Bag, Borrow Or Steal.

I remember hearing about this service a few years ago and thinking "Why would anyone waster their money with this?"

Bag, Borrow or Steal is a home handbag and accessories lending service. You pay a monthly fee, and you get to borrow the latest and greatest in fashion trends. But I think the service is a bit of a joke, actually.

Why?

Well, I guess because I think of handbags (and shoes) as an investment. When I decide to actually fork over cash for a designer bag, I am thinking about many things... Including:
  • How often am I going to use this bag?
  • Can I carry it more than one season?
  • Is it a piece of fashion history?
  • Do I love it? (Not just merely like it.)
When I analyze all those things, if it all adds up, I will buy the bag. And it is really rare for me to come across a bag I love. I like a lot of bags. But I have only loved a few.

So I don't get this service form BBoS. Why would I pay a hefty sum each month to borrow bags I am not going to keep? Maybe if I was a person who worked in fashion (like a publicist or stylist), and needed to be seen carrying the latest and hippest things. But I work and live in Boston... We're into our fashion, but we're less frivolous about it. When I see someone with a new bag, I expect them to carry a lot for at least a year. Not just a few weeks.

Here's an example of how this breaks down...

If you wanted to borrow the Chloe Paddington satchel, it'll cost you $235 a month if you're a "member." (That's practically a car payment.) But if you wanted to buy the same small satchel, it'll cost you about $1850. And buying the purse would be an investment, as this particular style from Chloe will become a wonderful vintage piece to have in your collection. So you can rent it for a year, and pay over $2800... Or you can just buy it, and pay about $1000 less, and use it as much as you want for the rest of your life.

I guess this service is for people who don't have any sense of personal style, and just want to carry whatever everyone else is carrying. I think it's a big ol' waste of hard earned cash.

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