scene stealer

HiHeels

HiHeels

united
Apr 8, 2006
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84
#1
so now that i've gotten a new accessory, i'm discovering that it really has a dramatic impact on my outfit/appearance - not in what i choose to put on, but how it transforms the look. t-shirt and jeans without a necklace are a t-shirt and jeans. t-shirt and jeans with the necklace and i'm to the manor born:rolleyes:
my cacahuete, while a lovely touch that i find absolutely essential and i love it!, does not have this effect. it's a very private luxury. the bolide in a subtle color, would similarly not define my appearance, i think. in a bright color, any bag is eye-catching.
so would you say that a kelly or birkin always steals the show? the pics of all the celebs, would they be interesting without that qualifier, that bag? fame aside, i'm just refering to their ensembles. l.lohan would just look like a sloppy, dirty teen i think. and many others would look more... mortal, without their hermes companions (not VB though - they had the technology, and they rebuilt her:borg1:smile:.
it can be a relief too, to wear the tee and jeans and look fantastic because of one accessory. such an easy way to insta-style.
with regards to bags, i think i experiment enough (maybe too much) with clothes that a scene stealing bag would compete too much and it would push me over the top. already with the necklace i see that less is more, which is liberating, but also limiting.
any thoughts?
do you prefer to let the h bag do the work? do you see it as an ensemble? do you think your own appearance (the impression you make) suffers at all, or is missing something if you remove the bag from the picture?
 
#2
I love my bags and take them everywhere I go, in my jeans, or in my Chanel, so I don't think of them as the piece de resistance...but you should see the heads turn and the jaws drop, especially in the boutique! They DEFINITELY make a statement. Whilst I don't enjoy being stared at, it is nice to see people besides me appreciate them.:heart: :smile: and whilst I don't let the bag do the work, it IS a very important piece of the puzzle. You wouldn't go out of the house without your pants - why go out without your bag? LOL.

I've given up carrying other bags simply because I love my H so much. I don't think I'll ever carry anything else. God help me!
 
#3
My friends and I agree, an Old Navy wardrobe with the right accessories (read:HERMES) makes us look and feel like a million bucks. Has a way of really lifting our spirits and makes us stand up just a little taller.
 
#4
You know, for a while, I absolutely did not think that I would ever own a Birkin. They are extremely well known, and I just didn't want an item that would draw that much attention, hence the reason I was primarily leaning towards the Bolide and its lovely design. But the more I see brightly colored Birkins, the more they grow on me! And now I'd be happy with either a Rose Shocking Bolide OR a BIRKIN! :biggrin:

I work hard on my outfits, usually because my shoes and bags are never very special. But now I'm trying to make my wardrobe more simple, with more classic pieces, and I thought you know, with that one pretty pink Birkin, paired with the right color clothing, would just make the outfit so much more special!

Does it kinda freak me out that people will see the Hermes bag and not me...yes. But with half the weird stuff I've worn, I don't even know why I worry anymore. I've worn hot pink and black leather corsets with giant platform boots, and frilly pale colored dresses before...and I think those drew MORE attention then a Birkin ever could! :shame: It's bad when you really dislike drawing a lot of attention to yourself, but have a mad passion for oddball, out-there fashions at times :sweatdrop:

I'm not your standard college girl. I'm nothing like my uber tall, super-thin, blonde, tan, gorgeous sister! Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy with myself, but on days where you walk the mall and see all of the girls that would look beautiful in a potato sack, while you have to work your booty off just to carefully pull together select pieces that will look fantastic and flattering on you...an Hermes bag might just left your spirits, knowing that you may not be a model, but you sure as hell have good taste! :lol:
 
#5
HH, I love your threads--they are always so thought-provoking. I totally understand what you mean about the bag pushing you over the edge. There are times when I feel "overdone" if I have certain jewelry on with a bag, and a carefully coordinated outfit; that's when I'll go with a lower-key bag like the Bolide. I have to say that certain bags are definitely scene stealers; a brightly colored Birkin or Kelly most definitely---it's hard not to look at them. I think it was Hubert de Givenchy who had complained that fashion was no longer about the clothes but rather about the handbags, and if I look at my own wardrobe, this is most definitely true. I prefer to let the bag do the work, and I'll dress around it versus the other way around. Honestly, it's much easier that way at this stage in my life, living in a cooler climate and have a 2 year old. The process is similar to decorating a room based on the colors in a painting you love if that makes sense. I now pick clothing and scarves to go with existing bags...odd, I know, but it works for me!
 
