Being stateside, one rarely get the opporunity to see Mulberrys IRL and I have admired the bags as shown on this Forum. Back in summer, I saw some Roxannes (I think) at Saks and just oogled over the leather, but after picking them up - felt that they were way too heavy for me. BUT, I was still enamoured with the leather and the overall quality and craftsmanship. And I have always admired the style of the Bayswater, but also thought that it would be too heavy for me as well.
Alas - I repeat this story (sorry folks), but a new Bloomingdales opened right up the street and voila, there was a giraffe patterned Bayswater just sitting their, looking so regal and I picked her up and much to my delight, she was lighter than I expected! According to the SA - there were some Bayswaters that were not in the Darwin leather and thus would be lighter! What a delight to hear because I was leaving for London in several weeks and knew that I would have to see some Mulberry's in person! I picked up the patent purple Mabel they had as well - and wished that the Bayswater was offered in purple leather, but knew this was not the case since they didn't feature it on their website.
To make a long story short - I ventured into Liberty and there she was...on the top shelf - a Bayswater in a deep, rich purple - and not in Darwin. A soft, tumbled leather that was not heavy. This was IT - my dream Mulberry! I oogled and awed, put my "stuff" into the bag and trotted around Liberty feeling pretty good - BUT - I have this "policy" that I do not pay full retail for a bag - ANY bag. What to do? So....I take my stuff out of the bag, put it down, and then go out to "think about it" over a civilized lunch. I'm literally fighting with myself, trying to justify paying "this much money" over a hand bag. Yes, VAT/Duty would be removed, and from your posts, I know that they rarely go on sale and I would never be able to purchase on at an outlet store in the UK, etc.......
So - after consuming a lovely lunch, I went into my purse to reapply my lipstick and I cannot find my mirror......hmmm, did I leave it in the hotel room? That would be very unusual for me to do - but hey - I'm getting older and a bit more forgetful. So - off I go....back to Liberty, to buy that beauty! Thank goodness it was still there. I had to take her for one last spin.....just to be sure.....AND to make sure that she could fit over my shoulder with a bulky jacket....and of course I had to take the contents out of my bag - again - to put into the Baywater and to my delight (in the zippered compartment) is my compact mirror and altoids!!!!! What a hoot!. Thus, I took it as a sign from the "bag-gods" that this hand bag had to make the transatlantic journey back to DC with ME!
How's that for a long story?
Now....just my two cents.....this bag is worth every penny - FULL price. The leather and craftsmanship are so superior to other HIGHER END DESIGNER BAGS that ask for so much more money - but IMO are truly not worth it. Believe me, I've looked at and felt plenty of Fendi/
Gucci/Chanel/Balenciaga/LV/
Prada/Chloe - and they are not worth their full retail price! I'm truly a Mulberry fan.
And thanks ladies.....for all of your information/input prior to my purchase. I read everything, but never posted!!!
. It made me feel so good every time I carried it. And I loved the fact it was so subtle - no screaming logos.
