Stacker Style: Something Special

Contrary to what you may think, I'm not terribly into purchasing clothes and things. My closet might tell you otherwise - it's a walk-in, filled to the brim with shoes and various clothing items. But, as a blogger, I'm very, very lucky to receive items from generous brands. I shop for clothing an average of 3-5 times a year, and most of the time when I do, it's because I'm in need of something. My shopping philosophy has evolved - I did used to shop a lot when I was in high school / college, but as I grew older, I realized that spending on fast fashion wasn't the best use of my money and quality really does matter. Having said that, I do still give into trends every now and then, but for the most part, I recycle a lot of my clothes over and over. Given that I don't spend that much on clothing, it's even more rare for me to make larger investment purchases because I'm not super into material possessions. I purge my closet a couple times a year and try to donate as much as I can. By now, you're probably saying to yourself...wait, what? She's a blogger. Yes, guilty as charged. I'm a blogger, but I hope that if you haven't realized by now, you're starting to realize that I blog because I love to write, share my stories, and hope to spread positivity through my work. So, after sharing all of that backstory about my shopping patterns, let's talk about the bag featured in this post (because I've already told you about the shoes).

Gucci Disco in Python Leather (similar in black leather), ASOS Coat (sold out, similar here), Shoes, Sunnies

Photos by: Julia O Test

I've wanted an investment bag since college. In college, I told myself that my graduation gift to myself would be a nice purse that I could take out during special occasions and wear with pride. College graduation flew by and I still couldn't bring myself to spend the money on a purse. Then, I got a job working retail after college and decided that it was time to purchase my investment bag, because I was making money and could get a discount. (Yay, retail discounts!). My first job out of college flew by and years later, I'm three or so jobs into my career, still with no bag. Can you sense a pattern here? I'm a thinker. I think a lot about things before doing them, because I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing. I'd go back and forth with myself asking if spending money on a purse - a material possession - was really the right thing for me to do. I learned the value of a dollar at a young age and struggled with the thought of spending so much money on one thing.

Then, my father retired and we took a trip to France as a way to celebrate. One day, while walking the Champs Elysees, we made our way into the Gucci store. I knew I wanted a black cross-body for some time. And there it was. The Gucci Disco bag in black python. I knew I wanted it, but because it was an investment piece, I spent hours in the store deciding. I'm pretty sure I made the saleslady crazy, ha. In fact, I almost walked out the store with no bag. But, my dad talked me through it and helped me decide to get the bag for myself. It was the last one in the store, only sold in Europe (python skin isn't available in the U.S.), and was cheaper than if I were to purchase a similar one in the states. But, more importantly, it was a reminder of my first trip to Paris - more so, a trip with my father. I decided it'd be a forever-bag that I could also look at and remember the summer we traveled together. So, I got it. And, while I try to save it for special occasions, I also have come to look at every day as a special day, so I take out my bag even if it's just a day when I'm out grabbing brunch with pals.