#6
I don't think a Birkin or Kelly steals the show per se. I think dressing is all about balance and that includes carrying the right bag at the right time and not just because it's the best bag you have.

That being said, too much bling or a fromal bag with sweatpants never works for me.

I love the look of pearls and huge diamond studs with jeans, a sleeveless t-shirt and a big luxurious bag like a Trim or Birkin.

Dressing in all black or white or monochromatic and then carrying a punch of color like a fuschia Bolide would be a knock out.

It's like setting a table. If your china and crystal are simple, go ornate with the silverware. If the silverwar is simple, go ornate with either the china or the crystal.

The only time I have ever noticed an Hermes bag first was when it was horribly mismatched to the outfit ( like wearing shorts with a lizard bolide...)

As such, seeing celebrities in their sweats carrying a birkin makes me think...no..no..no..all wrong....a mule is horse's harness...they are carrying it because they can, not because they should..

The right H bag with the right outfit...I have been carrying my Evelyne for a month now wearing Lucky Brand clothing..and I think I look ok....:shrugs:

That's what great about Hermes...you have so much o choose from and the same bag in a different leather or color or size may work or not work with whatever you are wearing.
 
#7
oh yummy - responses while i was out walking the dog and freezing my butt off (dh is traveling).
wow, the responses themselves are so interesting. we have such a diverse group. i can't get over that. i can't get over the appeal of hermes, the incredible variety they offer but also the way the items are then interpretted differently by such interesting women.
it was on my mind because i could see from the pearls that, as i said, i was taking it all down a notch to best compliment them, and i know i would do the same with a kelly, maybe more so. and maybe just because that would be the most attractive way to set my table, so to speak, using quinn's mom's analogy. the bolide allows for more range for me personally.
lady emma - we're at home here on tPf, aren't we, where it makes perfect sense what you said (wouldn't go out without your pants on...)
funny, in a way you said something that neeya also expressed - not wanting to be stared at. but then with ownership of something so beautiful (hermes) i think we agree that attention to the bag is not out and out disapproved of, just a pity we can't separate that from ourselves. but as guardians, it can't be done.
olive i do agree, even as a witness, i can testify that if i see someone with a beautiful bag, if they carry it well, i make assumptions about the rest of their appearance - the glow cast by the bag does put everything in a nicer light, for better or worse. maybe it's just the especially good posture the wearer has while carrying the bag. lol
neeya i too like to express myself. made the mistake last year of expressing myself on a day that happened to be halloween with a red cashmere cardigan that i like to close with a giant (giant!) white tulle bow (it has a space to put whatever you wish through, so i could use a delicate ribbon if i chose) and a few people thought i was dressed as a present. lol if you're going to put yourself out there, you have to develop a sense of humor i guess (does a woman with a giant white tulle bow in front sound like she lacks a sense of humor?). but i would be interested to see/hear how owning/carrying a scene-stealing bag would influence your wardrobe choices.
orchids:flowers: :heart: i love your responses to my threads. kiss! givenchy certainly was looking into the crystal ball of licensing. the dollar is in the details for sure with retail. if a designer has an outstanding runway collection, it doesn't matter if there isn't a handbag line. i am tremendously lured by the idea of letting the handbag do the work - not in dressing like a slob with a nice bag, but in toning down my overall style and muting everything a bit. maybe i'm in a transitional stage. in my 20s, the necklace that started all this thinking would have felt sort of tongue and cheek or something. at 40, it might feel more suitable. i'm in a gray area, style-wise, or i should say, pre-gray area, lol.
 
