cute compact shoulder bag for day or night, I'd default to my Nine West black shoulder bag, which I wouldn't feel as heartbroken about if it got ruined.

I don't want a tote because my Coach tote, Nine West tote, and Old Navy sweater purse are more than enough. However, I do want something big enough for use on weekdays or weekends, but small enough for a casual evening out (say, for dinner and movies, or after-work get-togethers that don't turn into all-out gongshows). It has to be sturdy and spacious enough to lug around my mini-umbrella, sunglasses, cell, iPod, wallet, real glasses (in case I have a problem with my contacts), a bunch of small miscellaneous items, and a pair of gloves in winter.
With these specs in mind, I present to you the top contenders so far for my post-sabbatical splurge.

Large quilted flap bag



Bowling bag