#8
I am fairly conservatively dressed most of the time ( I must admit to throwing on a pair of pajamas as soon as I come home). I never wear sweats etc. I dress to feel good about myself and my bag is part of that. The bag alone can't carrry the burden in my case.....
 
#9
HiHeels: Yes, that sense of humor is very important, lol, I learned that long ago with the stuff that I have worn into public :lol:

Trust me, the idea of owning a bag like an Hermes bag has already worked it's magic on me. I spent years in and out of weird clothing, but the idea of having specific, lovingly/carefully chosen accessories has required me to par down the out-there clothing and really work on creating a solid, classic wardrobe.

Prior to now, I had two entire wardrobes devoted to two very unique fashions, and then an entire other wardrobe of very classy, tasteful, normal pieces. Since I discovered Hermes, I suddenly took this huge leap out of styles that were very fun and unique to play with, up until I hit this age. One could say I did not waste my youth, as I have been all over the map with my clothing! But now, owning even the few Hermes items that I do, and knowing that sometime this year I will be purchasing a bag, I have a deep desire to begin collecting and forming a larger classic wardrobe that, while beautiful and flattering, is bumped up that extra notch with a gorgeous bag!

It's actually very refreshing to realize that you are now ready to even *own* such a bag, and that it can and will work with your wardrobe! I pumped tons of money into unique fashion for so long, now I want to focus on pieces that I can wear past the age of 22 :shame:

And just for giggles, for all of you Hermes girlies, this is what I've gone through to get where I am today! Don't laugh, I told you I've done every fashion I can get my hands on from here to Japan! Best time to do it is when you're young and in college, with no rules to follow :biggrin: I've done my wild fashion, and no doubt I'll always keep a giant part of my creativity and it will be reflected in my more Hermes appropriate wardrobe :biggrin:

It's nice to finally be...settled..in terms of what I'm doing and where I'm headed! I just kind of settled in with what I want to do in terms of a job, and I've settled myself in fashion too, finally!! :smile:
 

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#11
HiHeels, great question. Since I don't live in New York or Beverly Hills, I rarely see H bags and no one notices when I carry my birkin (except in the H boutique); it's just a nice-looking, simple bag. So it only elevates my outfit for me--and it really does that. The best H effect is that I'll dress up to at least minimally match birkie. It's fun.

Glad to hear you're enjoying and experiencing your pearls. What a wonderful gift!
 
#12
Rose said:
The bag alone can't carrry the burden in my case.....
Click to expand...

:lol:
now rose, when you say "conservative", does that mean you'd go for neeya's clean-cut little-bo-peep blue outfit sooner than her punk dominatrix, or goth witch? just trying to get a mental image.:P

neeya that kind of self-expression is why i feel most comfortable in nyc (originally i'm from CA). love seeing just the liberty to wear whatever. i guess a college campus provides a similar atmosphere of anything goes.
in '91 i got side-ways glances for wearing dresses with jeans. 12+ years later that's the look. so hang on to your cuddly backpack (ps have you ever seen the magazine about japanese street fashion, "fruits"? http://www.fruits-mg.com/index.html)

mizzle it's really nice (i think so) to have things that help motivate us to look/try/do our best. dressing to match your birkin - i take that to mean in terms of effort in selecting your outfit, not matching as in color-coordinating.
 
#13
HiHeels said:
:lol:
now rose, when you say "conservative", does that mean you'd go for neeya's clean-cut little-bo-peep blue outfit sooner than her punk dominatrix, or goth witch? just trying to get a mental image.:P


:roflmfao: ......I'm thinking dominatrix

Back to reality....think black pants, black top, scarf.....uber boring
Click to expand...
 
#14
mizzle said:
Since I don't live in New York or Beverly Hills, I rarely see H bags and no one notices when I carry my birkin (except in the H boutique); it's just a nice-looking, simple bag.
Click to expand...

i think it's nice to enjoy your hermes bag on the merits of design alone, and not reputation. it's not a bad thing to get recognition for a brand at all, but it also sounds very appealing, especially where hermes is concerned and quality is such a huge factor, more so than hype, in the appeal, to be incognito.
 
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